Business Grants in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland offers unique business funding opportunities through Invest NI, local councils, and cross-border programmes with the Republic of Ireland. Belfast and other NI businesses can access support for innovation, exports, and growth.
Invest NI Funding
Invest Northern Ireland is the main business development agency for NI. They provide grants, loans, and support for businesses looking to grow, innovate, or export. Their programmes cover R&D, capital investment, skills development, and market entry.
Local Council Support
Northern Ireland's 11 councils offer their own business support programmes. Belfast City Council, Derry City and Strabane, and other councils run grant schemes for local businesses, particularly SMEs and startups.
Cross-Border Programmes
NI businesses can also access cross-border funding programmes with the Republic of Ireland and EU-funded initiatives. InterTradeIreland supports cross-border trade and innovation projects.
Northern Ireland Business Grants
225 grants found
Funding opportunity: Scaling performance of quantum computing hardware: CR&D
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £33 million to develop device level hardware and associated software to meet the scale, programmability, and runtime performance needs of universal fault tolerant quantum computers.
Help the Homeless Grant Scheme
Grants for small UK charities working wholly or mostly with homeless people to fund capital projects.
Full ADOPT Grant: Round 9
Farming, growing or forestry businesses based in England can apply for a share of up to £5 million for on-farm trial and demonstration projects, to improve adoption of new ideas or solutions in the agricultural sector.
Early independence: BBSRC fellowships: full stage
Apply for this Early Independence Fellowship to support you to establish your own research niche, and conduct independent research within a host laboratory. Your fellowship will last three years.
Canada-G7-Nordic call for proposals on quantum technologies
Apply for funding to establish world-leading research partnerships with collaborators in Canada, the US, Germany, Japan, and the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway). Proposals must include researchers from both the UK and Canada and may also involve researchers from other eligible countries participating in this funding opportunity.
NextGen Fund
Offers emerging creatives grants to help young people invest in themselves, develop their skills, bring their creative ideas to life, and support early-stage musicians and music-adjacent creatives.
Partner Awards 2026/27
Funding provided by Unlimited in partnership with regional organisations to support disabled artists in creating ambitious new work.
Design Generators round two
Apply for funding to combine design-led interventions with arts and humanities methodologies to make positive contributions to the green transition.
Funding opportunity: Ultra Long Duration Energy Storage Project Development Studies Relaunch
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £3 million for project development studies to support the development of electrochemical ultra long duration energy storage demonstration projects in the UK.
£10 Million Hospitality Grant Scheme
A grant scheme providing funding to back entrepreneurs starting new hospitality ventures, bring vacant premises back into use, support training programmes for young people, and help rural and neighbourhood community venues such as pubs, restaurants, and cafes to adapt, grow, and diversify services.
Comic Relief Community Fund (England)
Provides grants to grassroots, community-led organisations in England to drive change in their local communities, drawing on the lived experience of beneficiaries. Focuses on tackling homelessness, cost of living concerns, early childhood development, and preventing violence against women and girls, refugees, or asylum seekers.
One Stop Community Partnership
A grant programme inviting local community groups operating within two miles of a One Stop store to apply for funding to support projects such as tackling food poverty, supporting vulnerable or elderly people, low-income families, youth sports, and environmental improvements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about business grants in Northern Ireland