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
151 grants found
Advanced manufacturing: measurement and sensing pilot
To support high potential businesses developing a technology, product or service in measurement, instrumentation or sensing for UK manufacturing.
Financial Futures Fund
A grant fund that works in partnership with organisations to improve financial resilience and fund long-term solutions that help people feel more secure, confident, and in control of their financial future.
EPSRC Strategic Infrastructure 2026 (invite only)
Apply for funding to purchase strategic infrastructure (equipment, resources or both). The funding seeks to improve UK scientific capability and enable cutting-edge research that aligns with national priorities, including those within the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) strategy and EPSRC Strategic Delivery Plan.
Future computing paradigms Network Plus
Opportunity to build a multidisciplinary Network Plus that will initiate UK collaboration in future computing paradigms and provide evidence-based recommendations for UKRI and government, shaping national research priorities. Project can last up to 60 months, comprising 18 months to map, benchmark and horizon scan, incorporating sociotechnical and socioeconomic analysis followed by a 42-month network phase.
Medicines Manufacturing Data Institute: Phase 1
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £500,000 for a phase 1 project to establish the Medicines Manufacturing Data Institute (MMDI).
Farming Innovation Programme: Small R&D Partnership Projects Round 5
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £13 million for small R&D partnership projects. This funding is from the industry led R&D Partnerships Fund, a part of the Defra Farming Innovation Programme.
Investor Partnerships – ACT and Semiconductors
UK registered SMEs can apply for grant funding alongside private investment from selected investor partners.
Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP): 2026 - 2027 Round 3
UK registered academic institutions, RTOs or Catapults can apply for a share of up to £12.5 million to fund innovation projects with businesses. KTP projects are encouraged to be delivered within 24 months.
UKRI Translation: BBSRC Proof of Concept 2026
Funding to translate bioscience research into innovations such as products, services or solutions that generate real-world economic, societal, and environmental impact.
PATT travel grants for competitively awarded observation time 2026
Funding for travel and subsistence in support of competitively awarded science observation time at astronomy facilities available to the UK research community.
A guide for the commercialisation of Creative Industries Research
Apply for funding to transform the commercialisation of research in the creative industries. A university-led team will collaborate with investors, lawyers and founders to tackle early-stage barriers to commercialisation and develop a new sector-specific university commercialisation guide, with practical frameworks and best practice deal terms.
Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) medical countermeasures R&D
Apply for funding to develop and test novel therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics and other interventions across any stage of the developmental pathway, from prototype development, through pre-clinical refinement, to early-phase clinical studies (up to phase 2a) for CBRN threats. Applications must demonstrate how the proposed research will result in improved domestic preparedness for CBRN threats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about business grants in Northern Ireland