Business grants in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, Invest NI funds businesses that sell, or plan to sell, outside Northern Ireland, and the 11 councils support start-ups and local firms through Go Succeed. Whether you are already an Invest NI client decides which grants you can apply for.

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Invest NI clients and everyone else

Invest NI is Northern Ireland’s economic development agency, and its grants are built around sales outside Northern Ireland, which it calls external sales. Businesses it works with closely become clients, with a client executive who handles their applications. Its Grant for R&D, for example, is for clients in manufacturing or tradeable services that have the potential to make at least 25% of sales outside Northern Ireland, or £250,000, whichever is lower, and to employ at least ten people within five years.

A business that is not yet a client applies to open schemes instead. The main one is Ambition to Grow, for businesses with a product or service that can sell outside Northern Ireland, turnover under £1 million or external sales under £300,000, and the potential to create jobs. Exporting already is not required, but the application has to show how external sales will grow. Sales made through a Northern Ireland distributor or wholesaler do not count as external sales. Invest NI says the next window opens on Monday 16 November 2026 at 9am.

Start-ups and businesses selling locally go to their council. The 11 councils run Go Succeed, the enterprise support service launched in November 2023, which gives advice, mentoring and grants. UK-wide schemes apply too: Innovate UK competitions are open to Northern Ireland businesses, and our grant finder lists every open UK government grant. Swoop’s platform also matches businesses with grants.

What Ambition to Grow pays

Illustrative example

The three parts of an Ambition to Grow grant at their maximum. Each part is paid when the business carries out the activity it covers, and nothing is paid up front.

Toward creating new jobs in the business: £15,000
Market, product and skills development: £10,000
After an Export Health Check, an Innovate NI self-assessment and the leadership workshops: £5,000
Maximum grant: £30,000

Because each part is paid after the activity, the business pays the wages and costs first. New jobs must be sustainable, so the application has to show how the extra sales will pay for them once the grant has been spent.

A worker checking a large lathe on a factory floor

Go Succeed and the councils

Go Succeed is run by the 11 councils and supports people starting a business and small firms growing locally, with advice, mentoring and grants. The Department for the Economy announced on 10 August 2026 that Go Succeed would receive £1.7 million from the Local Growth Fund for delivering the service and for capital grants to help businesses grow. Grant amounts and rules are set for each year, so ask your council’s Go Succeed team what is open.

The same announcement gave Invest NI £7.1 million from the Local Growth Fund for innovation and research and development programmes. The Department for the Economy says further projects will be announced.

Go Succeed: start-ups and local businesses, through your council
Ambition to Grow: businesses selling, or planning to sell, outside Northern Ireland
Invest NI client schemes: through your client executive

Other Invest NI schemes

Knowledge Transfer Partnership: A project with a university or college that places a graduate in the business to bring in expertise. Invest NI lists it among its open applications, and Innovate UK’s round 4 closes on 27 January 2027.
Agri-Food Investment Initiative: Listed by Invest NI among its open applications for agri-food businesses. Ask Invest NI for the current terms.
Cluster Acceleration Programme: Listed by Invest NI among its open applications, for groups of businesses working together in a sector.
Energy Efficiency Capital Grant: Paused for a performance review; Invest NI is not taking enquiries or applications.
Trade missions and exhibitions: Places and support for Invest NI clients, around 100 businesses a year across more than 20 missions and shows.

Funding the rest of the project

Invest NI and council grants pay part of a project and pay it after you spend, so the business needs cash or finance for the rest. Invest NI’s Business Support Team, on 0800 181 4422, can say which of its schemes fits before you apply. A funding search through Swoop covers limited companies and LLPs, and sole traders and partnerships borrowing more than £25,000, for loans, asset finance and invoice finance. For smaller sums, see Start Up Loans or your bank.

Small public awards to businesses can be given as Minimal Financial Assistance, which carries a £315,000 limit over three financial years, and the public body will ask you to confirm what you have already received. The rules are on how business grants work. Exporters can compare Invest NI’s help with the rest of the UK on grants and support for exporting.

Questions people ask

Who can get an Invest NI grant?

Invest NI focuses on businesses that sell, or plan to sell, outside Northern Ireland. Its client schemes, such as the Grant for R&D, are for businesses with the potential to make at least 25% of sales, or £250,000, outside Northern Ireland. Businesses that are not yet clients can apply to Ambition to Grow if turnover is under £1 million or external sales are under £300,000.

What is Ambition to Grow?

An Invest NI grant of up to £30,000 for Northern Ireland businesses that are not yet clients and plan to grow sales outside Northern Ireland: £15,000 toward new jobs, £10,000 for market, product and skills development and £5,000 after the health checks and workshops. The next window opens on Monday 16 November 2026 at 9am.

What is Go Succeed?

The enterprise support service run by Northern Ireland’s 11 councils since November 2023, for people starting a business and small firms growing locally. It gives advice, mentoring and grants. In August 2026 it received £1.7 million from the Local Growth Fund for running the service and for capital grants.

Are there start-up grants in Northern Ireland?

Go Succeed, through your council, is the starting point for a new business. Invest NI schemes are for businesses with plans to sell outside Northern Ireland. For borrowing, see Start Up Loans and funding a start-up.

How do I become an Invest NI client?

Contact Invest NI’s Business Support Team on 0800 181 4422. Invest NI works with businesses that sell, or have the potential to sell, outside Northern Ireland, and Ambition to Grow is aimed at businesses that are not yet clients and plan to grow external sales. Clients are given a client executive, who handles their applications for schemes such as the Grant for R&D.

Finance is subject to status and to the lender’s terms. A personal guarantee makes you liable for the company’s debt if it does not repay, and it can be enforced against your own assets, including your home. Nothing here is a personal recommendation.

All business funding

Business grants in Northern Ireland

Invest NI clients and everyone else

What Ambition to Grow pays

Go Succeed and the councils

Other Invest NI schemes

Funding the rest of the project

Questions people ask

Grants

Grants and support for exporting

How do business grants work?

Research and development grants

Start-up business funding

Business grants in Northern Ireland

Invest NI clients and everyone else

What Ambition to Grow pays

Go Succeed and the councils

Other Invest NI schemes

Funding the rest of the project

Questions people ask

Grants

Grants and support for exporting

How do business grants work?

Research and development grants

Start-up business funding

Start a funding search

Cover for a personal guarantee