Business support and grants in Northern Ireland

Key business support organisations and grant programmes available to businesses in Northern Ireland. Covers Invest NI, Go For It, Enterprise NI, InterTradeIreland, DAERA rural grants, and city deal programmes.

Northern Ireland
Guide summary

If you own a business in Northern Ireland, or plan to start one, there is lots of free help and funding available. You can get advice, grants, and support to start, grow, or trade across the Irish border. Contact Invest Northern Ireland first to find out what help you can get.

  • Contact Invest NI for general business support in Northern Ireland
  • Use nibusinessinfo.co.uk for official business information
  • Go For It programme offers free start-up advice and a business plan
  • Invest NI offers grants up to £5,000 for innovation vouchers
  • InterTradeIreland helps businesses trade across NI and Republic of Ireland
  • InterTradeIreland offers grants for cross-border sales staff
  • InterTradeIreland offers Seedcorn competition prizes up to £100,000
  • Sector-specific help is available for tourism, rural, arts, and film
On this page
Northern Ireland

Related guides in Tax & Finance

Northern Ireland has its own business support infrastructure, separate from the agencies and programmes available in England, Scotland, and Wales. The main organisations and their areas of focus are listed below.

Invest Northern Ireland

Invest NI is the main economic development agency and the first point of contact for most business support enquiries. Its online portal, nibusinessinfo.co.uk, is the official business information service for Northern Ireland.

Go For It programme

Go For It is a free business start-up support programme delivered by local enterprise agencies across Northern Ireland. It provides mentoring and helps aspiring entrepreneurs develop a business plan. The programme is funded by Invest NI and the Department for the Economy. Participants receive one-to-one guidance from a business adviser and can attend workshops covering business planning, marketing, and financial management. The programme is open to anyone considering starting a business in Northern Ireland, regardless of sector.

Enterprise NI

Enterprise NI is the membership body for local enterprise agencies across Northern Ireland. The network of enterprise agencies delivers local business support including the Go For It programme, workspace provision, and mentoring. Enterprise agencies are community-based organisations, each serving a specific council area or district.

InterTradeIreland

For businesses trading or planning to trade across the NI-Republic of Ireland border, InterTradeIreland offers targeted programmes.

Sector-specific support

Organisation Sector focus Key support
Tourism NI Tourism and hospitality Marketing support, quality grading, tourism enterprise development
DAERA Rural businesses and agriculture Rural development grants, farm diversification support, agri-food programmes
Arts Council NI Creative industries Project funding, organisational support, creative business development
NI Screen Film, television, and digital content Production funding, skills development, studio infrastructure

City and growth deals

Northern Ireland has several city and growth deals that provide investment and support for businesses within their areas:

  • Belfast Region City Deal - investment in innovation, infrastructure, tourism, and employability across Belfast and surrounding council areas
  • Derry City and Strabane Growth Deal - focused on digital innovation, health and life sciences, and tourism
  • Mid South West Growth Deal - covering Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon, Fermanagh, and Omagh areas
  • Causeway Coast and Glens Growth Deal - targeting tourism, digital, and green energy sectors

UK-wide support also available in NI

In addition to NI-specific support, businesses can access UK-wide programmes including:

  • Innovate UK grants and competitions
  • British Business Bank finance programmes (Start Up Loans, Enterprise Finance Guarantee)
  • UK Export Finance for international trade
  • R&D Tax Relief (claimed through HMRC)
  • Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)

Business support organisations