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  • Access to finance and funding

    Topics:
    • Economic policy
    It is essential that businesses can access appropriate and affordable finance suitable to their stage of development, whether they are startups or more established enterprises.

    Access to finance and funding is a key enabler for the Minister’s four strategic priorities:

    • Good Jobs
    • regional balance
    • productivity
    • decarbonisation.

    The department will work to develop Northern Ireland's access to finance and grant funding ecosystem in partnership with key stakeholders and delivery partners such as Invest NI, InterTradeIreland, Innovate UK and British Business Bank.

    We will also work with stakeholders to ensure that public, private and third sector organisations are better positioned to compete in competitive funding programmes.

    The following resources are available to aid local companies and organisations to find the right finance and funding opportunities.

    Please note that this list is not exhaustive.

    Organisation

    Website

    Key features

    Nibusinessinfo

    Business Support Finder

    Information on publicly funded opportunities available for local companies.

    NI Business Info - Finance

    Advice on raising finance for local companies.

    Invest NI

    Access to Finance - Supporting Business Growth

    Information on Invest NI’s suite of funds to help SMEs with high growth potential.

    British Business Bank

    British Business Bank Finance Hub

    Information to help businesses understand and identify suitable finance options.

    It has been devised for businesses and advisers by the British Business Bank with editorial partners from across the finance industry.

    Innovate UK

    UK Innovation Hub

    Includes public finance and funding options and support for innovation.

    UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

    Funding Finder

    Provides research funding opportunities from UKRI’s seven disciplinary research councils and Innovate UK.

    Funding opportunities are primarily for research organisations with some opportunities for public sector and business via collaborative partnerships.

    InterTradeIreland

    InterTradeIreland - how we support funding

    Information on InterTradeIreland’s cross border programmes which can aid business growth.

    Support includes funding as well as help to source specialist expertise.

    Provides information on the different types of finance available for business at different stages of growth.

    Innovation Funding Service

    gov.uk website - innovation funding

    Information on UK wide grant funding for innovation.

    Allows users to search by innovation area.

    Industrial Decarbonisation for Northern Ireland

    IDNI - funding

    IDNI is a knowledge sharing platform led by Invest NI in collaboration with partners including local authorities. The aim is to develop a plan for industrial decarbonisation.

    It provides information on funding opportunities that support the transition to net zero.

    Find Government Grant Service

    Find government grant - gov.uk

    Developed by the Cabinet Office, it includes information on all Exchequer-funded general grants which are competed or criteria-based.

    Includes grants for public sector organisations as well as private sector.

    Includes geographical remit – not all opportunities will be available to local companies.

    Konfer

    Konfer website

    Smart-matching innovation tool which helps to connect universities and business.

    European Commission

    EU funding and tenders portal

    Information on EU Funding opportunities available through Horizon Europe.

    Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB)

    SEUPB website - current opportunities

    Information on open funding calls for each of the PeacePlus Investment Areas.

    Applications for funding can be submitted by a wide range of organisations including local authorities, public sector bodies as well as voluntary and community sector organisations.

    Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI)

    KTI website

    Funding tool which provides information on R&D and innovation funding and other research supports for business in the south.

    Related to Access to finance and funding

    Most recent publications

    • Equality Screening - Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP) additional £1m funding package

      Published 19 October 2023
    • Northern Ireland Air Passenger Flow Publications

      Published 19 January 2017
    See all publications in this topic

    Most recent news items

    • Murphy approves access to student loans for Ulster University medical students

      Published 27 November 2024
    • New board member appointed to the Labour Relations Agency

      Published 31 March 2022
    See all news in this topic

    Access to information

    How to request information from the Department for the Economy including Freedom of Information (FOI) and the use of our Publication Scheme.

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