Ambition to Grow - Supporting Women
Invest Northern Ireland, delivered in partnership with Women in Business NI
Worth
Up to £30,000
Deadline
Opens 16 November 2026
Type of funding
Grant
Where
Northern Ireland
What it is
A competitive Invest NI grant of up to £30,000 for trading NI small businesses that will create two new jobs and grow sales outside Northern Ireland. Despite the name, any eligible business can apply; businesses with a woman in a key decision-making role are encouraged.
Checked 9 Nov 2026 on investni.com: the call opens Monday 16 November 2026 at 09:00 and closes Friday 11 December 2026 at 12 noon. Up to £30,000 (up to £15,000 for two new jobs, up to £10,000 at 50% for growth activities, £5,000 for completing an Export Health Check, Innovate NI self-assessment and leadership workshops). Applications are scored and ranked; must create two new jobs at the Real Living Wage. Not open to retail (including online), wholesale, distribution, primary agriculture, fisheries, transport, energy generation, hotels and other tourism accommodation, visitor attractions, in-person healthcare, in-person beauty services, or charities, or to businesses already getting other government support for the same jobs. Open to any business, not only women-led.
Official sourceWho can apply
A summary of the main rules, not the full list. Invest Northern Ireland, delivered in partnership with Women in Business NI decides who is eligible, so read their guidance before you apply. The free scan checks these against your own business.
- Business based in Northern Ireland
- You plan to create new jobs
- A small or medium-sized business
- Selling outside Northern Ireland, or planning to
You cannot apply if
- Retail, wholesale, distribution, primary agriculture and fisheries, transport, energy generation, tourism accommodation, visitor attractions, in-person healthcare and beauty, and charities cannot apply
How to apply, in brief
The business owner or director applies through Invest NI's online eligibility checker and application portal at investni.com/ambitiontogrow, during the call window only.
- 1Check the criteria before the call opens
- 2Complete the eligibility checker from 16 November
- 3Submit the online application by 11 December, 12 noon
- 4Validation meeting and checks
- 5Only start after the Letter of Offer, then claim
The full guide, with what to do at each step, the official link for it and a draft to work from, is part of the £19.95 report.
Common questions
- Is Ambition to Grow - Supporting Women open for applications?
- Not yet. It has been announced and is due to open on 16 November 2026, closing on 11 December 2026.
- How much is Ambition to Grow - Supporting Women worth?
- Up to £30,000. It is a grant, and the funder decides what each applicant receives.
- Who runs Ambition to Grow - Supporting Women, and where is it available?
- Invest Northern Ireland, delivered in partnership with Women in Business NI runs it. It is available in Northern Ireland.
- How do I apply for Ambition to Grow - Supporting Women?
- The business owner or director applies through Invest NI's online eligibility checker and application portal at investni.com/ambitiontogrow, during the call window only.
Does your business qualify?
Eligibility rules are where schemes get fiddly. Gov Owed checks your business against Ambition to Grow - Supporting Women — and every other UK scheme we track — in about two minutes, free. The £19.95 report then explains exactly why you qualify, drafts your answers and walks you through the real application step by step.
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Related schemes
NI Small Business Loan Fund III
Invest Northern Ireland (Access to Finance); fund managed by Ulster Community Finance Ltd with Enterprise Northern Ireland
Small Business Rate Relief (Northern Ireland)
Department of Finance NI, administered by Land & Property Services (LPS)
Acumen
InterTradeIreland (cross-border trade and business development body)
Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)
HM Revenue & Customs
Information, not financial advice; eligibility is decided by the funder. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Schemes change — confirm details on the official page before applying.