Business grants and funding in Northern Ireland.

Investment Fund for Northern Ireland (IFNI)

British Business Bank (delivered by Whiterock Finance and Clarendon Fund Managers) · Open now · Loan (repayable)

NI Small Business Loan Fund III

Invest Northern Ireland (Access to Finance); fund managed by Ulster Community Finance Ltd with Enterprise Northern Ireland · Open now · Loan (repayable)

Innovation Boost (InterTradeIreland)

InterTradeIreland (cross-border trade and business development body) · Open now · Part-funded support

National Lottery Awards for All Northern Ireland

The National Lottery Community Fund · Open now

Acumen

InterTradeIreland (cross-border trade and business development body) · Open now

Business Internal Improvement Grant Scheme

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council · Closing soon · Closes 20 Nov 2026

Skills Focus Programme

Department for the Economy NI, delivered by the six Northern Ireland further education colleges · Open now · Part-funded support

Small Business Rate Relief (Northern Ireland)

Department of Finance NI, administered by Land & Property Services (LPS) · Open now · Tax relief

Techstart Concept Plus Grant — Northern Ireland

Techstart Ventures / Invest Northern Ireland · Between rounds

Ambition to Grow - Supporting Women

Invest Northern Ireland, delivered in partnership with Women in Business NI · Opening soon

Business Innovation Grant (BIG) — Northern Ireland

Invest Northern Ireland / Innovate NI · Between rounds

Digital Transformation Flexible Fund (DTFF) — Northern Ireland

NI Councils (Newry, Mourne & Down lead) / UKSPF · Closed

Innovation Vouchers (Northern Ireland)

Invest Northern Ireland, with Innovate NI · Between rounds

Rural Business Development Grant Scheme (RBDGS) — Northern Ireland

DAERA / TRPSI Programme · Closed

JobStart Scheme (Northern Ireland)

Department for Communities · Closed

Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF)

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Office for Life Sciences · Open now

DRIVE35 Scale-up Fund

Innovate UK / Advanced Propulsion Centre / Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade · Open now · Closes 27 Jan 2027

Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)

HM Revenue & Customs · Open now · Investment scheme

Battery Innovation: Concept Development Round 3 (Innovate UK)

Innovate UK (UKRI), delivering the Battery Innovation Programme for the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade · Closing soon · Closes 2 Dec 2026

Testing and validating underground hydrogen storage components (UKRI)

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) · Open now · Closes 13 Jan 2027

Horizon Europe — EIC Accelerator

European Commission (European Innovation Council) · Open now

Growth Guarantee Scheme

British Business Bank (on behalf of the Department for Business & Trade) · Open now · Loan guarantee

Engineering Biology Investor Partnerships Round 1

Innovate UK (UKRI Engineering Biology Programme) · Closing soon · Closes 2 Dec 2026

Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation: Collaborative R&D Round 2 (Innovate UK)

Innovate UK (UKRI) with the Department of Health and Social Care · Closing soon · Closes 2 Dec 2026

Investor Partnerships: National Materials Innovation Programme 1 (Innovate UK)

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) · Open now · Closes 19 Jan 2027

Investor Partnerships – Battery Innovation Programme

Innovate UK, delivering the Battery Innovation Programme for the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade · Closing soon · Closes 25 Nov 2026

Underground hydrogen storage demonstrator: DEVEX support (UKRI)

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) · Open now · Closes 13 Jan 2027

Battery Innovation: Feasibility Studies Round 3 (Innovate UK)

Innovate UK (UKRI), delivering the Battery Innovation Programme for the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade · Closing soon · Closes 2 Dec 2026

BFI UK Global Screen Fund — International Co-production

BFI (British Film Institute) / DCMS · Closing soon · Closes 24 Nov 2026

Google for Startups Cloud Program

Google Cloud · Open now · Credits, not cash

Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)

HM Revenue & Customs · Open now · Investment scheme

UK Games Fund — Content Fund

UK Games Fund (UK Games Talent and Finance CIC, DCMS-backed) · Open now · Closes 31 Mar 2029

BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst Phase 1 (Innovate UK)

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) · Closing soon · Closes 8 Dec 2026

AWS Activate (cloud credits)

Amazon Web Services · Open now · Credits, not cash

Microsoft for Startups

Microsoft · Open now · Credits, not cash

Efficient, Structured and Controllable AI Systems (Innovate UK)

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) · Closing soon · Closes 18 Nov 2026

EV chargepoint grant for residential landlords

Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) · Open now

Google Ad Grants (nonprofits)

Google for Nonprofits · Open now · Credits, not cash

BFI UK Global Screen Fund — Video Game Release

BFI (British Film Institute) / DCMS · Open now

Growth Cohorts: Next-gen low carbon concrete (cohort entry Round 2)

Innovate UK (UKRI) / Innovate UK Business Connect · Closing soon · Closes 2 Dec 2026

Start Up Loan (British Business Bank)

British Business Bank / Start Up Loans · Open now · Loan (repayable)

Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-Ups

Department for Business and Trade · Open now · Closes 1 Mar 2027

Workplace Charging Scheme

Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), administered by DVLA · Open now · Closes 31 Mar 2027

BFI UK Global Screen Fund — Festival Launch

BFI (British Film Institute) / DCMS · Open now

Employment Allowance

HM Revenue and Customs · Open now · Tax relief

Veterans' Employer National Insurance Relief

HM Revenue & Customs · Open now · Closes 5 Apr 2028 · Tax relief

Employer National Insurance relief for employees under 21 and apprentices under 25

HM Revenue and Customs · Open now · Tax relief

Help to Grow: Management Course

Dept for Business & Trade / Small Business Charter · Open now · Part-funded support

The King's Trust Enterprise Programme

The King's Trust · Open now

The King's Trust — Development Awards

The King's Trust · Open now

Cyber Essentials First Step Fund

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, delivered by IASME · Open now · Closes 31 Mar 2027 · Discount, not cash

R&D Tax Relief (merged RDEC scheme)

HM Revenue & Customs · Open now · Tax relief

Enhanced R&D Intensive Support (ERIS)

HM Revenue & Customs · Open now · Tax relief

Architectural Heritage Fund — Loans

The Architectural Heritage Fund · Open now · Loan (repayable)

HubSpot for Startups

HubSpot · Open now · Discount, not cash

Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)

Innovate UK (UKRI) · Open now · Closes 27 Jan 2027 · Part-funded support

NVIDIA Inception

NVIDIA · Open now · Discount, not cash

Patent Box

HM Revenue & Customs · Open now · Tax relief

Video Games Expenditure Credit (VGEC)

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) · Open now · Tax relief

Annual Investment Allowance (AIA)

HM Revenue and Customs · Open now · Tax relief

Great British Energy Supply Chain Fund: Offshore Wind and Networks

Great British Energy · Open now · Closes 10 Dec 2026

Full expensing and 50% first-year allowance (companies)

HM Revenue and Customs · Open now · Tax relief

40% first-year allowance (plant and machinery bought from 1 January 2026)

HM Revenue and Customs · Open now · Tax relief

Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC), including the Independent Film Tax Credit

HM Revenue and Customs · Open now · Tax relief

Theatre Tax Relief

HM Revenue and Customs · Open now · Tax relief

Orchestra Tax Relief

HM Revenue and Customs · Open now · Tax relief

Research and Development Allowance (RDA)

HM Revenue and Customs · Open now · Tax relief

Innovate UK Innovation Loans

Innovate UK (Innovate UK Loans Ltd) · Paused · Loan (repayable)

Healthy Soils and Water for a Sustainable Environment (Defra Farming Innovation Programme)

Defra Farming Innovation Programme, delivered by Innovate UK · Opening soon

Defence Innovation Loans (DASA)

DASA / Innovate UK Loans Ltd · Paused · Loan (repayable)

Innovation Support to Operations — UKDI themed competition (Cycle 8)

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), Ministry of Defence · Closed

Eurostars (Call 12)

Innovate UK (Eureka / Eurostars) · Opening soon

UK Games Fund — Prototype Fund

UK Games Fund (UK Games Talent and Finance CIC) · Paused

Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards

Innovate UK (UKRI) · Closed

Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS)

Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, delivered with the BPI · Between rounds

UK Games Fund — Starter Fund

UK Games Fund (UK Games Talent and Finance CIC, DCMS-backed) · Closed

UnLtd — Awards for Social Entrepreneurs

UnLtd (Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs) · Opening soon

Innovate UK Smart Grants

Innovate UK / UKRI · Closed

Google.org Impact Grants (Impact Challenges)

Google.org · Between rounds

UK Space Agency — National GSTP (ESA) Funding

UK Space Agency · Between rounds