Deadline Date: July 16, 2026
The Business Transformation Grant Scheme supports micro and small businesses, including social enterprises, in the Derry City and Strabane area to achieve sustainable, measurable growth through capital investment and sustainability projects.
Focus areas, objectives, priorities, and themes include accelerating business growth, improving competitiveness, creating employment opportunities, increasing productivity and efficiency within local businesses, strengthening expansion and competitiveness through investment in new technologies, encouraging innovation and adoption of new or improved business practices, contributing to regional economic growth and balance, and supporting transformational growth through increased productivity, capacity, or market reach.
The grant programme is part of the Derry Strabane Local Economic Partnership (LEP) Action Plan 2025–2028, funded by the Department for the Economy’s Regional Balance Fund and delivered by Derry City and Strabane District Council.
The scheme provides grants ranging from £5,000 to £25,000 per business, covering 70% of eligible project costs, with applicants required to provide 30% match funding. The support is aimed at businesses ready to grow, facing investment barriers, and able to demonstrate clear outcomes from funding.
Eligible businesses must be existing private businesses or social economy enterprises actively trading for at least 12 months, with a maximum of 49 full-time equivalent employees and a registered trading address within the Derry City and Strabane District Council area.
Funding supports the purchase of new capital equipment, machinery, or technology that enhances business operations. Eligible investments may include manufacturing equipment, specialist tools, IT hardware, software purchases, point-of-sale systems, commercial equipment, production line equipment, storage and handling equipment, as well as sustainability and decarbonisation investments such as energy-efficient equipment, renewable energy systems, waste reduction systems, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and energy management systems.
Projects must demonstrate transformational activity by enabling growth that would not otherwise occur, significantly accelerating growth, and creating measurable outcomes such as increased turnover, job creation, or improved productivity.
The scheme does not support second-hand or refurbished equipment, servicing of existing equipment, vehicles, mobile phones, building works requiring approvals, routine business costs, consumables, salaries, hire purchase arrangements, or cash payments for purchases.
Applicants can apply for projects across multiple eligible categories, provided the total grant request is between £5,000 and £25,000, the project meets the required match funding conditions, and all activities can be completed within the specified timeframe.
For more information, visit Derry City & Strabane District Council.
