Deadline Date: December 10, 2025
Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI), in partnership with Innovate NI, has launched the Business Innovation Grant (BIG) Scheme to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Northern Ireland in developing and progressing their innovation activities.
The focus areas of the scheme include supporting Northern Ireland businesses to complete innovation activities needed to either start an innovation journey or progress an existing one, enabling businesses to move through the four stages of the Innovate NI Innovation Framework, and helping enterprises develop and implement new or improved products, services, business models, or processes that create value within their business or sector.
The BIG Scheme offers grant support ranging from a minimum of £5,000 to a maximum of £20,000, covering up to 70% of total eligible project costs. Applicants must ensure their eligible project costs total at least £7,143 excluding VAT to qualify for the minimum grant. The amount of funding awarded depends on the activities detailed in the application and the availability of Invest NI’s budget.
The scheme is open to start-up and established micro and SMEs that are registered businesses based in Northern Ireland, excluding primary agricultural producers engaged in crops, animal production, forestry, logging, fisheries, or aquaculture. Eligible applicants must have a novel idea that leads to the development of a new or improved product, service, business model, or process. The scheme targets businesses that are not current Invest NI clients and have not received Invest NI grant support in the last five years, except for specific exclusions such as COVID-19 emergency funds, Innovation Vouchers, or Techstart Proof of Concept grants.
To qualify, businesses must meet specific criteria including being based in Northern Ireland with at least one director residing in the region, employing fewer than 250 people, having a turnover not exceeding €50 million or a balance sheet total of no more than €43 million, and possessing a valid HMRC Unique Taxpayer Reference number. Applicants must demonstrate alignment with the Innovate NI definition of innovation, prove business viability for the support duration, and show that the proposed activity fits with the Invest NI 2024–2027 Business Strategy and the Department for the Economy Minister’s Economic Vision.
For more information, visit Innovate NI.
