Invest NI

Invest NI is a regional development agency whose role is to grow the local economy. Helping new and existing businesses compete internationally and attracting new investment to Northern Ireland. As part of their service, they can offer business support, help develop skills, help you find funding information, guidance on intellectual property, and research and development for new products and services.

Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.

Website: https://www.investni.com/

Tel: 0800 181 4422

Online Contact Form: https://www.investni.com/contact-us.html

Is your business based in Northern Ireland and could benefit from the smart use of ICT?

Invest NI's Benefit from ICT scheme provides tailored information and communication technology (ICT) advice, workshops, and can offer export-focused businesses financial support towards one-off software costs and installation, including the set-up of remote working solutions.

They may be able to give you financial assistance for buying software to improve business processes and increase operating efficiencies, installing or customising the software solution, and associated ICT training.

Support may be subject to some eligibility criteria. You can find out more here

Tel: 0800 181 4422

If you are looking for a support programme to help grow your employees' skills and motivations, the Skills Advancement Grant - Invest NI offers workshops and skill advisers on a 1:1 basis for external training, travel and accommodation costs at 50% grant up to a maximum of £15,000 grant.

Their advisers will find your business's training needs and help you address them. Grant funding of up to £15k (50% basis) is available for external training, travel and accommodation costs with a minimum cost of £2k (£1k grant).

Eligibility: Available for businesses that have begun trading.

Contact Form
Tel: 0800 181 4422
Website: https://www.investni.com/support-for-business/skills-development.html

The Resource Matching Service, delivered by International Synergies NI Ltd, provides an opportunity to transfer business waste, unwanted materials and bi-products from one business or organisation to be reused, recycled, reprocessed and repackaged by another.

Advice and guidance to help your business achieve resource matching solutions specific to your resource and waste management needs.

Eligibility: Available for businesses that have begun trading

Website: https://www.investni.com/support-for-business/resource-matching-service

The skills development program will help you improve your skills so your company grows. They offer financial support for training activities to Invest NI customers.

The scheme supports trainee wages, internal trainer, external trainer, travel and accommodation costs. Grant support is variable up to a maximum of 50% of eligible costs. Mandatory training, induction training and repeat training are not eligible and VAT is excluded.

Eligibility: Available to businesses that have begun trading 

Website: https://www.investni.com/support-for-business/skills-development

Tel: 0800 181 4422 (Invest NI)

Going Dutch is an early-stage exporter programme for businesses that have the capability and motivation to break into international markets and specifically to explore new business opportunities in The Netherlands.

The Netherlands is a good starter market for new and inexperienced exporters.  Its proximity, relative ease of access, trading culture and acceptance of English as a business language make it the ideal starter market for exporting into Europe.

The Programme includes one-to-one business support and mentoring, tailored market research, group workshops, an in-market group visit to the Netherlands to meet with pre-qualified potential Dutch partners, follow-up assistance and support for five further individual visits.  

Going Dutch is designed for Invest NI customers who have:

- Fewer than 75 employees in the business
- Limited or no experience selling outside of Great Britain and Republic of Ireland
- Identified commercial reasons to explore export opportunities in the market
- A suitable product or tradeable service that is adaptable for export
- Financial stability and resources to develop and maintain an export market

Website: https://www.investni.com/going-dutch-export-development-programme

Tel: 0800 181 4422

Are you looking to export your product or tradable service? Invest Northern Ireland can support you throughout your export journey with research, guidance and assistance from local and international experts – located in Northern Ireland and 24 locations around the world.

Their in-market teams can provide tailor-made assistance to help you identify export opportunities and navigate the challenges of entering a new overseas market.

Invest NI’s in-market trade advisers can assist with:

- Market scoping
- Lead generation
- Partner and/or distribution research
- Client introductions
- B2B meetings
- Inward visits to Northern Ireland
- Export opportunities

Trade advisers can also assist with competitor benchmarking, visa and custom requirements and building brand presence overseas.

Eligibility: Open to Northern Ireland businesses planning to export.

Website: https://www.investni.com/support-for-business/insights-from-our-global-network

Tel: 0800 181 4422

Specifically designed to enable leaders to grow their business through the development of strong leadership competencies. The Programme offers the opportunity to assess your business’s performance, identify opportunities, overcome challenges and build capability.

Through a combination of peer networking events, specialist business mentoring and 1-2-1 leadership coaching, the Leader Programme provides challenge, support and learning for you in this volatile and rapidly changing business environment.

Eligibility: The programme is aimed at the overall leader of an SME, the managing director, CEO or owner-manager that is a customer of Invest NI. Full criteria, exclusions and T&Cs can be found via the website.

Website: https://www.investni.com/support-for-business/leader-programme

Tel: 0800 181 4422

The leadership team programme will help you develop the right company structures and processes to support business growth, help with strategy and business development, building upon team cohesion and drive a culture of transformation to enable ambitious growth. The programme is provided in partnership between Invest NI, Dublin City University Business School and Wilson Sloan Consulting.

The programme is designed to challenge the focus of your leadership team to enable your company to grow as well as develop and implement strategies that drive sustainability and international growth. Discover how to build more connections with other business leaders, share experience and access best practice learning.

Eligibility: The leadership team programme is for Invest NI SME client companies, aimed at the business owner / CEO / MD plus up to two members of their leadership team. Full criteria, exclusions and T&Cs can be found via the website.

Website: https://www.investni.com/support-for-business/leadership-team-programme

Tel: 0800 181 4422