Innovation, research and development grants

If you are based in Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI) is your first point of contact for research and innovation support. It provides funding, advice, and connections to help businesses innovate and grow.

Invest NI also co-delivers programmes like Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and Innovate UK Business Connect in Northern Ireland, helping businesses find collaboration opportunities at home or abroad.

On behalf of Invest NI, Innovate NI works to increase the number of Northern Ireland businesses engaged in innovation. The service offers innovation guidance, resources, and an Innovation Accreditation scheme to support new ideas, improve processes, and boost competitiveness of Northern Ireland businesses. Find out more about Innovate NI.

Funding for research and innovation from Invest NI

The main funding opportunities include:

Grant for Research and Development (R&D)

• Purpose: Fund costs for R&D activities, including planning, prototyping, and testing
• Funding: Up to £100,000 for new projects; larger amounts for follow-on R&D
• Eligibility: Available to Invest NI customers or SMEs that meet the criteria
• Closes: 31 January 2025 (for SME grant rates of up to 70%)
• Details: Grant for R&D

Innovation Vouchers

• Purpose: Enable businesses to access specialist knowledge for innovative solutions
• Worth: Up to £5,000
• Eligibility: Open to all sectors; no Invest NI client status required
• Details: Innovation Vouchers

Technical Development Incentive

• Purpose: Technical services expertise to help implement innovative solutions
• Funding: Up to £15,000
• Eligibility: SMEs engaged in innovation activities
• Details: Technical Development Incentive

Read more about Invest NI's funding for R&D and innovation. If you're ineligible for this funding, Invest NI advisers can direct you to other sources of support, including Innovate UK, Horizon Europe, other funders, or research and business partners. Call Invest NI Helpline on Tel 0800 181 4422 and speak to an innovation adviser about your R&D needs.

Innovation support from InterTradeIreland

InterTradeIreland offers several innovation programmes that provide funding to support business growth and cross-border collaboration:

Business Explorer

• Purpose: Support SMEs in solving business challenges or developing ideas
• Funding: Covers collaboration with academics or industry specialists
• Eligibility: SMEs in Northern Ireland and Ireland
• Details: Business Explorer

Innovation Boost

• Purpose: Help SMEs develop new products or processes with academic partners
• Funding: Up to £31,000/€41,100 (12 months); £44,250/€58,700 (18 months)
• Eligibility: SMEs in Northern Ireland and Ireland
• Details: Innovation Boost

Synergy

• Purpose: Foster cross-border collaboration through innovative networks
• Funding: Supports cluster and network development
• Eligibility: SMEs in cross-border partnerships
• Details: Synergy

US-Ireland R&D Partnership

• Purpose: Support joint research in health, energy, and sustainability
• Funding: Covers collaborative projects
• Eligibility: Researchers and businesses in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the US
• Details: US-Ireland R&D Partnership

Read more about InterTradeIreland's support for innovation and R&D.

Other innovation support in Northern Ireland

There are many other sources of advice and wider support around innovation in Northern Ireland. For example:

Techstart Proof of Concept Fund

Techstart offers proof of concept grants and seed funding, as well as support for early-stage innovation projects. See Techstart grants.

Local universities

Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University offer R&D partnerships, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, and access to research centres.

Regional colleges

Northern Ireland regional colleges offer businesses access to technical support, innovation hubs, and skills development. Find out more about what they do below:

• Belfast Metropolitan College
• Southern Regional College
• South Eastern Regional College (SERC)
• South West College
• Northern Regional College
• North West Regional College (NWRC)

Catalyst

Catalyst provides mentorship, accelerators, and investor access through initiatives like Invent, the Co-Founders programme and Springboard. See Catalyst support.

Collaborative networks, innovation hubs and clusters

• Digital Catapult Northern Ireland: Focuses on accelerating the adoption of advanced digital technologies, fostering innovation in sectors like manufacturing and creative industries.
• Manufacturing Northern Ireland: Advocates for the manufacturing sector, providing support and resources to enhance competitiveness and innovation.
• Northern Ireland Advanced Composites and Engineering Centre (NIACE): Serves as a hub for advanced engineering and composite materials research, promoting collaboration between industry and academia.
• GEMX (Generating Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence): Focuses on enhancing engineering and manufacturing in the North West through collaboration, talent development, and innovation.
• MEGA (Manufacturing & Engineering Growth & Advancement): Supports manufacturing and engineering growth in Mid Ulster by addressing skills shortages and fostering industry collaboration.
• Made Smarter Innovation - Smart Manufacturing Data Hub (SMDH): Led by Ulster University, SMDH supports manufacturing SMEs to become more competitive by harnessing the power of data. The hub offers digital solutions, expert guidance, and funding to help business improve processes, save costs and reduce investment risks.

See also information on Northern Ireland science parks.

Local Enterprise Agencies

Northern Ireland has 27 Local Enterprise Agencies supporting SMEs with advice, mentoring, and workspace. Each agency serves specific areas, helping local businesses grow and innovate. Visit Enterprise Northern Ireland for a full list.

Matrix - the Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel

Matrix is a business-led expert panel advising on the commercial exploitation of R&D, science and technology. While it doesn't run specific support programmes for businesses, it produces reports to guide businesses, government, and academia.

Browse our Business Support Finder to learn about the support available. You can also review details of UK-wide support for innovation and R&D.