Two dates fall this month. Founder Labs, which pays £25,000 to technology startups, closes on 20 November 2026, and Ambition to Grow opens on 16 November 2026.
Startup accountants in Northern Ireland
We work with founders across Northern Ireland from our Ballymena office, on company set-up, SEIS and EIS, R&D relief, and the numbers that Invest NI and Northern Ireland investors ask for.
A Northern Ireland startup pays the same corporation tax and uses the same SEIS, EIS, R&D and EMI rules as one in London. The funding differs: Invest NI grants, Co-Fund NI, Techstart and the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland invest in companies based here. Employment law and VAT on goods differ too.
Funding open to Northern Ireland startups
- Founder Labs
- £25,000 and a six-month accelerator for technology startups, run by Ormeau Labs for Invest NI. Applications close on Friday 20 November 2026 (Invest NI).
- Ambition to Grow – Supporting Women
- Up to £30,000 for trading businesses with turnover under £1m that plan to sell outside Northern Ireland. Opens at 9am on Monday 16 November 2026 (Invest NI).
- Co-Fund NI
- Equity alongside business angels, usually 35% of a round and at most 50% (Clarendon Fund Managers).
- Techstart Ventures
- Inception to pre-seed investment in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with first cheques of up to £750,000 (Techstart).
- Investment Fund for Northern Ireland
- A British Business Bank fund: loans of £25,000 to £2m through Whiterock and equity of up to £5m through Clarendon (British Business Bank).
- Start Up Loans
- £500 to £25,000 at a fixed 7.5%, delivered in Northern Ireland by Enterprise Northern Ireland (GOV.UK).
Checked on 3 November 2026.
Rules that are the same across the UK
- SEIS and EIS
- The same company limits and investor reliefs, claimed from HMRC.
- R&D tax relief
- The merged scheme and the loss-making intensive route apply UK-wide.
- EMI share options
- The same limits, valuation agreement with HMRC and 92-day notification.
- Corporation tax and payroll
- The same rates, PAYE, National Insurance and auto-enrolment as Great Britain.
Rules that differ in Northern Ireland
- Grants and support
- Invest NI, Go Succeed and InterTradeIreland run the schemes for Northern Ireland startups.
- Investment funds
- Co-Fund NI, Techstart and the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland invest in companies based here.
- Employment law
- A statutory dismissal procedure, fair employment registration above 10 staff, and the Labour Relations Agency in place of Acas.
- Goods and VAT
- Under the Windsor Framework, goods follow EU VAT and customs rules, which gives a product company access to both the UK and EU markets.
Our Ballymena office
Startup Accountants is a trading style of Buzz Accounting, whose Northern Ireland office is at Unit 13:62 Fenaghy Road, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT42 1FL. We meet founders there by appointment, or in Belfast, Derry~Londonderry and anywhere else in Northern Ireland. Day-to-day work runs by phone, video and WhatsApp, with a reply within one working day.
For a Northern Ireland startup we set up the company, keep the books in Xero, run payroll, prepare SEIS and EIS advance assurance, claim R&D relief, and build the forecasts and figures that Invest NI, Co-Fund NI and angel investors ask for.
Northern Ireland pages
- Grants for startups in Northern Ireland
- Founder Labs, Ambition to Grow, the Business Innovation Grant and Go Succeed: what each pays and when it opens.
- Raising investment in Northern Ireland
- Co-Fund NI, Techstart, the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland and NI angels, and how they fit with SEIS and EIS.
- Hiring your first employees in Northern Ireland
- The statutory dismissal procedure, fair employment registration and the full cost of a hire in Northern Ireland.
- Accountants in Belfast
- Belfast's startup sectors and the tax rules they meet.
Common questions
Do SEIS and EIS work for a Northern Ireland company?
Yes. SEIS, EIS, R&D relief, EMI share options and corporation tax are UK-wide, so a company registered in Northern Ireland uses them exactly as a company in London does. Our SEIS and EIS page sets out the limits.
Is there a Northern Ireland grant for tech startups?
Founder Labs, Invest NI's six-month accelerator for technology startups, includes £25,000 of funding. Its current application window closes on Friday 20 November 2026 (Invest NI). Our grants page covers the other schemes.
Can I meet you in Northern Ireland?
Yes. Our office is at Unit 13:62 Fenaghy Road, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT42 1FL, and we meet by appointment there or anywhere in Northern Ireland. Most of the day-to-day work runs by phone, video and WhatsApp.
Does a Northern Ireland company register anywhere different?
Companies House and HMRC are UK-wide, so a Northern Ireland company is formed, files accounts and pays corporation tax the same way as one in England. Companies registered in Northern Ireland have numbers that start with NI.
Do the Windsor Framework rules affect a software startup?
Usually not. The Windsor Framework applies EU VAT and customs rules to goods in Northern Ireland. A startup selling software, subscriptions or services follows the UK rules, as it would in Great Britain.
