We prepare the forecasts and figures these applications ask for, and record each grant correctly in the accounts.
Grants for startups in Northern Ireland
Invest NI and Go Succeed run the grant schemes for Northern Ireland startups. Founder Labs, which pays £25,000 to technology startups, closes on 20 November 2026.
A technology startup in Northern Ireland can get £25,000 through Founder Labs, whose current round closes on 20 November 2026. Trading businesses that plan to sell outside Northern Ireland can apply for up to £30,000 from Ambition to Grow from 16 November 2026. Most other schemes run in rounds.
Northern Ireland grants for startups
| Scheme | What it pays | Who it is for | Status on 3 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founder Labs | £25,000 and a six-month accelerator | Technology startups aiming for £1m of revenue or funding by year three | Open, closes 20 November 2026 |
| Ambition to Grow – Supporting Women | Up to £30,000 | Trading businesses with turnover under £1m planning sales outside Northern Ireland | Opens 9am, 16 November 2026 |
| Business Innovation Grant | £5,000 to £20,000, at 70% of costs | Sole traders and small companies developing a product or process | Closed 4 September 2026 |
| Innovation Vouchers | Up to £10,000 of university or college expertise | Small and medium-sized businesses with an innovation project | Closed |
| Go Succeed Grant | £1,000 to £4,000, at up to 50% of capital costs | Trading businesses that have done 60% of their Go Succeed mentoring | Closed 13 October 2026 |
| Groundwork for Growth | Up to £15,000 | Trading businesses that are not yet Invest NI clients | Closed |
Founder Labs
Founder Labs is Invest NI's six-month accelerator for technology startups. It is delivered by Ormeau Labs with The AMP in Derry~Londonderry, Dogpatch Labs in Dublin and Queen's University Belfast, and it includes £25,000 of funding, mentoring, international study visits and the chance to pitch to local and international investors.
Any startup in Northern Ireland can apply if, by its third year of trading, it can reach more than £1m of revenue or funding, make at least 60% of its sales outside Northern Ireland, and secure external investment. Founders are expected to work full time on the business for the six months. The current round closes on Friday 20 November 2026 (apply on Invest NI).
Invest NI also runs an eight-week Founder Labs Pre-Accelerator of workshops and one-to-one mentoring for earlier-stage technology founders.
Ambition to Grow
Ambition to Grow – Supporting Women opens at 9am on Monday 16 November 2026. It pays up to £30,000: up to £15,000 towards new jobs, up to £10,000 for market, product and skills development, and £5,000 for completing an Export Health Check, an Innovate NI Self-Assessment and a series of leadership development workshops.
The business must already be trading, with annual turnover under £1m or sales outside Northern Ireland under £300,000, and must plan to grow those external sales and create jobs. Any business that meets the criteria can apply, and Invest NI encourages applications from businesses with a woman in a key decision-making role. Invest NI pays each part in arrears (Invest NI).
Grants for product development
The Business Innovation Grant pays 70% of a project to develop a product or process, from £5,000 to £20,000. It covers work such as market validation, building a minimum viable product and planning market entry, and it is open to sole traders and to companies that are not Invest NI clients and have not had an Invest NI grant in the last five years. The last round closed on 4 September 2026 (Invest NI).
Innovation Vouchers of up to £10,000 pay a university or college in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland to work on an innovation project. The money goes to the university or college, and the startup receives the expertise (Invest NI).
Go Succeed
Go Succeed, run by Northern Ireland's 11 councils, gives founders up to 13 hours of free one-to-one mentoring, masterclasses and help with a business plan (Go Succeed). Its grant paid £1,000 to £4,000 towards equipment, software or a website in the 2026 round, which closed on 13 October 2026. To apply, a business had to be trading and have completed at least 60% of its mentoring.
Preparing an application
- 1Check the eligibility test first
Most Invest NI schemes ask about sales outside Northern Ireland and jobs within a set number of years. Work out your figures against that test before you write anything else.
- 2Build a forecast the application can rest on
Revenue, hires and cash by month for at least two years, so the jobs and sales you promise show up in the numbers.
- 3Plan for payment in arrears
Invest NI pays most grants after the money is spent, so the company has to fund the spending first. Put the timing of each claim into the cash-flow forecast.
- 4Record every grant
Keep a list of each grant, its date and its amount. Co-Fund NI and other investors ask for it, and it affects how much state-backed funding the company can take.
Northern Ireland pages
- Startup accountants in Northern Ireland
- Our Ballymena office, the funding open to Northern Ireland startups now, and the rules that differ from the rest of the UK.
- 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.
Common questions
What grants can a tech startup get in Northern Ireland?
Founder Labs pays £25,000 with a six-month accelerator, and its current round closes on 20 November 2026. The Business Innovation Grant pays 70% of a development project, from £5,000 to £20,000, when a round is open. Innovation Vouchers of up to £10,000 buy expertise from a university or college.
Can I get a grant before the company is trading?
Founder Labs takes startups that have not yet traded, provided they can show the growth it asks for by year three. Ambition to Grow and the Go Succeed Grant need the business to be trading already. Go Succeed's mentoring is free from the idea stage.
Are grants taxable?
A grant towards running costs, such as salaries or marketing, is taxable income of the company. A grant towards equipment reduces the cost you can claim capital allowances on.
Do grants affect raising investment from Co-Fund NI?
They can. Co-Fund NI invests under subsidy rules, so it takes account of grants the company has already received when it decides how much it can put in (Clarendon Fund Managers). Tell the fund manager about every grant early in the conversation.
Is Invest NI only for exporters?
Most Invest NI programmes are for businesses that plan to sell outside Northern Ireland. Its definition of a start-up with export potential is one that could reach 25% of sales outside Northern Ireland, or £250,000 of external sales, and employ at least 10 people within five years (Invest NI).
