Apply for the Business Innovation Grant in Northern Ireland
Funding to help you bring new ideas to market
The Business Innovation Grant (BIG) helps sole traders, micro-businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) develop and bring new ideas to market.
What you can get
Under the BIG scheme, you can get a grant between £5,000 and £20,000, at a grant support rate of 70% per applicant. You can use the grant to develop, commercialise, and implement new or improved products, services, or processes.
You can use the funding for activities such as:
- market research or validation
- product or service testing
- developing a minimum viable product
- process design or validation
- market entry planning and strategy
- supply chain development outside Northern Ireland
- attending trade fairs or exhibitions
- product launches and demonstrations
- consultancy or subcontracting for further development
Successful applicants will also join the Innovate NI programme for advice and support, and receive an Innovation Recognition Certificate from the Department for the Economy.
Who can apply
To be eligible for funding, your business must:
- be based in Northern Ireland
- operate in any sector except primary agriculture, forestry, fisheries or aquaculture
- not currently be an Invest Northern Ireland client
- not have received Invest NI grant support in the past five years (exclusions apply)
Your projects must align with Innovate NI's definition of innovation - creating something new or significantly improved that adds market value.
Applications open on Monday 10 November and close at midday on Wednesday 10 December 2025.
How to apply
Use an online eligibility checker to see if you qualify. If eligible, you will receive instructions on how to submit your application.
For guidance, FAQs and assessment information, visit Innovate NI's website.
BIG is delivered by Invest NI in partnership with Innovate NI. It is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
First published 23 October 2025