Digital Transformation Flexible Fund
Expressions of interest for Call 6 closed on 24 October 2025
The Digital Transformation Flexible Fund (DTFF) supports small and micro businesses in Northern Ireland to invest in advanced digital technologies. The fund offers grants of £5,000 to £20,000, covering up to 70% of eligible project costs, to help businesses adopt transformative technologies.
Technologies supported include:
- smart environments and the Internet of Things
- simulation, process automation and additive manufacturing
- big data and analytics
- immersive technologies
- artificial intelligence and machine learning
- blockchain technologies and more
To qualify, your project must demonstrate how the investment will transform your business operations - not just digitise existing processes.
Call 6 closed: What now?
Call 6 of the DTFF closed on 24 October 2025. Applicants who submitted expressions of interest (EOIs) have been notified of the outcome via email. If your EOI was successful, you will have been invited to complete a full application.
The deadline for full DTFF applications is 4pm on 5 December 2025.
To avoid disqualification, you must submit a complete application with all required documentation. The DTFF Operations Team will not follow up on missing materials, and incomplete or late submissions cannot progress to the assessment stage.
Your Digital Transformation Plan remains a core part of your application and one of the most heavily weighted sections in the scoring process. The official guidance for applicants provides a full breakdown of what each section should cover, including scoring weightings and examples.
Support is available to strengthen your application
If you missed the live sessions before the Call 6 deadline, you can now watch the official pre-briefing recording online. This 30-minute video outlines:
- the aims of the DTFF programme
- eligibility criteria and funding priorities
- the full application process from EOI to offer letter
You can also access the recordings of the DTFF webinar series hosted by the William J. Clinton Leadership Institute. The eight-part series helps small and micro businesses understand how to leverage DTFF support for innovation and growth.
Looking ahead to future DTFF opportunities
If Call 6 was not the right moment for your business, now is an ideal time to prepare for the next funding opportunity. Future calls will again invite expressions of interest from businesses seeking to adopt transformative technologies.
Before another call opens, use this time to:
- reassess the challenges you want to solve
- explore which of the six funded technologies could create real transformation
- map out what meaningful change would look like in your business
- begin shaping your Digital Transformation Plan using the published guidance
Early preparation will help ensure your next submission is complete, competitive and ready to demonstrate a clear return on digital transformation.
First published 20 October 2023