Start a business

Fast growing, globally trading, pioneering...if this sounds like your new business, talk to us.

If you can show that your new business could achieve significant sales in markets outside Northern Ireland within three years and will create employment, we can offer you a wide range of business advice and financial support.

High growth start-ups typically operate in certain sectors – advanced materials, bioscience, health care, design engineering and photonics, energy and emerging technologies or information and communication technology.

We can provide:

We also offer financial support for:

If you’re trying to source equity funding, venture capital or incubation space, we’ll help with that too.

Our Propel programme, aimed at high calibre entrepreneurs who have the passion and energy to succeed on an international stage, offers:

Do you want to change the world? Then you deserve some support.

Whether you are an individual social entrepreneur or a group wanting to establish a social enterprise to help your community or the environment, you can benefit from our advice and financial assistance to help you achieve your goals.

Your first step should be to contact your local council for information.

Also there are 11 Social Enterprise Hubs located across Northern Ireland. They assist in the creation of new social enterprises by offering mentoring, training, workshops and office and retail space for test trading. Find out more about the Social Enterprise Hubs.

Is getting finance for your new business your top priority?

We provide some financial support directly and will also signpost you to other sources of funding.

Our start-up financial support is generally limited to businesses that intend to sell outside Northern Ireland. If this sounds like your business, talk to us.

We also have a programme that offers a package of support for high-growth start-ups that are innovative and have the potential to sell their product or service globally.

We recommend that you visit the nibusinessinfo.co.uk website where you can read guidance on how to find and manage the money.

You’ve got a great idea for a product and you think there’s a market for it.

How do you convince others? We can help you get funding to prove that your idea or invention has commercial potential.

Our Invest Growth Proof of Concept Fund provides grants to individuals, start-up businesses, micro enterprises and small or medium sized businesses to help them fully develop and test their ideas.

We also have a Proof of Concept programme that offers funding to local universities and research organisations to help researchers take their ideas out of the lab and into the market.

If you're thinking of setting up a business, or have recently started a business in Northern Ireland, you’ve probably got a million questions in your head. How do I do market research? How do I write a robust business plan? What do I need to be aware of when employing people? How do I deal with tax?

Through the Regional Start Initiative and nibusinessinfo.co.uk, we will give you the answers.

The Regional Start Initiative offers you a comprehensive package of advice, training and support including: