Invest Northern Ireland’s Business Innovation Grant (BIG) has now supported 160 SMEs and micro-businesses across Northern Ireland since launching in November 2024. Those businesses are planning to invest a total of £3.6m in innovation, backed by £2.3m of grant funding offered through the scheme so far.
BIG is delivered by Invest NI in partnership with Innovate NI, and is part-funded by the UK government.
What the grant covers
BIG offers grants of between £5,000 and £20,000, covering 70% of eligible costs. It can be put towards:
- Market research, including problem-solving, opportunity validation and idea validation
- An ISO 56000 series Innovation Management Audit
- Product or service validation and testing, including MVP development with market testing
- Process design and validation
- Market entry planning and strategy, and identifying supply chains outside Northern Ireland
- International market development visits, trade fairs and exhibitions
- Product launches and demonstrations
- Consultancy support for product development
Who can apply
To be eligible, a business must:
- Be based in Northern Ireland
- Operate in any sector except primary agriculture, forestry, logging, fisheries or aquaculture
- Not currently be an Invest NI client
- Not have received Invest NI grant support in the past 5 years (Covid-19 emergency support, ERIG, Innovation Vouchers and Access to Finance are exempt from this rule)
- Have an innovative project. Innovate NI defines this as the development and implementation of a new or improved product, service, model or process which is novel, significantly different, and has or will be introduced to the market or implemented within the business to create value
Sole traders, micro-businesses and SMEs are all eligible to apply.
Businesses that have used it
BIG has supported businesses across sectors including digital and creative technologies, advanced manufacturing, and life and health sciences. Examples include:
- Equipple, a Ballynahinch-based parent-teacher engagement platform, used the grant to commercialise its product and has since secured its first sales in England and the UAE.
- Pebble, a Derry-based education tech company, has secured its first customer and accelerated its expansion plans.
- MENTupLEADup, an EdTech mentoring and training company based in North Down, developed new video, audio and digital content and went on to receive the Department for the Economy Platinum Award for Innovation.
- MemoryTell, a health technology company based in Mid-Ulster, integrated AI and speech-capturing software into its platform.
How to apply
Applications for the current round of BIG close at 12 noon on Friday 4 September 2026. The process starts with an online eligibility checker on the Innovate NI website; eligible applicants then receive instructions to create and submit a full application.
Successful applicants also get access to Innovate NI’s wider advisory support programme and an Innovation Recognition Certificate.
More information and the eligibility checker are available on the Innovate NI website.