A new £4.3 million initiative, the Business Innovation Grant (BIG), has been launched to help micro-businesses, sole traders, and SMEs across Northern Ireland embrace innovation, boost productivity, and enhance competitiveness.
Developed by Invest Northern Ireland in partnership with Innovate NI, BIG offers grants ranging from £5,000 to £20,000. The scheme is designed to make innovation more accessible by removing financial barriers and is open to businesses that are not current Invest NI clients or have not received grants from them in the past five years.
Alan McKeown, Executive Director of Regional Business at Invest NI, highlighted BIG’s aim to diversify support and strengthen regional partnerships:
“BIG helps remove key barriers that have held businesses back from innovating, reaching companies at vital stages of their growth journey. By working closely with local councils and enterprise agencies, we’re opening new pathways to support businesses across Northern Ireland.”
More information on the Business Innovation Grant, including how to apply, can be found at the Innovate NI website.