Invest NI has opened Groundwork for Growth, a £2.3m programme for Northern Ireland businesses that want to sell outside Northern Ireland. Each successful applicant can receive up to £15,000. Applications close at 12 noon on Monday 2 November 2026.
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald announced the programme on 12 October. Invest NI expects it to support 240 micro, small and medium-sized businesses over the next three years.
01Who can apply for Groundwork for Growth?
The programme is for businesses that are not already Invest NI clients. Successful applicants become clients.
- Your business is based in Northern Ireland and is already trading and making sales.
- It has a turnover under £2 million, or sales outside Northern Ireland of less than £250,000.
- It makes goods or provides services that can be sold outside Northern Ireland.
- It has at least £8,000 available to invest in the project.
Some sectors are excluded, including retail, wholesale, tourism accommodation and in-person beauty services. The full list is in Invest NI's guidance notes.
02What does it pay for?
The money supports work that helps you win customers outside Northern Ireland. Examples include trade fairs, product refinement, packaging design and staff training.
Invest NI pays up to 50% of eligible costs. Your plan must include at least £20,000 of eligible costs, and costs above £30,000 are not supported.
03Why the timing matters
This is the part to plan for. The grant is paid in arrears. You spend the money first, then claim back an agreed share of it.
Claims can be made every three months, and an offer stays valid for 18 months. So on a £30,000 project, you pay suppliers the full £30,000 and claim back up to £15,000 in stages.
Winning new customers can also mean bigger orders to fund. That can mean buying stock, materials and staff time before the first export invoice is paid.
If you need to cover that gap, business growth finance can sit alongside a grant. We can help you work out how much you need and when you need it.
Not every eligible business will get an offer. Invest NI says it will make offers only to the top-scoring applicants, depending on its budget.
