Economy Minister has launched the Business
Innovation Grant (BIG), a new £4.3million initiative designed to
help businesses across Northern Ireland embrace innovation and
boost productivity and competitiveness.
Developed by Invest Northern Ireland and delivered in partnership
with Innovate NI, BIG is aimed at micro-businesses,
sole traders, and SMEs and will offer grants from £5,000 to
£20,000.
Launching the scheme, Minister Murphy said:
“We know businesses
that innovate achieve higher levels of productivity and
efficiency. Our
goal is to make innovation accessible and desirable across
sectors, particularly those that have traditionally been less
active in this space or who may not have had the opportunity to
access support.
“BIG opens doors for
more businesses to innovate by removing financial barriers,
making innovation more accessible. This support extends to
businesses beyond the Invest NI client base and reflects my plan
of building a balanced, resilient economy built on high-quality
jobs, productivity, and sustainable growth across every
region.”
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
also said:
“It was a privilege to attend the launch of this fantastic
initiative that will accelerate innovation for many ambitious
businesses across Northern Ireland.
“Economic growth is this Government's number one priority, and we
are committed to working with all partners to ensure Northern
Ireland continues to be a fantastic place to live, work and
invest.
“It is through this commitment that this scheme has received
£440,000 from the UK Government through the New Deal for Northern
Ireland.”
BIG is open to businesses who are not currently Invest NI clients
or who have not received Invest NI grants in the past five years.
Alan McKeown, Executive Director of Regional Business at Invest
NI, added:
“BIG is designed to remove key barriers that
have held many businesses back from innovating, providing
targeted support at vital stages of their growth journey.
Today's launch of BIG helps Invest NI diversify and broaden the
types of businesses we work with. BIG demonstrates us taking
tangible action on this, with the scheme specifically targeted to
businesses which are not Invest NI clients.
"'By working closely with local councils and enterprise agencies,
BIG opens up new avenues to deepen regional partnerships,
enabling us to reach and support businesses across Northern
Ireland that can truly benefit from this programme."
More information on the Business Innovation Grant, including how
to apply can be found at www.innovateni.com/big
