Agri-Food Investment Initiative (AFII)

Agri-Food Investment Initiative

Supports Northern Ireland agri-food enterprises through agri-food investment partnerships for applied innovation.

The Agri-Food Investment Initiative (AFII) is an open capital grant programme administered by Invest Northern Ireland that provides financial assistance to Northern Ireland's food and drink processing sector for transformative investments in machinery, equipment, software, patents, and intellectual property. The programme was confirmed open as of May 2026 and operates on a rolling basis without a fixed annual deadline. Maximum assistance per project is approximately £5,000,000, with maximum eligible project costs capped at €25,000,000. Grant rates are competitive and negotiated, ranging from up to 35% for small businesses (minimum £300,000 investment) to up to 25% for medium businesses (minimum £500,000 investment) and up to 20% for large businesses (minimum £1,000,000 investment).

Eligible sectors are restricted to processors of Annex I agricultural products — including meat processing (beef, sheep, pig, poultry), dairy, potatoes, cereals, arable crops, fruit and vegetables, bakery and convenience foods, drinks and beverages, animal feed, and industrial cold storage. Applicants must be existing or prospective Invest NI clients, be based in Northern Ireland, have at least two years of statutory accounts with annual turnover of £250,000 or more, and have been free of financial difficulty or insolvency as of 31 December 2022. Projects must not have commenced at the time of application — retrospective costs are ineligible.

The application process begins with an online eligibility checker on the Invest NI website, followed by formal submission and review by an Invest NI client executive. All project work must be located in rural areas of Northern Ireland or demonstrate rural benefit through the supply chain. Prospective applicants should contact Invest NI's food team at foodenquiries@investni.com or on 0800 181 4422 to initiate the review process before committing capital expenditure, as early engagement is strongly recommended to confirm eligibility and maximise the grant rate negotiated.