Grant for R&D

Invest NI Grant for R&D

Supports Northern Ireland businesses through Invest NI with innovation grants that strengthen future growth projects.

The Invest Northern Ireland Grant for R&D is a rolling, invitation-based programme providing grant funding to existing Invest NI clients for projects that develop new or improved products, processes, and services. The programme operates through three sequential tiers: the Technical Development Incentive (TDI), which provides up to £15,000 for technical feasibility and early-stage development work; Project Definition, which provides up to £100,000 for scoping, prototyping, and intellectual property work; and Follow-on R&D, the main grant instrument whose award ceiling is set through client negotiation rather than a published maximum. There is no fixed application window — intake is continuous and managed through each client's assigned Invest NI Client Executive.

Eligibility is restricted to existing Invest NI clients; this is not a publicly open competition. Before applying, a business must contact its Client Executive, discuss the proposed project, and receive a numbered application form with an individual reference number — without this reference, an application cannot be submitted. Eligible costs include internal labour, consultancy, subcontracting, materials and equipment, trials and testing, and IP protection costs (for SMEs only), plus a 15% overhead on labour. The scheme explicitly excludes nonprofits, universities, and research organisations — only for-profit businesses registered and operating in the UK are eligible.

The programme's cost-effectiveness is enhanced by HMRC R&D tax credits: Invest NI states that combined with the tax credit, the effective out-of-pocket cost can be reduced to approximately 38 pence per £1 invested in R&D. Companies new to Invest NI's client base must first engage with the organisation's business development team before they can access this programme, making early relationship-building with Invest NI the practical first step for any Northern Ireland company interested in R&D co-funding.