Project Definition
Funds Northern Ireland businesses planning R&D projects through Invest NI project-definition support.
Invest Northern Ireland administers Project Definition as part of its funding for innovation and research and development support for businesses. Project Definition assistance can help scope out a collaborative R&D project or assist in applying for external R&D funding, such as Innovate UK. Invest NI states support up to GBP 100,000.
The applicant path is for businesses in Northern Ireland throug…
Business R&D planning, prototype testing, design refinement, and intellectual property costs.
Sign up free to see the funding breakdown
Sign up free to see the industries in scope
Sign up free to see the full eligibility
Sign up free to see the timeline
Sign up free to see where teams trip up
Guides for this application
All guides →Government Grants for Startups: What Deeptech Founders Should Know
A practical guide to government grants for startups, including Grants.gov, SBIR/STTR, state programs, eligibility, fit, timelines, and when to apply.
Find grantsGrants for Small Business Startup: Eligibility Checklist
Check whether your deeptech company is eligible for grants for small business startup funding, including SBIR/STTR, EIC Accelerator, and Innovate UK support.
DocumentsGrant Checklist: Application Documents, Forms, and Examples
Use this grant checklist to see the documents, forms, narratives, budgets, evidence, and compliance attachments a grant application may require.
More from Invest NI
All grants from this funder →Techstart Ventures Proof of Concept Grant
🇬🇧Invest NI · United Kingdom
Supports small businesses in Northern Ireland with proof-of-concept development for testing commercialization hypotheses.
Cluster Acceleration Programme — Phase 1
🇬🇧Invest NI · United Kingdom
Supports Northern Ireland small and medium enterprise-led cluster groups to test collaborative business models before entering growth phases.
Agri-Food Investment Initiative
🇬🇧Invest NI · United Kingdom
Supports Northern Ireland agri-food enterprises through agri-food investment partnerships for applied innovation.
Grant for Research & Development
🇬🇧Invest NI · United Kingdom
Funds Northern Ireland businesses developing products, processes, or services through Invest NI R&D grants.
Invest NI Grant for R&D
🇬🇧Invest NI · United Kingdom
Supports Northern Ireland businesses through Invest NI with innovation grants that strengthen future growth projects.
Invest NI KTP — NI Top-Up
🇬🇧Invest NI · United Kingdom
Supports small and growth-minded Northern Ireland firms through knowledge transfer partnerships with graduate development placements.
Similar grants
Browse the directory →
5th Innowwide Call for Market Feasibility Projects — Autumn 2026
🇪🇺EUREKA · Global / Multinational
Pays SMEs a fixed EUR60,000 grant to run a six-month market feasibility project testing whether their innovation can be commercialised in a target country in Africa, the Americas, Asia or Oceania.
Innowwide
🇪🇺EU · European Union
Pays SMEs and startups a 60,000-euro grant to test whether their solution is viable in a target overseas market.
Persons with disabilities: opportunities for labour inclusion and social protection through the life course
🇪🇺European Commission · European Union
Funds research on closing the employment gap and fixing social-protection benefit traps for people with disabilities.
Ambition North Wales 4G+ Public Sector Asset Improvement Grant Scheme - EOI
🇬🇧Ambition North Wales · United Kingdom
Capital grants to prepare public assets to host 4G and 5G equipment.
ESA BIC — Incubation
🇦🇹ESA · Global / Multinational
Provides equity-free incubation funding and business support for space-related startups across Europe.
SFC Student Placement Innovation Vouchers
🇬🇧SFC · United Kingdom
Funds Scottish SMEs extending academic collaborations through SFC-backed student placement vouchers.