Invest NI support secures £20m of investment in Mid & East Antrim Borough Council area

Invest Northern Ireland performance results for 2025/26 show that its support has helped secure £20m of business investment in the Mid & East Antrim Borough Council area – more than double last year.  

The agency offered over £4m of assistance to help businesses in the area innovate, increase productivity and create new jobs. 106 new jobs will be created in the area as a result of this support. 

Speaking about the results, Iain Joannides, Head of Eastern Regional Business, Invest NI said: “Our support to businesses in the Mid & East Antrim area in 2025/26 means that the amount assistance offered in the area increased this year, with higher levels of investment and more jobs will be created. This also shows the commitment of businesses in the area to grow and as a direct result also create new jobs. These new jobs are also good quality jobs with over 90 per cent paying salaries above the Private Sector Median.” 

These companies include Norbev, JB Door Systems and Raptor Photonics. Based in Larne, Raptor Photonics is investing almost £750,000 in research and development (R&D) to develop advanced imaging technologies that will bring new innovative products and solutions to its customers around the world. Invest NI has offered the company £244,436 of support towards the R&D project. 

“We are working with more companies in the area than before, thanks to our programmes Ambition to Grow and Business Innovation Grant,” added Iain. “These programmes are helping us reach small businesses that previously would not have been able to access Invest NI support. We have helped 29 entrepreneurs and SMEs in the Mid & East Antrim area innovate, create good jobs and increase external sales through these programmes to date.  

“Our strong relationship with the Council also ensures businesses engaging with council programmes that have export potential get referred to Invest NI. In conjunction with the Council, we held regional business advice clinics and Ambition to Grow drop-in sessions across Larne, Carrickfergus and Ballymena to help businesses of all sizes access expert guidance, explore opportunities and connect with other local business owners. We also ran Business Breakfasts on access to finance, export advice, R&D, skills and productivity in the local area to engage with businesses, helping them understand what support is available and how we can support them.” 

The Mid & East Antrim Borough Council Briefing has now been updated and includes data on Invest NI support over the past five years (2021-22 to 2025-26).