Invest NI support secures £48m of investment in Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council area

Invest Northern Ireland performance results for 2025/26 show that its support has helped secure £48m of business investment in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area.  

The agency offered more than £10m of assistance to help businesses in the area innovate, increase productivity and create new jobs. 184 new jobs will be created in the area as a result of this support.  

Speaking about the results, Alistair Quinn, Head of Southern Regional Business, Invest NI said: “We have worked closely with businesses in the area to support them with investments to grow. Over a third of our support was to help local businesses create new jobs. 

“In particular we saw a strong increase in investments by businesses in the Agri-Food sector, which accounted for nearly 60 per cent of investment in the area.  

“For example, we provided support to Kestrel Foods to invest £5m in the growth of its Forest Feast brand in Portadown through advanced chocolate coating and polishing technology and to create 38 new jobs with support from our Agri-Food Investment Initiative. 

“We also saw a large increase in the amount of investment in R&D and innovation – which nearly tripled on last year. This is very encouraging as it shows more companies are realising the importance of innovation to staying ahead of the competition and the long-term viability of their business. 

“We are working with more companies in the area than before, thanks to our programmes Ambition to Grow and Business Innovation Grant,” added Alistair. “These programmes are helping us reach small businesses that previously would not have been able to access Invest NI support. We have helped 23 entrepreneurs and SMEs in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area innovate, create good jobs and increase external sales through these programmes to date.  

“Our Food and Drink team has been working with Armagh based S'more'a'licious following its participation on our Ambition to Grow programme, helping it to reach new customers in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. 

“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 Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, we held multiple regional business advice clinics and an Ambition to Grow drop-in clinic to help businesses of all sizes access expert guidance, explore opportunities and connect with other local business owners.” 

The Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council Briefing has now been updated and includes data on Invest NI support over the past five years (2021-22 to 2025-26).