Find out more about our support
About our Project Definition support
Project Definition is one of our Research & Development (R&D) grants that aims to support high-risk, technically ambitious projects. It provides support to conduct feasibility studies and supports activities that have a commercial endpoint.
We can support up to 70% of eligible costs for small enterprises, up to 60% for medium enterprises and up to 50% for large companies. The maximum grant is £100k.
Support can assist you to:
- Investigate or plan your idea
- Develop, build and test a prototype
- Undertake a scientific and/or technical literature review
- Define the market opportunity and / or the technical objectives / risks
- Define the costs of the R&D and understanding the financial implications
- Apply for R&D grant funding from other organisations such as Innovate UK
What benefits are there from Project Definition support?
Invest NI’s Project Definition support offers grant support towards the costs of planning and defining your R&D project. It helps you to reduce your project’s risks and identify its costs and potential benefits. You can also use Project Definition to help scope out a collaborative R&D project and apply for either an Invest NI Grant for R&D or external funding such as Innovate UK grants.
Who is eligible for Project Definition support?
Project Definition support is only available to Invest Northern Ireland clients. If you would like more information on becoming a client, see How we support business.
How to apply
To apply you can contact your Client Executive. We will only accept an application if:
- You have discussed your proposed project with an Invest NI representative, and
- You have been issued with an online Project Definition application form with an individual reference number.
If both these conditions are not met, applications will be returned to you. Contact us through the form below
Contact us
If you are interested in finding out more about our Project Definition support, contact our Business Support Team on 0800 181 4422 or complete the enquiry form.