Find out how to apply and

Check your eligibility

About the programme

Do you have an innovation project that could lead to the development of a new or improved product, service, business model, or process? Will it create value in your business, produce new profits or help grow the business? If so, then an Innovation Voucher could help support this.

How can it help my business?

£5K Innovation Vouchers allow businesses or potential entrepreneurs to get expertise from a public sector knowledge provider, such as a University or College (NI and ROI) for your innovation project.  

** Please note that this programme does not involve the payment of any funds directly to participating businesses.**

Typical projects we support include:

  • Expertise to help create or improve products, services, business models or processes
  • Access to specialist expertise in new materials
  • Tapping into research and scientific expertise

Activities that are not eligible include:

  • Business plans, market research and financial planning
  • Website and app related activity
  • Marketing and sales activity
  • Training courses
  • Working with a private sector provider

This list is not exhaustive.

How can I apply?

If you would like to apply, please proceed to check your eligibility. The call for applications will close at 15:00, Friday 6 October 2023.

Get started

Is your business eligible?

Complete this questionnaire to find out if you can apply

Deadline for completed applications is 15:00 Friday 6 October 2023.

Innovation Vouchers are available to early stage and pre-trading entities as well as to established companies

1/5) Are you a Northern Ireland based small enterprise or medium enterprise?

Innovation Vouchers are open to Northern Ireland based small and medium sized enterprises, social enterprises and third sector organisations. This includes sole traders, partnerships, limited companies, new start-ups and those businesses at pre-trading stage.

Small - a business, or if part of a group, a group of companies in which the total number of full-time employees in the company, or the entire group, is less than 50 and has either an annual turnover and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €10m. 

Medium - a business, or if part of a group, a group of companies in which the total number of full-time employees in the company, or the entire group, is between 50 and 250 and has either an annual turnover not exceeding €50m or balance sheet total not exceeding €43m.
2/5) Is your business involved in the transport or primary agriculture sectors?
3/5) If you are a medium-sized business, have you received any grant for R&D support from Invest NI in the past 5 years?(If you are a small business (less than 50 employees) then please answer 'No' to this question.)
4/5) Are you willing to pay the VAT element applicable to the voucher and any project costs in excess of the voucher value?
5/5) Is Invest NI assistance essential to enable the project to proceed?

Sorry, from your answers you don't appear to be eligible to apply for an Innovation Voucher.

The following rules apply to Innovation Vouchers:

  • The Innovation Vouchers scheme is only open to NI based SMEs.
  • Businesses in the transport and primary agricultural sectors are excluded in line with State Aid Guidelines.
  • Medium sized businesses in receipt of any Grant for R&D support from Invest NI in the past 5 years are not eligible to apply for an innovation voucher.
  • To apply for an innovation voucher, you must confirm that you are willing to pay the VAT element applicable to the voucher and any project costs in excess of the voucher value.
  • If you are able to proceed with the proposed innovation project (on both the same scale and in the same timeframe) without an innovation voucher then support from this programme is not required.

If you have answered a question incorrectly and wish to try again, please refresh the page.

If you are ineligible for Innovation Voucher support and wish to discuss alternative support options please contact us on 0800 181 4422.

If you require an application in an alternative format (including Braille audio disc, large print or in minority languages to meet the needs of those whose first language is not English) then please contact us on 0800 181 4422 and ask to speak with the Invest NI Equality Team.

Our support may be subject to some eligibility criteria. 

Please note that it is a mandatory requirement to complete an Innovate NI Innovation Assessment before an Innovation Voucher is issued.

Further Information

Discover more

Watch our video case study with Karri Kitchen on how an innovation voucher helped its business.