What is the Business Information Centre?
Our Business Information Centre provides free access to company databases and market intelligence reports, including sector and country information, to help Northern Ireland companies make business decisions based on sound intelligence.
Looking for new contract opportunities? Our Tenders Alert Service can help you find relevant public sector tenders from across the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe, visit Tenders Alert Service.
Who can use the Business Information Centre?
Any Northern Ireland business, including those who are thinking of starting a business, can use the centre.
Why use the Business Information Centre?
The Business Information Centre can save you time and money when researching ways to grow your business.
Businesses use the centre for many reasons, including:
- finding new customers to grow sales or exports
- researching target markets and growth opportunities
- accessing data to support funding applications
What research is available?
You can use the Business Information Centre to access premium market, company and sector information free of charge. Three main types of information are available:
- Markets: Industry reports worldwide, including key players, market size, forecasts and key trends, providing the data you need to compete in international markets.
- Companies: Financial data, contact and activity details, to help companies identify new customers, suppliers and competitors.
- Other Business Information: Details of trade publications and trade fairs, country information and start-up factsheets.
How do I access the service?
If your enquiry is straightforward, we can often carry out research on your behalf. You can also visit the centre to make the most of our research resources or carry out your own research on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
To log an enquiry or book an in-person appointment complete the enquiry form below.
Available databases and resources
Market Research Databases
| Database | Subject | Location |
|---|---|---|
| BMI (Fitch) | Agribusiness, Consumer & Retail, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Telecommunications and Power & Renewables. | Worldwide |
| Cobra | Business information for start-up companies, including market and legal information. | UK |
| Euromonitor | Provides data & insights on industries, economies, and consumers worldwide. | Worldwide |
| Frost & Sullivan | Industrial, energy, healthcare, and ICT sectors. | Worldwide |
| Globaldata | Statistics, market data and insights including: Aerospace & Defence, Industrial Goods & Machinery, Oil & Gas, Technology and Healthcare. | Worldwide |
| IBISWorld | UK, Ireland & US industry research reports. | UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Germany, China, Australia |
| IGD | Strategies and operations of consumer goods retailers around the world. | Worldwide |
| Mintel | Food and drink. | UK & Ireland |
| Mintel Insights & Global New Products database (GNPD) | Global product innovation tool providing information on competitor activity, category awareness and idea generation. | Global |
Company Information Databases
| Database | Geographic Coverage | Number of Companies |
|---|---|---|
| Kompass | Worldwide – Detailed product information, which is most useful for manufacturing/engineering companies. | Over 8 million |
| DNB Hoovers | United Kingdom | 200 million |
Contact us
If you are interested in more information on the Business Information Centre, contact our Business Support Team on 0800 181 4422 or complete the enquiry form.