About The Sustainability Challenge Fund
Are you planning to invest in a capital project that will boost your green credentials? If so, then The Sustainability Challenge Fund could help you fund your project.
The Sustainability Challenge Fund is valued at €26m (circa £22m), with €13m available for projects in Northern Ireland. This includes €10m from the Shared Island Unit and €3m from Invest NI to help businesses from Northern Ireland decarbonise their sites using demonstrative and innovative solutions.
Applications will be accepted from 12 noon on 12 October 2026 until 12 noon on 13 November 2026. Due to anticipated demand, Invest NI reserves the right to close applications early.
Project areas we can support
You can apply for funding for projects across the following thematic areas:
Flexible Electrification
- Decarbonisation of industrial/manufacturing plants
- Utilisation of existing curtailed energy from renewable sources
- Long duration energy storage
Innovative renewable energy generation
Hard to Abate / ClimateTech / CleanTech
- Long duration energy storage
- E-Fuels
- Hydrogen
- SAF
Biogas/Fuels
Water Efficiency
Achieve high water-efficiency gains with technology and automation to support sustainable water use through reduction, re-use, recycling and recovery.
Circularity & Resource Efficiency & Bioeconomy
- Introducing recycling and recovery technologies for materials, by-products and waste streams for use in your own production processes.
- Supporting bioeconomy-related demonstrator projects, including those leveraging sustainable biological resources, residues and industrial side-streams.
What makes a project eligible?
Eligible projects must:
- have the potential to create significant value for the company or industry.
- address sustainability challenges and deliver an environmental improvement to a manufacturing or industrial site.
- have a minimum capital project spend of £5m (€6m) and have all project expenditure incurred by 31 December 2030.
- benefit the All-Island economy on a demonstrative and commercial basis.
- If successful, your project may be part of an All-Island case study or showcase.
For more information:
Read our Shared Island Industrial Sustainability Challenge Fund - Guidance Notes (PDF)
Read our Shared Island Industrial Sustainability Challenge Fund - Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
Who can apply?
You must be an Invest NI client to apply for The Sustainability Challenge Fund.
If you would like more information on becoming a client, see how we support business and the criteria to become an Invest NI client.
If your business is based in Ireland, please visit Enterprise Ireland.