Want to apply for Ambition to Grow?

Check your eligibility

About the Ambition to Grow programme

Is your business seeking to create new employment and grow into new markets? 

Through our Ambition to Grow programme, we are seeking applications from local innovative and ambitious micro, small, and medium enterprises with a determination to sell outside Northern Ireland to compete for up to £45,000 in funding to accelerate their business growth. 

We’ve designed the programme to help businesses like yours increase employment, innovate processes, and export. Participants will also have the chance to build valuable connections with other like-minded business owners. 

The application call for Ambition to Grow is due to open on Monday 7 September.

How can my business benefit from the Ambition to Grow programme?

Your business could benefit from: 

  • Up to £30,000 towards new employment within the business
  • Up to £10,000 for business development activities related to market, product, or skills development
  • £5,000 on the completion of an Export Health Check, Innovate NI Self-Assessment, and participation in two Ambition to Grow workshops.

Invest NI’s Ambition to Grow programme gave us the structure and confidence to scale beyond Northern Ireland helping us win new businesses, expand into new markets and strengthen our growth plans.

Nicole Ross, Ross Engineering

Ambition to Grow has had a massive impact on our business. The financial support and expert advice provided has given us the confidence to grow our team quicker than we would have otherwise.

Adrian Davis, AD Sustainability

Who can apply for the Ambition to Grow programme?

Ambition to Grow is open to any business in Northern Ireland that meets the eligibility criteria who: 

  • Have a suitable product or service for selling outside Northern Ireland
  • Have the potential to increase new employment within the business
  • Can demonstrate the need for government support
  • Have an annual turnover under £2m or sales outside Northern Ireland less than £250,000

Discover more

Hear how the Ambition to Grow programme helped Nomadic Watches grow their business both locally and internationally.

You may be interested in

  • Start a business

    Regional Business Network

    Our Regional Business Network works directly and indirectly with businesses across Northern Ireland.

    Read more
  • Start a business

    Support for local start-ups

    Thinking of setting up a business or a social enterprise and don’t know where to start? We can help.

    Read more
  • Export Support

    Export to Grow

    Complete our Export Health Check to assess your export readiness.

    Read more