Ambition To Grow Competition Launched By Invest NI To Support SME’s

An interesting competition has been launched by Invest NI in a laudable effort to help innovative small, micro, and medium-sized enterprises to increase their workforce and grow sales outside Northern Ireland. This is a fantastic opportunity for some of the most enterprising businesses in the country to promote their products to a much wider audience, outside as well as inside Northern Ireland.

The Application Process Runs Until November 25th

The Ambition To Grow competition is now open to apply for, the application process will run until November 25th, and there are eligibility checks to ensure any business that applies fits the criteria to receive funding.

Businesses Who Want To Grow Their Sales Outside Northern Ireland

Alan McKeown, the Chief Transformation Officer at Invest NI, is quoted in an article on the Belfast Live website, saying:

“We designed this competition specifically for innovative start-ups and established businesses that want to grow their sales outside Northern Ireland but have not had a close working relationship with Invest NI up to now.

He continues “We have so many local businesses that have innovative products or services with a strong unique selling point (USP) which could easily be sold in new global markets, but they need both financial and in-kind support to make that jump.”

40 Local Businesses To Receive Up To £45,000 In Funding To Support Jobs And Business Development Activities

The same article states that:

‘Northern Ireland SMEs possess a wealth of home-grown talent and potential across a vast range of sectors. Invest Northern Ireland’s goal is to support these local businesses to thrive and take their business to the next level, while also delivering real benefits to the economy.’

And on the practicalities of the programme:

‘The Ambition to Grow programme aims to select 40 local businesses which have products and services that will travel beyond Northern Ireland; each successful business will receive up to £45,000 in funding. This funding will be used to support jobs and business development activities.

‘While any business can apply for the competition, Invest NI is particularly interested in engaging with businesses within the Digital ICT & Creative; Agri-Tech; Life & Health Sciences; Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering, and Financial Services industries.

And ‘For further information on the competition as well as Guidance Notes, FAQs, and Top Tips, visit investni.com/ambitiontogrow.’

If you have a business which you feel may fit the criteria why not check this out and put in an application, it could give you a real boost in funding and ultimately sales.