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 closing date for applications is Friday 30 January 2026 at 12 noon. 

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

You can find the full criteria in our Ambition to Grow | Guidance Notes (PDF). 

Apply now

To find out if your business is eligible, complete our eligibility checker. The application window for our Ambition to Grow programme will close on Friday 30 January at 12 noon.

Answer the following questions to find out if you can apply.

Q1 - Is your business currently based in Northern Ireland with at least one director, proprietor or partner residing here, and have less than 250 full-time equivalent staff?
Q2 - Is your business currently generating sales?
Q3 - Does your business have either an annual turnover under £2m or annual sales to customers outside Northern Ireland of less than £250,000?
Q4 - Does your business manufacture a product or provide a tradeable service?
Q5 - Are any of the following the main activity of your business?

(If you select 'Yes' to any of these, your business may be ineligible)

  • Cosmetic and beauty services (in-person)
  • Distribution
  • Energy generation, distribution and its infrastructure
  • Healthcare services (in-person)
  • Primary agricultural production
  • Retail (including online)
  • Steel, lignite and coal sectors
  • The fishery and aquaculture sector (production and processing)
  • Tourism accommodation
  • Transport and its infrastructure
  • Visitor attractions
  • Wholesale
Q6 - Has your business received an offer or payment of grant support from Invest NI within the last five years?

Excludes Covid-19 Emergency Funds, Innovation Vouchers, Economic Recovery Innovation Grant, Access to Finance funding or completed Business Innovation Grant projects

Q7 - Can your business commit to creating a minimum of three new full-time equivalent employment positions paying the Real Living Wage or at least one new full-time management position paying a minimum annual salary of £35,000 as well as generating new sales directly to customers outside Northern Ireland over the next two years?

Based on your answers your business is eligible to apply for Ambition to Grow.

Please click on the below link to start your online application. If you do not already have an account on Invest NI’s customer portal you will be asked to complete that registration process before you can complete the Ambition to Grow application form.

Apply now

You can save your application and return to it at any time, before the closing date of 12:00 noon Friday 30 January 2026.

Sorry, from your answers your business does not meet the eligibility criteria for Ambition to Grow

Outside of Ambition to Grow, there is a wide range of support available to help grow your business in the form of advice, guidance and funding.

Please visit our website for further details on available support or contact us.

Ambition to Grow is open to Northern Ireland businesses that meet the criteria. Find out more about becoming an Invest Northern Ireland client company.

If you need this form in an alternative format, or need more help, email equality@investni.com. See our equality commitment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most frequently asked questions about Ambition to Grow, however, more in-depth questions and answers can be found in our Ambition to Grow | FAQs (PDF).

What type of business is Ambition to Grow aimed at? 

Ambition to Grow is aimed at businesses that are not currently Invest Northern Ireland clients but have plans to grow sales outside Northern Ireland and with this create new employment.  

Is Ambition to Grow suitable for start-up businesses? 

To be eligible to apply for Ambition to Grow, businesses need to already be trading and be able to demonstrate they can sustain any new employment created.  Businesses at an earlier stage may benefit more from other support options which can be found at nibusinessinfo.co.uk – Business Support Finder.  

Is all the grant money paid up front? 

No.  Payment of the different grant elements is triggered by carrying out or spending money on specific activities.

Do I need to be exporting to be able to apply?

You do not need to currently be exporting to apply but you need to demonstrate how your business plans to increase sales to customers based outside Northern Ireland, and with this create new employment.  

When is the closing date to apply?

The closing date to submit your completed via the Invest NI Portal, upon completion of our eligibility checker is Friday 30 January, 12 noon. 

Drop-in Information Sessions

In partnership with local councils a series of drop-in information sessions will be held at the below locations. 

No need to register. Just come along if you wish to find out more about our Ambition to Grow programme. 

LocationDateTime
LEDCOM, LarneWednesday 7 January 202610:00-12 noon
Carrickfergus Enterprise, CarrickfergusWednesday 7 January 202614:00-16:00
Causeway Coast & Glens Council Offices, Coleraine

Thursday 8 January 2026

10:00-12 noon
Invest Northern Ireland Western Regional Office, Omagh

Friday 9 January 2026

10:00-12 noon
The Workhouse, Enniskillen

Friday 9 January 2026

14:00-16:00
Mid Ulster Council Office, DungannonMonday 12 January 20269:00-11:00
Mid Ulster Council Office, CookstownMonday 12 January 202612 noon –14:00
Mid Ulster Council Office, MagherafeltMonday 12 January 202615:00-17:00
CIDO Innovation Centre, Craigavon

Tuesday 13 January 2026

10:00-12 noon
Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick

Tuesday 13 January 2026

14:00-16:00
Guildhall, Derry~Londonderry

Wednesday 14 January 2026

10:00-12 noon
Derry City & Strabane Council Office, StrabaneWednesday 14 January 202614:00-16:00

Discover more

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

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