Want to apply for our Ambition to Grow | Supporting Women support?

Check your eligibility

About the Ambition to Grow | Supporting Women programme

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

Through our Ambition to Grow | Supporting Women programme, supported by Women in Business NI, we are encouraging applications from Northern Ireland's most innovative and ambitious micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Eligible businesses will have the opportunity to compete for up to £30,000 in funding to accelerate their growth.

This programme helps businesses increase employment, innovate processes, and sell outside Northern Ireland. Participants will build valuable connections with other like-minded business owners.

The closing dates for applications is Friday 24 October at 12:00 noon. 

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

This support includes: 

  • £15,000 for new employment within the business 

  • £10,000 for business development related to market, product, or skills development 

  • £5,000 upon the completion of an Export Health Check, Innovate NI Self-Assessment, and participating in a series of leadership development workshops 

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

Who is eligible for the Ambition to Grow | Supporting Women programme?

The programme is designed for businesses that: 

  • 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 £1m or sales outside Northern Ireland less than £300,000

How do I apply for Ambition to Grow | Supporting Women?

To find out if your business is eligible, complete our eligibility checker. The application window for Ambition to Grow | Supporting Women will close on Friday 24 October at 12:00 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/partner residing here, and have less than 250 full-time equivalent staff?
Q2 - Is your business generating sales?
Q3 - Does your business have either annual turnover under £1m or annual sales to customers outside Northern Ireland of less than £300,000?
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)

  • Agricultural Production
  • Fisheries & Aquaculture Sectors (Production and Processing)
  • Steel
  • Coal
  • Shipbuilding
  • Synthetic fibres
  • Transport and its infrastructure
  • Energy generation, distribution & its infrastructure
  • Infrastructure
  • Tourism accommodation
  • Visitor attractions
  • Healthcare services (in-person)
  • Wholesale
  • Retail (including online)
  • Distribution
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 two new full-time equivalent employment positions and 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 24 October 2025.

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.

Find out more in our Ambition to Grow | Supporting Women FAQs (PDF).

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

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