What could a £5,000 voucher do for your business?
Applications for £5,000 Innovation Vouchers open on Monday 26 January 2026, offering support to Northern Ireland businesses with innovative ideas.
This Invest Northern Ireland programme helps businesses access specialist knowledge from universities or colleges in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. It aims to support projects that create or improve products, services, business models or processes.
Innovation Vouchers do not provide direct cash payments to businesses. Instead, the voucher covers the cost of working with a public sector knowledge provider.
Typical projects include
- developing or improving products, services, business models or processes
- accessing expertise in new materials
- drawing on research and scientific knowledge
You can use vouchers to resolve a specific business issue, particularly if you don’t have the expertise, technology or facilities to deal with it.
To find out what vouchers can and can’t be used for, download the Innovation Vouchers FAQ document (PDF, 537K).
Who can apply
Innovation Vouchers are open to businesses, social enterprises and third sector organisations based in Northern Ireland that meet one of the following criteria
- small enterprises with fewer than 50 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet not exceeding €10 million
- medium enterprises with 50–249 employees and an annual turnover under €50 million or an annual balance sheet under €43 million
You must not have received assistance through Invest NI’s Grant for Research and Development in the past five years.
Before you apply, check your eligibility on the Invest NI website.
The next call for applications will open on Monday 26 January 2026.
To help prepare for your application, download guidance for applicants (PDF, 237K) and a sample application form (PDF, 1.3MB) from Invest NI’s website.
If your application is successful, you will need to complete an Innovate NI Innovation Assessment before an Innovation Voucher can be issued.
This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
First published 20 January 2026
