City for growth

Growing your business in Belfast

If you've been in business for over one year and need specific help with growth, we offer a broad range of support.

• mentoring and assistance in key business areas
• help with exploring new customer markets
• networking connections
• tendering advice and guidance, and
• general support and information on business growth.

Business growth support

We deliver free support to Belfast-based businesses including one-to-one mentoring and workshops in a range of areas to help you address challenges, become more resilient and grow your business.

• Business support
• EU Exit mentoring support
• Tender for growth

Green Tourism Award

The Green Tourism Award is a world-wide sustainable certification programme. Belfast-based tourism and hospitality businesses can apply for gold, silver or bronze accreditation for their efforts to meet best practice standards in sustainability.

We’ll reimburse the first year fees for eligible businesses that apply for a Green Tourism standard. Your business will also be eligible for discounted rates in years two and three. To get the fee funded in year one, you need to apply before 30 June 2022. 

For information on how to apply, go to Green Tourism  (link opens in a new window).

Rural Business Development Grant Scheme Extended

Micro businesses in rural areas of Belfast can apply for capital grants up to £4,999. The grants are to help rural enterprises with recovery, sustainability or growth. The scheme will reopen for applications from Friday 10 September 2021 until 12 noon on Friday 17 September. Eligible rural enterprises in Belfast apply to Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.

For more information go to Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council's website (link opens in a new window).

Assessing your needs

Complete a short questionnaire about your business support needs. Our team will assess your information and be in touch within three working days to outline the support available to you. 

Case studies

Getting access to specialist mentoring, advice and workshops is instrumental when you're growing your business and networks. 

Profile Tree

Profile Tree explain how they benefitted from our business support in this video.

The Wicker Man

Watch how Laurence Burrell from The Wicker Man developed her idea with the help of our business mentor in this video.