Read end-to-end by a FundingAtlas editor against the official source.
Quick answer
Invest NI Selective Financial Assistance (SFA) is a discretionary capital grant for projects in Northern Ireland that create or safeguard quality jobs, typically tied to capex, R&D or productivity investment. Amount and intensity are negotiated case-by-case and depend on additionality, job quality, location and projected GVA. Best suited to NI-based manufacturers and tradeable-services companies committing to significant matched investment. Most SFA-supported projects follow earlier Invest NI R&D, voucher or advisory engagement.
Funding amount
Varies
Region
Northern Ireland
Stage
Growth
Provider
Invest NI
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Invest NI Selective Financial Assistance really for?
- It works best for organisations that already meet the eligibility test on paper and have the operational maturity to deliver — not for businesses hoping the application will force them to formalise.
- What are the most common reasons applications are rejected?
- Weak evidence, eligibility misses, and applications that read as business as usual rather than the specific intent of the scheme. Most rejections are avoidable with earlier preparation.
- Can early-stage startups apply?
- Sometimes — but the strongest applicants usually have at least minimum trading history, a defined plan and the team to deliver. If you are pre-revenue with no plan, expect to be too early.
- How competitive is it?
- Demand routinely outstrips supply for the high-profile UK programmes. Treat any competitive call as a serious bid that needs four to six weeks of preparation, not a weekend.
- What should I prepare before I apply?
- A short written summary of what you are doing and why it qualifies, your latest accounts or forecasts, and any partner or evidence the scheme expects. Get adviser sign-off before submission.
- What happens after a successful application?
- Expect monitoring, reporting and milestone evidence. Plan the reporting cadence and internal owner before the funding lands, not afterwards.
Who it's for
Companies investing in Northern Ireland in projects that genuinely would not happen, or would happen at smaller scale, without grant support. Strongest fit for manufacturing, traded services, tech and exporting businesses creating skilled, well-paid jobs.
Probably not for you if…
Projects that would proceed anyway (the additionality test is decisive). Retail, hospitality and predominantly local-market service businesses. Companies without a Northern Ireland trading footprint or a credible plan to establish one. Projects driven mainly by relocation within NI without net employment gain.
Usually too early when
Advisor signal
You have not engaged an Invest NI client executive. The project is not yet board-approved. You cannot evidence the counterfactual (what would or would not happen without grant). Site, planning, recruitment or capex timing has not been thought through.
Eligibility checklist
Project located in Northern Ireland
Creates or safeguards quality jobs
Demonstrable additionality (would not proceed without grant)
Match funding identified
Qualifying spend not yet incurred
Evidence you'll need
Detailed project plan with capex, R&D and recruitment phasing. Job profile (numbers, salaries, skill levels) tied to the project. Additionality narrative explaining why the project needs grant. Latest accounts and 3–5 year forecast. Match funding evidence.
Required documents
Detailed project plan and capex/recruitment phasing
Job profile and salary bands
Additionality narrative
Latest accounts and 3–5 year forecast
Evidence of match funding
Application timeline
Client executive engagement to letter of offer: typically 3–9 months depending on project size and complexity.
Common reasons applications fail
Weak additionality — the project clearly would happen anyway. Low-quality jobs (low pay, low skill, displacement of existing roles). Insufficient match funding. Misalignment with Invest NI sector and regional priorities. Capex incurred before grant approval (state-aid rule on incentive effect).
What improves your odds
Early and substantive engagement with your client executive. A project that creates well-paid, skilled jobs in priority sectors. Strong additionality narrative. Match funding committed. Robust delivery plan and project management capability.
Typical successful applicant
A Northern Ireland manufacturing, technology or traded-services company expanding capacity, creating skilled jobs at or above the median NI wage, with board-approved capex and a clear additionality case.
Common misconceptions
That SFA is a fixed-formula grant — it is discretionary and negotiated. That you can spend first and apply later — incurring qualifying spend before approval typically disqualifies the project. That all jobs count equally — quality and salary materially affect intervention.
What happens next
Letter of offer issued with milestones, claim schedule and clawback conditions. Grant paid in arrears against verified spend and recruitment. Post-project monitoring for typically 3–5 years.
Related routes
Industries
Regions