Belfast business support

If you are considering starting a business, you can get free start-up support from Belfast City Council.

Go Succeed Start

If you have a great idea but you're not sure how to turn it into a business, or you have already started out in business and require mentorship on your next steps, Belfast City Council's Go Succeed Start experts will help you to create a business plan, seek funding and put all the foundations in place to get your business up and running.

This support is available to anyone interested in starting a business. Complete a short enquiry form or call 0800 027 0639 to register for free advice and guidance from Belfast City Council.

Start-up and early-stage business support programmes

Belfast City Council runs or part-funds business support programmes to help you start a business. Current programmes include:

Social enterprise and co-operative support

Help for setting up a new social enterprise or co-operative including advice, networking opportunities, coaching and workshops - find out more about social enterprise and co-operative support.

My New Business

My New Business is a free online service that covers everything you need to start, plan and run a business. It has checklists, videos, tools, tutorials and case studies to help you get your business started - find out more about My New Business.

Get a business licence

You may need a licence to operate certain types of business in Belfast City Council. Find more information on how to apply for business licences on the Belfast City Council website.

There are several organisations in Belfast which offer support to help you grow your business.

Growth and support schemes for established businesses

Belfast Council runs support programmes for business growth and development. Current programmes include:

Inclusive Tourism Vouchers

Small grants of up to £500 are available to support tourism and hospitality businesses, charities, and social enterprises to become more accessible and inclusive to visitors.

Find out more about the Inclusive Tourism Vouchers.

Go Succeed - Grow and Scale

Support is available if your business is already established and is now ready to expand, but growth is slow and you're not sure how to progress. Or if your business is ready to go to the next level locally and internationally but you need guidance, support or resources to achieve your ambitions. Business advisors will provide tailored support to help your business achieve its ambitions. Find out more about the Go Succeed support for existing businesses.

Social Enterprise and Co-operative Support

Assistance is available for individuals or groups interested in starting a new social enterprise or co-operative, or for organisations currently relying on funding and wanting to explore moving to a social enterprise or co-operative model. Find out more about the Social Enterprise and Co-operative Support.

Social Enterprise Thematic Programme

Support for social enterprises to elevate their skills through one-on-one mentoring and online workshops, focusing on fundraising, digital marketing, and social impact planning. Find out more about the Social Enterprise Thematic Programme.

Test Trading opportunities at St George’s Market

Opportunity for businesses to test trade their products or promote their services at St George’s Market. Find out more about the test trading opportunities.

Local enterprise agencies

Enterprise Northern Ireland agencies provide business improvement programmes, financing, events, workspace and meeting space. There are five local enterprise agencies in Belfast:

• City East Business Centre
• North City Business Centre Ltd  
• Ormeau Business Park
• Ortus – West Belfast Enterprise Agency
• Work West Enterprise Agency  

Tender for council contracts

You can seek tender opportunities as a way to grow your business in Belfast. The council offers public tenders throughout the year in a wide range of business areas.

Find out more on tendering for Belfast Council contracts.

Invest Northern Ireland support for business

Invest NI can help your business compete successfully and function more efficiently by providing support across a variety of areas.

Find out more about Invest NI support for business.

Belfast is an ideal location for setting up your business. Whether you are facing the challenge of starting up, or locating an existing business in the city.

Local infrastructure

The strong transport links offered by Belfast are a major advantage for new or growing businesses.

Belfast has a well-developed road network and is at the centre of the motorway backbone of Northern Ireland. The M1/A1 links Belfast and Dublin with a typical journey time of approximately two hours between the capital cities.

Belfast International Airport is situated within the council area. The motorway and rail network also provides fast and reliable access to major ports at Belfast, Larne and Dublin.

The council area is within an hour’s overland travel into the European Union - find out more about cross-border trade support with InterTradeIreland.

Local workforce and business supply chains

There are around 348,005 residents in Belfast.

There are 11,300 businesses operating in Belfast, which is 14% of all businesses in Northern Ireland. The majority of the base is micro and small businesses:

• 80% micro (0-9 employees)
• 15% small (10-49 employees)
• 4% medium (50-249 employees)
• 1% large (250+ employees)

Some major business investors in the council area include Spirit Aero Systems, PWC, PA Holdings and FinTrU. Services businesses make up the largest sector in Belfast:

• 87% services
• 8% construction
• 5% manufacturing
• 0.3% agriculture

For further information, download an Invest NI council briefing on Belfast (PDF, 3.35MB).