Financial support for exporting
Learn about the financial support schemes available to exporters.
There are many sources of government funding for businesses in Northern Ireland wanting to trade overseas.
UK Export Finance
UK Export Finance (UKEF) is the UK's export credit agency providing trade finance and insurance to assist UK exporters of all sizes and across all sectors. The government department supports exports of all types, including goods, services and intellectual property.
Its regional network of Export Finance Advisers offers free export finance advice and guidance to UK exporters. This includes access to information on solving the financial challenges involved in selling overseas, including issues such as obtaining credit insurance to protect your business while taking advantage of international sales opportunities. Export Finance Advisers can also advise on UKEF's range of government-backed guarantees and insurance products.
Win contracts: financing
The attractive financing terms UKEF can offer to overseas buyers of UK goods and services can help exporters make their offering more competitive.
- Buyer Credit Facilities
- Local Currency Financing
- Direct Lending
- Early Project Services Guarantee
- Lines of Credit
- Standard Buyer Loan Guarantee
- Bills and Notes Guarantee
Fulfil orders: guarantee schemes
UKEF can help companies access the support they need to fulfil a contract, giving them the confidence to take on more contracts and increase their turnover.
- Bond Support Scheme
- Export Development Guarantee
- Export Working Capital Scheme
- General Export Facility
- Shipbuilding Credit Guarantee Scheme
- Supply Chain Discount Guarantee
To learn more about the UKEF guarantee schemes, email customer.service@ukexportfinance.gov.uk. Alternatively, contact your local export finance manager.
Get paid: insurance
UKEF can help companies manage risks in challenging markets, ensuring that they get paid even where the private market is not able to offer insurance.
The Export Working Capital Scheme helps UK exporters access working capital finance for specific export-related contracts.
UKEF can provide partial guarantees covering up to 80% of the risk to lenders to cover the credit risks associated with export working capital facilities both pre- and post-shipment. Find out more about the Export Working Capital Scheme.
Businesses in Northern Ireland can email UKEF's local Export Finance Manager at elizabeth.mccrory@ukexportfinance.gov.uk.
Invest Northern Ireland
Access to Finance is a package of five funds that help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with high growth potential. The financial support is available through loans and equity, to businesses of different sizes or at different stages of growth or development.
InterTradeIreland
InterTradeIreland offers a range of support to export businesses, for example:
The Acumen programme can assist you to source and fund the right people to help you increase your cross-border export sales, including helping you improve your knowledge of the market and identify new business opportunities.
Business finance and support finder
The Business Finance and Support Finder is a searchable database that can help you find publicly-funded sources of assistance. Support may be available in a number of forms, including financial assistance and free or subsidised advice services.