Causeway Coast and Glens business support
How to make a success of doing business in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council is located in the north of Northern Ireland. The area has modern infrastructure, close access to three airports and a major port, and has direct road and rail links to Belfast and Derry~Londonderry, which makes it attractive for new or growing businesses.
The main urban centres in the council area are:
- Ballycastle
- Ballymoney
- Coleraine
- Limavady
- Portrush
- Portstewart
This guide is for businesses who are thinking about starting up or expanding in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area. It includes an economic profile of the area and details of business advice and support.
Free business support
Access free business support from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. If you're a budding entrepreneur just starting out, are looking to grow your business, or are planning to scale up, industry experts will provide tailored support and guidance to help you achieve your business goals.
Complete a short enquiry form or call 0800 027 0639 to register for this free support service.
How to start your business in Causeway Coast and Glens
Start-up support for entrepreneurs in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area
If you are considering starting a business, you can get free start-up support from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough 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, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough 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 Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.
Start-up and early stage business support programmes
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council runs or part-funds business support programmes to help you start a business. Current programmes include:
Designerie Uncovered
Tailored support and mentoring for designers / makers - find out more.
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 Causeway Coast and Glens. Find more information on how to apply for business licences on the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council website.
Business growth support in Causeway Coast and Glens
Council and local organisation support and opportunities to grow your business in the Causeway Coast and Glens area
There are several organisations in Causeway Coast and Glens which offer support to help you grow your business.
Growth and support schemes for established businesses
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council runs support programmes for business growth and development. Current programmes include:
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 Go Succeed support for existing businesses.
LiveSmart Community Environmental Grant Programme 2025-26
Grants up to a maximum of £500 for local community and voluntary organisations - find out more about the LiveSmart Community Environmental Grant Programme.
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.
Local enterprise agencies
Enterprise Northern Ireland agencies provide business improvement programmes, financing, events, workspace and meeting space. There are two local enterprise agencies in Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council:
Tender for council contracts
You can seek tender opportunities as a way to grow your business in Causeway Coast and Glens. The council offers public tenders throughout the year in a wide range of business areas.
Find out more on tendering for Causeway Coast and Glens Borough 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.
Business events
Many organisations run business focused events in Causeway Coast and Glens, across a range of topics to help you develop your business.
You can find business event listings on the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council website.
Advantages of doing business in Causeway Coast and Glens
The business environment, infrastructure and benefits of setting up a business in the Causeway Coast and Glens area
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council is an excellent location for doing business.
Local infrastructure
Causeway Coast and Glens businesses benefit from direct access to markets across the world.
There is direct road and rail links to Belfast and Derry~Londonderry.
Belfast International Airport and City of Derry Airport are both within an hour's travel time from the council area. There is also fast and reliable access to major ports at Belfast, Larne and Londonderry.
The council area has close road access into the European Union - find out more about cross-border trade support with InterTradeIreland.
Local workforce and business supply chains
There are around 141,316 residents in Causeway Coast and Glens.
There are 6,160 businesses operating in Causeway Coast and Glens, which is 8% of all businesses in Northern Ireland. The majority of the base is micro and small businesses:
- 91% micro (0-9 employees)
- 7% small (10-49 employees)
- 1% medium (50-249 employees)
- 0.2% large (250+ employees)
Some major business investors in the council area include Main Surface Finishing, Armstrong Medical, Woodland Kitchens and Dowds Group. Service businesses make up the largest sector in Causeway Coast and Glens:
- 46% services
- 32% agriculture
- 17% construction
- 6% manufacturing
You can download an Invest NI council briefing on Causeway Coast and Glens (PDF, 3.37MB).