Mid and East Antrim business support
How to make a success of doing business in the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is located in the north east of Northern Ireland. The area has modern road and rail infrastructure, a major port, close access to international airports, and has direct links to Belfast, which makes it attractive for new or growing businesses.
The main urban centres in the council area are:
- Ballymena
- Carrickfergus
- Larne
- Whitehead
This guide is for businesses who are thinking about starting up or expanding in the Mid and East Antrim 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 Mid and East Antrim 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 Mid and East Antrim
Start-up support for entrepreneurs in the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area
If you are considering starting a business, you can get free start-up support from Mid and East Antrim 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, Mid and East Antrim 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 Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
Start-up and early stage business support programmes
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council runs or part-funds business support programmes to help you start a business. Current programmes include:
Enterprise Pathways Programme
Programme which aims to help individuals to develop their business idea through bespoke mentoring - find out more about the Enterprise Pathways Programme.
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 Mid and East Antrim. Find more information on how to apply for business licences on the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council .
Business growth support in Mid and East Antrim
Council and local organisation support and opportunities to grow your business in the Mid and East Antrim area
There are several organisations in Mid and East Antrim which offer support to help you grow your business.
Growth and support schemes for established businesses
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council runs support programmes for business growth and development. Current programmes include:
Manufacturing Task Force
This programme offers partnership opportunities, funding support, skill initiatives and talent, and the chance to engage in significant strategic projects - find out more.
Enterprising Women
A free forum which provides access to workshops and events for female entrepreneurs, to share knowledge and experiences while offering the chance to make new connections - find out more.
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.
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 three local enterprise agencies in Mid and East Antrim Borough Council:
Tender for council contracts
You can seek tender opportunities as a way to grow your business in Mid and East Antrim. The council offers public tenders throughout the year in a wide range of business areas.
Find out more on tendering for Mid and East Antrim 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 Mid and East Antrim, across a range of topics to help you develop your business.
Advantages of doing business in Mid and East Antrim
The business environment, infrastructure and benefits of setting up a business in the Mid and East Antrim area
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is an excellent location for doing business.
Local infrastructure
Mid and East Antrim businesses benefit from direct access to markets across the world.
The council area has strong road and rail links to Belfast and the economic corridor to Dublin.
Belfast International Airport and Belfast City Airport are both within a short travel time from the council area. The road network also provides fast and reliable access to major ports at Belfast and Larne.
The council area has direct 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 139,200 residents in Mid and East Antrim.
There are 5,065 businesses operating in Mid and East Antrim, which is 6% of all businesses in Northern Ireland. The majority of the base is micro and small businesses:
- 91% micro (0-9 employees)
- 8% small (10-49 employees)
- 1% medium (50-249 employees)
- 0.3% large (250+ employees)
Some major business investors in the council area include Moore Concrete Products, Step and Clarke Facades. Service businesses make up the largest sector in Mid and East Antrim:
- 52% services
- 28% agriculture
- 13% construction
- 7% manufacturing
You can download an Invest NI council briefing on Mid and East Antrim (PDF, 3.36MB).