Micro and small businesses across Northern Ireland are being offered a powerful opportunity to overcome financial barriers and scale with confidence through a new expert-led event series ‘Funding for Growth: Micro & Small Business Series’, with the first of these events to be held in Craigavon on 29 May at Craigavon Industrial Development Organisation.

Delivered in partnership with Enterprise NI and British Business Bank, and supported by the Department for the Economy, this initiative will be rolled out with and through Northern Ireland’s 27 Local Enterprise Agencies, reaching every local community to ensure that entrepreneurs — whether in Craigavon, Coleraine, or Enniskillen — have access to tailored, local support.

According to the 2024 Northern Ireland SME Access to Finance Report, delivered in partnership with Enterprise NI and British Business Bank, one in five (20%) SMEs in Northern Ireland experienced barriers when trying to access finance. The most reported obstacles were the ability to obtain or repay finance (40%) time/complexity of finance applications (31%) and poor perceptions of/relationships with finance providers (18%).

The report also showed that the South sub-region, comprised of the Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon and Newry, Mourne & Down council areas, had the second lowest proportion of SMEs experiencing barriers to accessing finance (18%). The most common barriers encountered by SMEs in the sub-region when attempting to access finance were: lack of awareness or availability of finance options/support (33% of those who experienced barriers) and ability to obtain/repay finance (29%).

In response, this three-part series is designed to help entrepreneurs build financial confidence, explore diverse funding options, and prepare their businesses for a sustainable, net zero future. By combining expert insight with practical guidance, the programme empowers business owners to make informed financial decisions, access the right funding and support at the right time, and take decisive steps toward long-term growth. 

Participants will benefit from hands-on guidance from industry experts, real-world case studies from local businesses, and interactive networking sessions that foster peer learning and collaboration. Each session is tailored to provide actionable advice, provide an understanding of funding options, and promote business resilience in a rapidly evolving economic environment.

Michael McQuillan, Chief Executive, Enterprise NI, said:

“The Funding for Growth Micro and Small Business Series is the latest step in our fruitful collaboration with the British Business Bank supported by the Department for the Economy to first identify the causes of Northern Ireland’s SMEs experiencing barriers to finance and then helping them break through those barriers to ensure that their businesses are receiving the support they deserve.

“This year’s Access to Finance report showed a slight improvement, with the proportion of those experiencing barriers falling from 21% to 20%, but the aim of this series of roadshows is to significantly decrease that amount. There is an entrepreneurial spark that has returned to Northern Ireland in the last two years and we want to  work with  the Department for the Economy, councils and Invest NI to deliver a co-designed future-ready enterprise support system – integral to that is collaboratively ensuring that every SME in Northern Ireland knows when, where and how to access the support they need. This event, delivered through Craigavon’s local enterprise agency, the Craigavon Industrial Development Organisation, is an important part of that process.”

Susan McKane, Senior Manager, British Business Bank, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Enterprise NI on the Funding for Growth series, which represents a significant step forward in empowering micro and small businesses across Northern Ireland. This collaboration allows us to directly engage with local entrepreneurs, tackle the barriers they face in accessing finance, and help them build the confidence and capability to scale sustainably. We’re excited to see this series roll out and make a real difference in communities from Craigavon to Coleraine.”

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald , said: “Through close collaboration with Enterprise NI and the British Business Bank we are addressing the challenges outlined in the Access to Finance report to help foster an ecosystem that supports business growth.

“By working together, I am confident the programme will deliver a real impact across the North and help to remove barriers for our SMEs and entrepreneurs to accessing finance.”