The £280,000 funding competition aims to support local businesses and industries in the Belfast region to harness the power of 5G and digital technologies to deliver enhanced operations and services.

Businesses and organisations can use grants of between £50,000 and £100,000 to develop innovative projects and use cases that make use of 5G, and other types of advanced wireless connectivity, to deliver economic, social, and environmental impacts.

Advanced wireless networks, such as 5G, are key to driving economic growth and innovation across a range of industry sectors including health, manufacturing, transport and logistics, creative industries, and public services.

5G offers faster speeds, lower latency, higher capacity, increased flexibility, and increased reliability – supporting a range of digital technologies such as automation, IoT, AI, robotics, and immersive applications.

The competition is part of the Belfast 5G Innovation Region (5GIR) programme, led by Belfast City Council’s City Innovation Office. Belfast 5GIR is working with businesses, academia, and the public sector to support the adoption of 5G and other advanced wireless networks across the Belfast Region.  

How to apply

This funding competition is now closed.

Competition guidance:

Application documents:

If successful, grant recipients be required to sign a grant funding agreement with Belfast City Council. Applicants must confirm that they have read, understood and will accept the grant terms and conditions if they are successful.

  • Grant funding agreement (PDF)
    Includes Conditional Grant Offer Letter, Annex 1 Project Description, Annex 2 Terms and Conditions, Annex 3 Eligible Expenditure, Annex 4 Grant Claim Schedule and Project Plan, Annex 5 Grant Claim Procedure, and Annex 6 Initial Cash Flow Profile.

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of the competition documents in a more accessible format, please email innovationfunding@belfastcity.gov.uk

Competition details

Timeline

  • Competition opens: 20 August 2024
  • Online briefing event: 11am, 28 August 2024
  • Deadline for clarification questions: 17.00pm,13 September 2024
  • Deadline for applications: 11.59pm, 22 September 2024
  • Applicants notified: W/C 30 September 2024
  • Project mobilisation: October 2024
  • Grant funding period: Mid-October 2024 – 31 March 2025
  • Project completion: 31 March 2025

Eligibility

The competition is open to:

  • businesses and organisations with a business address and operations in the Belfast Region City Deal council areas: Antrim and Newtownabbey, Ards and North Down, Belfast, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid and East Antrim, and Newry, Mourne and Down;
  • private sector, public sector, academia, RTO, non-profit and charitable sectors; and
  • all industry sectors.

Projects must be delivered in the Belfast Region City Deal area.

Full eligibility criteria is outlined in the application guidance document.

Funding

  • Total funding available is £280,000.
  • Businesses and organisations can apply for grants of between £50,000 and £100,000 of capital funding.
  • Applicants must provide 30% match funding (including in-kind contributions)
  • All grant funded activities must be completed by 31 March 2025.

Project requirements

Proposals should:

  • demonstrate one or more use cases for 5G and/or other advanced wireless connectivity;
  • aim to solve real-world issues such as delivering improvements to existing business activities, processes or operations;
  • deliver use cases in a real-world setting (testbeds, trials and research will not be funded);
  • drive economic growth in the Belfast region;
  • deliver economic, social, and/or environmental impacts such as cost savings, productivity; gains, efficiencies, welfare improvements etc;
  • demonstrate how the project will be commercially sustainable beyond the funding period.

An example use case:

A business automates a complex process using a 5G network together with sensors and intelligent devices, meeting requirements for high levels of security, reliability, flexibility, and control over network coverage while handling high volumes of data at low latency. This could deliver efficiency savings and productivity gains for the business.

Full project requirements are outlined in the application guidance document.

Clarification questions

More information

For more information, contact Belfast City Council’s City Innovation Office by emailing innovationfunding@belfastcity.gov.uk

The Belfast 5GIR programme is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as part of their UK 5G Innovation Regions programme which aims to drive economic growth and innovation by unlocking the opportunities presented by advanced wireless connectivity and digital technologies.