A new funding competition is supporting local businesses and industries in the Belfast region to harness the power of 5G and digital technologies to deliver enhanced operations and services.
Organisations can apply for grants of between £50,000 and £100,000 for projects that make innovative use of 5G and other types of advanced wireless connectivity to deliver economic, social, and environmental impacts.
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 to drive growth in the region’s digital economy.
The competition is open to businesses and organisations located 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.
An online information session for interested applicants will take place at 10.30am on Thursday 26 June 2025 and the closing date for applications is 8 September 2025.
Chair of Belfast City Council’s Strategic, Policy and Resources Committee, Councillor Natasha Brennan said:
“The Belfast 5GIR programme is about ensuring that our local businesses and industries are well placed to benefit from the transformative effect of advanced wireless connectivity.
“We know that 5G will drive growth and innovation across many sectors, including health, advanced manufacturing, transport and logistics, creative industries, AgriTech, and public services. We want to make sure that, as a region, our businesses are getting early opportunities to explore its potential within their own sector.”
UK Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said:
“With this great initiative, the Belfast City Region is going to catapult local industries into the digital fast lane.
“Innovation that emerges from this project will turbocharge the government’s Plan for Change, helping to modernise sectors from transport to the creative industries, putting Northern Ireland firmly on the map as a hotspot for technological ingenuity.”
Adrian Johnston, Belfast Innovation Commissioner and Chair of the Digital Advisory Board for the Belfast Region City Deal, added:
“Over the next few years, 5G will become the dominant wireless connectivity technology across many parts of our economy from logistics through to health care. It’s a strategic foundation for the region’s economic growth plans.
“This competition is a great opportunity for businesses and high-growth industry sectors to combine the unique benefits of 5G with digital technologies, such as IoT, Artificial Intelligence, robotics and immersive applications, to deliver 5G use cases.
“The Belfast 5GIR programme aligns well with the digital innovation ambitions of the Belfast Region City Deal, and I fully expect it to unlock further 5G opportunities across the region in the coming months.”
The Belfast 5GIR programme is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as part of its 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.
Subject to business case approval, the Belfast Region City Deal will contribute up to £250,000 towards the 5G funding competition.
