Man wearing virtual reality headset

Augment the City Challenge Competition

A new £575,000 XR funding competition is bringing together innovators from our creative industries sector with our leading tourism organisations to explore how immersive technology will enhance…


Belfast Skyline

Funding opportunities and competitions

A range of funding opportunities and competitions are available through Invest NI, Innovate UK, the Small Business Research Initiative and Horizon 2020. Smart Belfast Augment the City XR funding…


Two visitors taking photo at The Big Fish sculpture beside the River Lagan

Belfast HUB-IN Challenge Fund

The Belfast HUB-IN Challenge Fund is supporting Belfast’s digital and creative companies to develop and trial innovative digital products and experiences to help animate and enrich Belfast's Maritime…


£25m Innovate UK Smart Grants

Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to £25 million in the best game-changing or disruptive R&D innovations which have significant potential to impact on the UK…


SS Nomadic and Titanic Belfast visitor attractions

Hubs of Innovation - call for follower cities

Belfast is part of an ambitious consortium of eight European cities which are leading on a €7.9 million Horizon 2020 funded HUB-IN project to create a Europe-wide ecosystem of innovation and…


Open Data Fund

Open Data Fund - £30,000 funding available

The Department of Finance has opened a £30,000 Innovation and Outreach Fund to encourage the use of open data. Awards of between £300 and up to £5,000 are available to fund the development of apps or…


Night time cityscape of Belfast showing roads and motorways, street lights and mountains in the distance

£55m Energy Project Funding

A number of Innovate UK funding opportunities are available for energy projects. 1. Energy Catalyst Round 7 - £22m Energy Catalyst is focused on the needs of poor households, businesses and services…


Satellite image UK

European Space Agency Message - multiple calls

Space Is Open For Business - with significant funding opportunities for local SMEs The City Innovation Unit in Belfast City Council has strong ties with the European Space Agency, our…


'Amazing spaces, Smart places' £120,000 SBRI

Is your organisation interested in working with us to use innovative digital tech to help us to better manage our urban parks and open spaces? Contracts of up to £20,000 will be awarded for a period…


Boy playing with a sparkler type of firework on contemporary bridge, white and lilac glow

'Playable' streets £30,000 IoT challenge

We’re running a two-phase competition for innovative companies to explore how we can use our new Things Connected IoT network to re-imagine our city centre. (Closed 27 July 2018.) Over the last…