Techstart Ventures Proof of Concept Grants

Techstart Ventures LLP (managed on behalf of Invest NI)

Stage

Idea / pre-product, MVP / early product

Location

Northern Ireland

Equity

No equity taken

Cost

Free (grant funding)

Delivery

Virtual

Any sector

Idea / pre-productMVP / early product

Pre-commercial grant fund for entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland validating innovative ideas. Two tiers: Concept Grant (up to £15k, awarded quarterly) and Concept Plus Grant (up to £40k, awarded twice yearly). Competitive, open to sole traders, partnerships and limited companies. Can fund prototype development, market research, customer validation and IP assessment. No equity taken. Current fund period runs 2025–2030. Female Founders Grant Competition also runs annually.

Why this programme

Raise funding

Non-dilutive grant of up to £40k to de-risk your idea before seeking equity investment — no equity taken

Build product / validate MVP

Explicitly funds prototype development, customer validation and market testing activities

Interested in Techstart Ventures Proof of Concept Grants?

Head to their website for current cohort dates and how to apply.

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