BGF, the UK and Ireland’s most active investor in growing businesses, has committed £2bn into UK and Irish SMEs. The landmark capital investment was reached following £7.5m of growth funding for Merseyside-based manufacturer Joloda International. In 2015, BGF made its first Northern Ireland investment into Derry housebuilder Braidwater. Since then, the investor has backed five companies, deploying more than £35m …
Belfast Tech Start-Up loyalBe Secures Growth Funding
One of Northern Ireland’s most promising fintech start-ups, loyalBe, has secured a six figure investment which it plans to use to develop its innovative rewards app. loyalBe, which aims to replace paper loyalty cards with one single mobile app, has received the funding from seed capital investment fund techStart NI and a number of private investors. Founded by Cormac Quinn, …
New Positions Created To Support Fund Launch
Belfast-based Clarendon Fund Managers has expanded its team to support the extension of Co-Fund NI with Co-Fund NI II. In the last six months Clarendon has appointed Chris Trotter and Stuart Gaffikin to the roles of Investment Manager and Claudine Owens as Portfolio Manager. Set up in 2001, the company currently manages Co-Fund NI (I and II) with over £80m …
NI Small Business Loan Fund Passes £1m Milestone
The second Northern Ireland Small Business Loan Fund has approved support to business of over £1m in its first nine months, indicating even stronger demand than for its predecessor Fund. The Fund is managed by Ulster Community Finance (UCF) on behalf of Invest Northern Ireland and delivered in partnership with Enterprise Northern Ireland. UCF is a subsidiary of the social …
Funding Boost Provides Lifeline For Popular Playgroup
A popular County Down playgroup that was on the verge of closure only three years ago has secured vital funding of £12,000 to help modernise its offering. Chirpy Chicks Playgroup has been providing a playgroup service to Greyabbey and the surrounding district for over 30 years and was taken over by Nick and Jill Moore in 2016. The playgroup is …
Fund Helps Tackle Counselling Gap For Derry Young People
An innovative community fund is helping address a gap in the provision of counselling services in Derry / Londonderry for young people, but more needs to be done according to a local charity, Aurora Counselling. The Building Better Futures fund provided £25,000 to help turn a property in the city centre (Bishop Street) into a popular children’s role-play based centre, …
New £1m Fund Launched To Promote Growth Of NI Childhood Services
A new £1m childcare fund has been launched by the Ulster Community Investment Trust (UCIT) to assist community led childcare and family support programmes across Northern Ireland. The UCIT Family Support Fund was launched at an Early Years event in Belfast recently. Early Years is the largest organisation in Northern Ireland working since 1965 to promote high quality childcare for …
LoyalBe Announced As Winner Of Inaugural Open Banking Challenge
A technology company developing an innovative digital loyalty app has been named the winner of the Open Banking Challenge, a new competition run by Techstart NI and Danske Bank. The Open Banking Challenge gave tech entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland the chance to pitch for £60,000 of funding. Proposals had to make the most of the new era of banking technology by …
UCIT Launches £4m Dedicated Sports Fund
The Ulster Community Investment Trust (UCIT) has ‘kicked off’ a dedicated £4m fund for sporting organisations seeking finance. UCIT, one of the UK’s largest providers of social finance, has already provided £7m to 70 clubs across Ireland, helping deliver new training facilities, clubhouses and state-of-the-art pitches. The new fund will commit a further £4m to the local sporting sector over …
Demand For Community Fund Exceeds Expectations
Demand for loans from an innovative community fund has exceeded all expectations. In just over six months the ‘Building Better Futures Fund’ has committed over £500K to almost 30 groups across Northern Ireland. Created by a partnership between Belfast Charitable Society, Building Change Trust and Ulster Community Investment Trust (UCIT), the £1M fund provides unsecured loans of up to £25,000 …
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