LEP Capital Grant Programme

Opens 7 September 2026, Guidance Notes Available Now

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council's Local Economic Partnership (LEP) Capital Grant Programme provides capital support to eligible local businesses and social enterprises seeking to diversify, grow and improve their productivity and competitiveness.

The programme will support investment in new equipment, machinery and eligible capital infrastructure that enables businesses to introduce new or improved products and services, increase productive capacity, improve quality or efficiency, and support business growth.

Funding Available

The programme will provide:

• Minimum grant: £5,000
• Maximum grant: £30,000
• Funding rate: Up to 70% of eligible project costs
• LEP Capital Grant Budget Available: £650,000

Grant funding is paid retrospectively, and applicants must be able to finance 100% of project costs upfront.

Key Dates

• Guidance Notes Available: Friday 14 August 2026
• Mandatory Workshops: from 24 August until 21 September 2026
• Applications open: Monday 7 September 2026
• Applications close: 5.00pm, Monday 5 October 2026

Who Can Apply?

The programme is open to eligible micro businesses, small businesses and social enterprises that:

• Are located and actively trading within the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area;
• Have been trading for at least two years by the application closing date;
• Produce goods and/or provide tradeable services;
• Have secured the required match funding;
• Complete the required procurement process; and
• Attend a mandatory pre-application workshop.

What Will the Programme Support?

Projects should demonstrate how the proposed investment will contribute to business growth and deliver measurable outcomes, including:

• Diversification and product development;
• Creation or sustainability of jobs;
• Increased sales or entry into new markets; and
• Increased productivity and efficiency;

Eligible Expenditure

• New equipment;
• New production or processing machinery;
• Specialist equipment required to develop or introduce new products/services;
• Capital equipment that increases productive capacity;
• Capital infrastructure directly required to enable business growth or productivity improvements;
• Specialist mobile productive machinery, where it is not primarily a transport asset

Mandatory Workshops

Applicants must attend a mandatory pre-application workshop before applying. There are 5 scheduled mandatory workshops, and we are unable to schedule any more. It is the applicants responsibility to ensure they have registered and attended a workshop prior to submitting an application.

To book onto a mandatory workshop, please click here.