Non-Executive Director Scheme
Strengthen the leadership capability of your business.
In a competitive business environment, strong leadership capability is crucial to long-term business success. The Non-Executive Director (NED) Scheme is designed to help Invest NI SME customers strengthen their leadership capability by supporting the appointment of an experienced independent Non-Executive Director (NED) to the company board.
The NED will use their knowledge, skills and expertise to provide objective advice, guidance, challenge and support at board level, improving strategic decision-making, the operation of the board and effectiveness of the leadership team.
Typically NED ‘projects’ may focus on a number of the following:
- improving corporate governance and the operation of a company board
- strategy development and implementation
- increasing networking capability and the development of new markets
- the development of new products or processes
- monitoring of executive performance and/or mentoring of directors
- changing organisational structure and/or culture
- succession planning
Accessing expertise through a Non-Executive Director can be an effective way to accelerate business growth, improve governance and strengthen competitive advantage over the longer term.
To be eligible for the NED scheme you should:
- Be a limited company registered in Northern Ireland
- Have turnover of at least £500k, with 25% export sales
- Have an existing or wish to form, a company board
Support Available:
- Advisory support for the engagement of an independent/external Non-Executive Director
- Financial support up to £15,000 or 49% of eligible costs, whichever is the lesser
- Maximum 2 year engagement, typically 12-24 days per annum
Company Input:
- Selecting and appointing the Non-Executive Director
- Scoping of the project in conjunction with the Non-Executive Director
- Submitting the NED Scheme application for support to Invest NI
- Negotiating and agreeing the terms and conditions of the NED’s appointment and confirming this in a formal letter of engagement
- Registering the NED as a Non-Executive Director of the company with Companies House
How to apply:
If you are interested in finding out more or applying for the Non-Executive Director programme, please contact your Invest NI client executive or complete this enquiry form.
Case Study | Hear how Aurion Learning has benefitted from taking part in Invest NI’s NED scheme | Maureen Murphy
Not sure that this support is right for you? Contact us and we can explore options for your business together.
Our support may be subject to some eligibility criteria.
