Want to know more about our support?

About the programme

Our Supply Chain Solutions support can help businesses improve their supply chain resilience and competitiveness following the COVID-19 pandemic, EU Exit and current global environment.

Supply Chain Solutions is open to manufacturers and internationally tradeable services businesses who manage a supply chain as part of their business, or who are involved in the extended supply chain.

The next call for applications opens at 09:00 on Monday 10 June 2024.

What support is available?

Supply Chain Solutions will provide a 3-step graduated framework of support. A team of supply chain professionals will provide specialist advisory support to help businesses identify supply chain risks and appropriate mitigations, reduce costs, improve competitiveness, identify supply chain opportunities and develop supply chain capability.

As part of Step 3, financial assistance towards the salary costs of an employee dedicated to supply chain may also be available depending on a business’ circumstances.

Read the Supply Chain Solutions - Guidance Notes (PDF)  for full details on the support available under each step.

Is my business eligible?

Supply Chain Solutions support is open to any manufacturing or tradable service business which meets the following criteria:

  • Is based, and operating, in Northern Ireland.
  • Manufactures products or provides internationally traded services.
  • Has a total supply chain spend of at least £100,000 in one of the previous 2 financial years.
  • Experienced supply chain disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, EU Exit and current global environment.
  • Has or will reach a turnover of £250,000 per annum in the next five years, and achieve at least 25% of those sales outside of Northern Ireland; or be an existing Invest NI customer.
  • Be able to complete a State Aid declaration in the event that financial support for a new key supply chain worker is determined.

The following businesses are not eligible to apply:

  • Businesses already in receipt or intending to gain other government support for the project.
  • Businesses that do not provide commercial products and/or services.
  • Businesses with a minimum total supply chain spend of a least £100,000 in one of the previous 2 financial years.
  • Businesses that cannot demonstrate they are a viable business.
  • Businesses involved in activities that Invest NI considers as ineligible or as involving an unacceptable reputational risk, such as gambling, adult entertainment, tobacco products and cannabis-based products which are not authorised as medicines.

Discover more

Karen Thomas, Supply Chain Manager at Norbev in Ballymena, discusses Invest Northern Ireland’s Supply Chain support and the value it has added to their business.

Further information

For full details and information on the scheme please read the Supply Chain Solutions - Guidance Notes (PDF)

If you have any enquiries about the Supply Chain Solutions, complete the Supply Chain Solutions online enquiry form.

For general enquiries, contact Invest NI’s Business Support Team on 0800 1814422. Lines are open Monday to Friday 9:00 to 16:30.

Supply Chain tutorial series

Watch our supply chain video tutorial series for a comprehensive introduction to Supply Chain best practice. Topics include supply chain management, effective supplier sourcing, developing a supply chain strategy and more.