Local Growth Fund: Northern Ireland project information
Published 4 June 2026
Applies to Northern Ireland
© Crown copyright 2026
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Detailed below is a list of the contact information and project summaries on the projects who were allocated Local Growth funding from April 2026 to March 2027.
Local Growth Fund: Northern Ireland – Skills Development
Project name: Belfast Works Connect
Contact name: Rosemary McCusker
Contact details: 028 9023 6677
Website: www.belfastworksconnect.com
Project summary: Belfast Works Connect supports economically inactive individuals to realise their potential through tailored, person-centred support. The programme offers engagement, personalised action planning, employability and skills pathways, and targeted employment or volunteering support. Integrated aftercare ensures smooth transitions and timely help at points of challenge. This structured approach empowers participants to build confidence, develop skills, and enter or sustain meaningful employment, supporting long-term personal development and progression in the labour market.
Project name: Empower
Contact name: David Cowan
Contact details: dcowan@usel.co.uk
Website: www.usel.co.uk/
Project location: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: EMPOWER is a collaborative project led by Ulster Supported Employment Limited (Usel), in partnership with Disability Action and Specialisterne NI. The project aims to support 280 economically inactive individuals, particularly disabled people, those with long-term health conditions, and neurodivergent individuals, across Northern Ireland. EMPOWER delivers tailored, person-centred pathways to employment through dedicated Employment Support Officers, addressing barriers such as skills gaps, health, and confidence. The project facilitates engagement with employers, job brokerage, and retention support. EMPOWER contributes to reducing economic inactivity, improving wellbeing, and supporting Northern Ireland’s labour market growth.
Project name: Scaling Up Women’s Training, Education & Employment Skills -Women Breaking Barriers-WBB
Contact name: Anne McVicker
Contact details: anne.mcvicker@wrda.net / 07971423263
Website: www.womenbreakingbarriersni.com
Project location: Antrim and Newtownabbey, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Belfast City, Causeway Coast and Glens, Derry City and Strabane, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid Ulster
Project summary: This project aims to engage women who are economically inactive in an employment support programme that is inclusive of intensive wrap-around support, with specialised training and programming that have proven benefits in improving the wellbeing of participants. Training includes a range of accredited and customised training leading to self-employment/employment, all of which increase participant interpersonal and life skills as well as overall well-being. The project takes into account the particular barriers that women face in gaining and retaining employment, led by recognised established experts in the women’s sector, Northern Ireland.
Project name: PROSPER (People, Resilience, Opportunities, Success, Participation, Employment and Results)
Contact name: Norman Sterritt
Contact details: Norman.sterritt@trianglehousing.org.uk / Tel: 07703436730
Website: www.prosperni.com
Project locations: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: PROSPER is a collaboration with the following organisations Triangle, Stepping Stones NI, CAN, AEL and Appleby Trust that provides intensive wrap-around support for economically inactive people, including those with disabilities, neurodiversity, autism and/or mental health issues to move towards sustained employment.
Taking an individualised approach, this project supports individuals to achieve in their lives:
- employment/career progression
- numeracy and financial literacy
- accredited Qualifications/experiential learning
- inclusion
- reduced poverty and economic prosperity
- increase health/wellbeing to achieve employability
As established delivery agents, with in excess of 25 years proven success in Employment/Training including ESF and the 2023-26 UKSPF programmes, we will equip economically inactive people with core, interpersonal skills and self-confidence to gain employment, to thrive in the workplace and become net contributors to society.
Project name: Maximise Employment
Contact name: Stuart Green
Contact details: Stuart.green@brysonenergy.org / 07976 722197
Website: Facebook
Project location: Belfast City, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid and East Antrim
Project summary: Bryson exists to make the greatest difference to the greatest need. Our proven delivery model will engage 180 hardest to reach economically inactive people in select localities of multiple deprivation across Northern Ireland to deliver in community-based settings:
- 1,440 tailored, intensive, wrap-around, one-to-one support sessions up to 1 hour long (i.e., average of 8 per beneficiary)
- 180 “check-ins” following employment
- match funded training
This will enable beneficiaries to gain and sustain employment and increase their skills levels to maximise their potential.
Project name: Building Futures
Contact name: Helen Kerr
Contact details: Helen.kerr@womenstec.org / 02890 749810
Website: https://www.womenstec.org/building-futures
Project locations: Belfast, Newry, Mourne & Down, Derry City & Strabane
Project summary: The Building Futures programme provides a holistic, person-focused approach to supporting some of the hardest to reach women across Greater Belfast, Derry City, and the rural Newry, Mourne and Down region, to improve their confidence, self-efficacy, life and work skills. The programme provides pathways into employment, through focus on empowerment, digital skills, entrepreneurship and practical skills. The aim of the programme is to support women furthest removed from the labour market to feel confident, motivated and empowered to find and sustain employment.
Project name: YouthStart
Contact name: Clare Conlon
Contact details: clare@youthaction.org / 028902 40551
Website: https://www.youthaction.org
Project location: Antrim and Newtownabbey, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Belfast, Causeway Coast and Glens, Derry City and Strabane, Fermanagh and Omagh, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid and East Antrim, Newry, Mourne and Down
Project summary: YouthStart is led by YouthAction NI with 6 partner youth work/employability charities. Through the Local Growth Fund, we will build on our previous and current experience (UKSPF) to invest in supporting 472 young people who are NEET/economically inactive through the 2026-2027.
YouthStart reaches young people furthest from the labour market that others often cannot reach- young people with limited skills and no/low qualifications.
YouthStart will address core barriers to employment, including challenging circumstances and complex barriers that young people face (poor mental health, debt, poverty, addictions, homelessness, exclusion, neurodiversity, hopelessness).
Collectively we support young people on training and employment pathways.
Project name: Triax Success Northwest
Contact name: Conor Heaney
Contact details: conor@successnw.com
Project locations: Derry City & Strabane
Project summary: Success North-West is a strategic, council-wide employability intervention delivered through a consortium of established community partners operating from local hubs across the Derry and Strabane area. The programme prioritises economically inactive residents, particularly those within the most disadvantaged communities, enabling them to enhance skills, strengthen work readiness and progress into sustained, quality employment.
Drawing on over two decades of proven delivery, it provides targeted, personalised support that addresses complex barriers, including health, wellbeing, confidence and qualifications. By improving progression to employment, the programme reduces economic inactivity, increases household incomes and contributes to a stronger, more productive local economy.
Project name: Niacro SkillSET
Contact name: Patrick Anderson
Contact details: Gareth Eannetta Gareth.eannetta@niacro.co.uk
Website: www.Niacro.co.uk
Project location: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: Having a job is the single biggest factor in reducing reoffending and enhancing the life chances of people living with a conviction, their families and communities. Niacro SkillSET (Support, Employment & Training) will support economically inactive people living with convictions in prison and in the community to progress toward gaining and sustaining employment – through one-to-one mentoring, employability support, disclosure of convictions advice, up skilling and training. We will deliver in partnership with: Northern Ireland Prison Service; Probation Board for Northern Ireland; Department for Communities; Construction Industry Training Board for NI; Gallaher Trust (Ballymena); and CGI.
Project name: Employ Me
Contact name: Sinead McKinley
Contact details: mckinleys@src.ac.uk / 02830259669
Website: www.src.ac.uk
Project locations: Newry Mourne and Down, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon
Project summary: ‘Employ Me’ is an employability project providing training, employment and wraparound support for economically inactive people aged 16+ to reduce job related barriers, develop skills, achieve qualifications, enhance employability and quality of life with a view to progressing to employment/self-employment. A holistic approach will meet the needs of individuals, providing tailored support and interventions to enable engagement, progression, achievement and the fulfilment of individuals’ career aspirations and personal goals.
Project name: Rural Economic Accelerator Programme (REAP)
Contact name: David Taylor
Contact details: David.Taylor@swc.ac.uk / 074 6453 9194
Website: www.swc.ac.uk/reap
Project locations: Fermanagh & Omagh, Mid Ulster
Project summary: The Rural Economic Accelerator Programme (REAP) builds on the success of the existing programme supported by MHCLG. The programme will be led by SWC and delivered in partnership with key community organisations, including First Step Women’s Centre, Fermanagh Rural Community Initiative, and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. REAP will engage 155 economically inactive beneficiaries across the Mid Ulster and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council areas, supporting a minimum of 30% to progress into employment through a three-phase employability model. Placing a strong emphasis on individual one-to-one mentoring to guide participants toward their chosen career pathway or educational journey.
Project name: Moving Forward Moving On
Contact name: Catriona Clifford
Contact details: catriona.clifford@extern.org 07436831556
Website: www.extern.org
Project locations: Antrim & Newtownabbey, Belfast, Lisburn and Castlereagh
Project summary: MFMO will provide intensive mentoring and employability support to 40 young people furthest away from the labour market. This includes those who were previously excluded from mainstream education, who are not in education, training or employment (NEET), with a history of offending or with other barriers to participation in the workforce.
Participants will be supported with:
- soft skills
- effective signposting to support services
- accredited courses in employability skills, life skills and personal development
- employability and work-based opportunities
- progression and support into employment using transitional mentoring support plans
Project name: SkillSET
Contact name: Audrey Allen
Contact details: aallen@amh.org.uk / Tel No 02891828494
Website: www.skillsetni.org
Project location: Northern Ireland wide
SkillSET will deliver an innovative programme designed to prepare and train economically inactive individuals for employment, with a focus on those living with a disability or health condition. The project will operate across Northern Ireland through a partnership of seven regional and national disability organisations from the voluntary sector, each bringing extensive experience in supporting people who are out of work to secure sustainable employment. This initiative will provide specialist, targeted support to 966 individuals with disabilities or health conditions who face multiple barriers to employment and are furthest from the labour market.
Project name: MAP - Migrant Access Programme
Contact name: Maretta Nicolson
Contact details: m.nicolson@people-1st.co.uk
Website: Migrant Access Programme - People 1st (people-1st.co.uk)
Project locations: Northern Ireland wide – Face to face support is available in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, with remote support provided across the remaining areas of Northern Ireland.
Project Summary: Work within communities to recruit 70 eligible economically inactive migrants. Participants will be assigned experienced mentor to work with them for up to 13 weeks to reach their full potential through:
- identifying their individual barriers to employment through diagnostic assessments/skills checks
- producing and supporting action plan to employment – addressing educational, training, motivational/ confidence building needs including ESOL
- support measures
- employability focused conversation classes
- access to a suite of employability and cultural awareness workshops
- referral to appropriate support agencies
- working with employers to build awareness of business advantages of diverse workforce
- provide in-work support for participants gaining employment
Project name: GROW (Growth, Resilience, Opportunities and Work) Partnership
Contact name: Alex McKee - Network Personnel
Contact details: info@networkpersonnel.org.uk / 028 7963 1032
Website: https://networkpersonnel.org.uk/
Project locations: Mid Ulster (primary delivery area), with limited activities in Antrim & Newtownabbey, Causeway Coast & Glens, Derry City & Strabane, and Mid & East Antrim
The ‘GROW’ (Growth, Resilience, Opportunities and Work) Partnership will be a largescale project, delivered by 2 experienced providers.
GROW will support 198 economically inactive individuals in Mid Ulster with outreach in 4 (predominantly rural) council areas of Northern Ireland.
Through a suite of holistic interventions, GROW participants will be supported to:
- improve life chances through basic and life skills
- engage with local services and mainstream provision
- overcome barriers to work – 26% will move into sustainable employment (including self-employment)
Project name: YouthStart
Contact name: Catherine Vaughan
Contact details: youth@springvalelearning.com
Website: https://www.springvalelearning.com
Project location: Ards and North Down, Belfast
YouthStart will support 120 economically inactive NEET young people from the most disadvantaged wards in Belfast City Council and Ards & North Down Borough Council through a 20-week intensive employability programme. The project delivers a wrap-around, person-centred service to build confidence, reduce barriers to employment and improve work readiness.
Delivery follows a scaffolded 3-phase model, personal development and wellbeing support, skills development and accredited training; and sector specific training and employability preparation aligned to labour market demand. Post-programme aftercare is provided to support sustained progression into employment or further training and reduce the risk of economic inactivity.
Local Growth Fund Northern Ireland – Business Support
Project name: Go Succeed
Contact name: George Healy
Contact details: 08000270639
Website: www.go-succeed.com
Project location: Northern Ireland wide
Project summary: Go Succeed is the new business support service from local councils in Northern Ireland that can help businesses to start, grow, or scale a business. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur just starting out, are looking to grow your business, or are planning to scale up, Go Succeed industry experts will provide tailored support and guidance to help you achieve your business goals.
Go Succeed has 3 stages to support businesses or entrepreneurs who are at various stages of their developmental journey.
- Support to start
- Support to grow
- Support to scale