Guidance

UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2025-2026: Northern Ireland project information

Published 17 April 2025

Applies to Northern Ireland

Detailed below is a list of the contact information and project summaries on the projects who successfully received UKSPF funding from April 2025 to March 2026.

1. UKSPF: Northern Ireland - Economic inactivity projects

Project name: Belfast Works Connect

Contact name: Rosemary McCusker

Contact details: (028) 90 322003 ext. 224.

Website: 

Project locations: Belfast, Antrim & Newtownabbey, Lisburn & Castlereagh, Ards & North Down,바카라 사이트¯Mid & East Antrim, Causeway Coast & Glens, Newry, Mourne and Down

Project summary: Belfast Works Connect is an innovative employability project aimed at supporting individuals who face challenges to employment. The project is led by Upper Springfield Development Trust (West) and includes area-based partnership consisting of 4 charitable community organisations based throughout the Greater Belfast area including, Ashton Community Trust (North), East Belfast Mission (East), GEMSNI (South), Impact Training

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Project name: Work It Out

Contact name: Cathy Norris

Contact details: c.norris@people-1st.co.uk / 07786272022.

Website: 

Project locations: Northern Ireland wide

Project summary: Work it out provides bespoke mentor support for economically inactive people, providing support that includes providing job search, employment support, reducing barriers to learning and widening opportunities.

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Project name: Empower.

Contact name: David Cowan

Contact details: dcowan@usel.co.uk

Website: 

Project location: Northern Ireland wide

Project summary: Empower is an exciting new employment programme for individuals who are not employed and have a disability, health condition and those who identify as autistic or neurodivergent. Empower offers support to help individuals, gain qualifications, search for work, gain work experience, build self-confidence, complete job applications, and help individuals stay in work.

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Project name: Women Breaking Barriers (Scaling up Women바카라 사이트™s Education, Training and Employment Skills)

Contact name: Anne McVicker

Contact details: anne.mcvicker@wrda.net / 028 9023 0212.

Website: 

Project location: Northern Ireland wide

Project summary: Women Breaking Barriers, engage women in training and skills development through an employment support programme, which includes intensive wrap-around support and programmes in improving wellbeing. It is delivered by a consortium of women바카라 사이트™s organisations including Women바카라 사이트™s Resource and Development Agency (lead partner), Northern Ireland Rural Women바카라 사이트™s Network, Women바카라 사이트™s Support Network.

In the application it says:

Delivery partners include the following: 1. Atlas Women바카라 사이트™s Centre 2. Ballybeen Women바카라 사이트™s Centre 3. Falls Women바카라 사이트™s Centre 4. Greenway Women바카라 사이트™s Centre 5. Windsor Women바카라 사이트™s Centre 6. Shankill Women바카라 사이트™s Centre.

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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: 

Project locations: Antrim & Newtownabbey, Belfast, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon, Causeway Coast & Glens, Lisburn & Castlereagh, Mid & East Antrim, Mid Ulster, Newry, Mourne & Down, Ards & North Down, Derry City & Strabane

Project summary: The PROSPER Consortium provides 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, employment/career progression, numeracy and financial literacy, accredited qualifications.

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Project name: Maximise Employment

Contact name: Stuart Green/Rachael Whan

Contact details: Stuart.green@brysonpathways.org / rachael.whan@brysonpathways.org / 07976 722197/07803 833374

Website: 

Project location: Northern Ireland wide

Project summary: Maximise Employment is an Employability Project that seeks to help people aged between 16 to 64 and who are economically inactive back into employment. This service is available in all areas of Northern Ireland, they aim to empower people and give them the tools and practical support to enable them to enter the labour market.

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Project name: Building Futures

Contact name: Helen Kerr

Contact details: Helen.kerr@womenstec.org / 02890 749810.

Website: 

Project locations: Belfast, Newry, Mourne & Down, Antrim and Newtownabbey, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Derry City and Strabane

Project summary: The Building Futures Programme is a partnership between WOMEN바카라 사이트™STEC, Bolster Community and Women in Business NI. The aim of the Building Futures Programme is to support women furthest away from the labour market in accessing skills and support to work towards sustainable employment or self-employment.

The programme provides a range of free courses as well as optional mentoring sessions to women. Small bursaries are also available for other courses that might assist in working towards employment.

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Project name: YouthStart Consortium Project

Contact name: Clare Conlon

Contact details: clare@youthaction.org / 02890240551.

Website: 

Project location: Northern Ireland wide

Project summary: The YouthStart consortium project is a 7-partner regional youth employability project, targeting economically inactive young people aged 16 -30 years. The consortium of 7 leading youth work organisations (YouthAction NI (lead,) Include Youth, Springboard Opportunities, Prince바카라 사이트™s Trust, Start360, Northern Ireland Youth Forum, BYTES,) we use a youth work approach to build young people바카라 사이트™s skills for life, learning and work. Delivering from our regional bases and sites across Northern Ireland, the project will, engage and support economically inactive young people from across the 11 Councils and help them gain employment and into further training/education.

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Project name: Triax Success Northwest

Contact name: Conor Heaney

Contact details: conor@successnw.com

Project locations: Derry City & Strabane바카라 사이트¯

Project summary: Success Northwest supports the economically inactive in the Derry and Strabane Council area. Working through eight Partner Hubs who are based within the communities through-out the Council area, we have a team of highly experienced and motivated Employment and Mentoring Officers who support the economically inactive across the Derry and Strabane area.

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Project name: Niacro SkillSET

Contact name:  Gareth Eannetta

Contact details; Gareth.Eannetta@niacro.co.uk

Website: 

Project location: Northern Ireland wide

Project summary: SkillSET is a project that aims to provide employment for those with convictions. SkillSET Project Workers will work alongside participants on their journey towards employment, empowerment, and independence as they prepare for release from prison or continue their rehabilitation in the community after receiving a conviction. SkillSET supports those who would like support with employment or support to pursue vocational training and employment in areas such as construction, hospitality, leisure and tourism and warehousing.

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Project name: Employ Me

Contact name: Sinead McKinley

Contact details: mckinleys@src.ac.uk / 02830259669.

Website: 

Project locations: Newry Mourne and down and Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon District council areas.

Project summary: 바카라 사이트˜Employ Me바카라 사이트™ is an employability project providing training, employment, and wraparound support for economically inactive people aged 16+, our aim is to reduce job related barriers, develop skills, achieve qualifications, enhance employability and quality of life with a view to progressing to employment / self-employment.

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Project name: Rural Economic Accelerator Programme (REAP)

Contact name: Derek Connor

Contact details: derek.connor@swc.ac.uk / 028 8225 0109.

Website: 

Project locations: Fermanagh & Omagh, Mid Ulster바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯

Project summary: REAP is a project involving the Southwest College (SWC), Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC), First Step Women바카라 사이트™s Centre (FSWC) and Fermanagh Rural Community Initiative (FRCI). We are helping to improve the knowledge and skills of the economically inactive in Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area, in a way which benefits their lives, as well as the regional economy. REAP supports the following target groups- young people aged from 16- 24, women, 50+, people with a disability and health conditions and ethnic minorities.

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Project name: Moving Forward Moving On

Contact name: Catriona Clifford

Contact details: catriona.clifford@extern.org 07436831556.

Website: 

Project locations: Belfast, Antrim & Newtownabbey, Ards & North Down and Lisburn & Castlereagh   

Project summary: Extern바카라 사이트™s 바카라 사이트˜Moving Forward, Moving On바카라 사이트™ project works with people who are not in education, training, or employment and/or have a history of offending behaviour, and provides support as well as the appropriate tools they need to make a successful start in the world. Working throughout the greater Belfast area, the mentoring support service works with people from across the city, including those who may have previously been through alternative education projects.

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Project name: SkillSET

Contact name: Audrey Allen

Contact details: aallen@amh.org.uk / Tel No 02890828494

Website: 

Project location: Northern Ireland wide

Project summary: SkillSET is an innovative project providing specialised employment preparation and training for targeted groups across Northern Ireland, particularly those with disabilities and/or health conditions. SkillSET is a collaboration between seven voluntary sector regional and national disability organisations, all of which have extensive experience in supporting economically inactive individuals to secure sustainable employment. SkillSET delivers specialised support to individuals with disabilities and/or health conditions who face multiple barriers to employment and are farthest from the job market.

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Project name: Migrant Access Programme (MAP)

Contact name: Maretta Nicolson

Contact details: m.nicolson@people-1st.co.uk

Website: 

Project locations: Northern Ireland wide

Project summary: Migrant Access Programme is aimed at legally resident migrant and ethnic minority participants who are Economically Inactive and experiencing barriers to participation and employment because of language difficulties, lack of training or social exclusion, we provide mentor support that will meet their individual needs by job search, employment support, ESOL classes, employability focused conversation classes, motivation/confidence building, access to employability and cultural awareness workshops, interpreter services and referral support to appropriate support agencies.

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Project name: GROW Partnership ((Growth, Resilience, Opportunities and Work)

Contact name: Alex McKee - Network Personnel

Contact details: info@networkpersonnel.org.uk / 028 7963 1032.

Website: 

Project locations: Antrim & Newtownabbey, Causeway Coast & Glens, Derry & Strabane, Fermanagh & Omagh, Mid & East Antrim, Mid Ulster

Project summary: GROW바카라 사이트™ (Growth, Resilience, Opportunities & Work) Partnership supports 바카라 사이트˜economically inactive바카라 사이트™ people to increase their confidence & skill levels to secure sustainable employment/self-employment. GROW is a 바카라 사이트˜one-stop-shop바카라 사이트™ addressing health, wellbeing & other barriers to work with small steps, rather than daunting 바카라 사이트˜fast-track바카라 사이트™ approaches.

GROW provides bespoke support to - 50+, Disabled/health conditions, Women, Ethnic minorities, young people, People with multiple complex needs.

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Project name: YouthStart

Contact name: Jordan Barr

Contact details: youth@springvalelearning.com

Website: 

Project location: Belfast and Ards & North Down

Project summary: YouthStart operates across the Belfast City Council area, working with young people aged 16-24 years old to support them gain employment. The project is delivered across four phases:

• Personal Development 바카라 사이트“ reducing barriers, teambuilding, mental health & wellbeing workshops.
• Training 바카라 사이트“ qualifications in Numeracy, ICT and Employability.
• Employment Academy 바카라 사이트“ industry training and qualifications, site visits and guest speakers.
• Work Placement 바카라 사이트“ four-week work experience in chosen industry.

2. UKSPF: Northern Ireland - Supporting local businesses projects

Project name: Go Succeed

Contact name: Cathy Keenan

Contact details: 08000270639.

Website: 

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 are 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

3. UKSPF: Northern Ireland - Manufacturing, innovation, green growth and sector support

Project name: Invest NI

Contact name: Paul Gunn

Contact details: paul.gunn@investni.com / 028 9069 8240.

Website: 

Project location: Northern Ireland wide.

Project summary: Invest Northern Ireland is leading a project, totalling 16 different elements targeting support for research and development and growth support for business owners in Northern Ireland.

Invest NI will provide advice, grants, and training to manufacturing businesses to adopt industrial digital technology solutions, as well as increasing investment in R&D and the diffusion of innovation knowledge and activities, through measures such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and Innovation Vouchers and grants. In addition, Invest NI will help businesses to sustain, grow and innovate, through networking, provide consultancy on energy and resource efficiency and capital grants.