Funding Programmes

Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing help businesses across a number of sectors in Northern Ireland and Scotland with the assistance of funding from the European Union, Invest NI, local councils, and the Department for the Economy.

Current Programmes Available:

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council – Optimal Programme

Businesses can access either 1.5 days, 3 days, or 5 days of free mentoring. Support will be dependent on the growth potential of the business, and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council will determine the number of days that will be awarded.

Mentoring is allocated on a per-business basis.

Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing Chartered Marketer Christine is available to offer services in the areas of:

  • Market Research
  • Market Planning
  • Effective PR/Buzz Marketing
  • Social Media

Optimal has a panel of 35 mentors and will offer bespoke business support totaling 609 days over 2 years. The programme opened for recruitment in May 2018.

Agri-Food Co-operation Scheme

Managed by Countryside Services Ltd, agri-food clusters in the Agri-Food Co-operation Scheme can avail of fully funded Social Media training. Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing Chartered Marketer Christine is an approved Social Media Trainer.

Invest NI – Skills Advancement Grant

Through a Skills Advancement Grant, local NI businesses can receive up to £10,000 for staff training. This grant will cover 40-50% of eligible costs and is available to Invest NI clients that are exporting or are ready to export.

Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing have provided this information to the best of their knowledge. Please visit Invest NI Support for Training for more information.

Construction Industry Training Board – CITB NI

CITB NI offers direct grants to registered levy-paying employers for support in a wide range of training and qualifications for employees working in Northern Ireland. Whether you’re training new recruits, developing established staff, or looking for improvements in other areas of your business, CITB can offer grants to meet industry needs.

The Tier 1 Grants Scheme offers registered employers grants to support training and qualifications, from apprentices through to the existing workforce including management and administration. The grant support covers short-duration training courses including business courses.

  • Levy Payers will only be eligible to receive grant aid to the value of the total levy paid. This limit does not apply to apprentice grants.
  • All registered employers below the levy threshold of £80,000 are eligible to claim grant to the value of £500. This limit does not apply to apprentice grants.
  • An employer should not rely on statements made by third parties about grant rates, eligible training, or the claiming process. Please contact a member of the Grants Team on 028 9082 5466 or email info@citbni.org.uk for advice and guidance.

For more information and application forms, visit: CITB NI Grants

WorldHost Scotland Funding Support for SMEs

If you work for or own a small to medium-sized visitor economy* business in Scotland, and this business is located in one of 12 regional destination areas, you may qualify for our SME subsidy funding package, which will help to significantly reduce the cost of your WorldHost Customer Service training.

Provided your business meets the funding criteria, you will be able to save £40 per person on the cost of your training!

If you are planning on delivering WorldHost training in-house, you may also still qualify for the SME subsidy to help reduce your costs.

Provided that your business meets all the necessary criteria, accessing the funding couldn’t be simpler.

All you need to do is let your training provider—Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing—know that you want to use the SME subsidy, and we’ll sort out the rest.

Telephone: 07900 881146 | Email: info@watsonsmarketing.com

For more information on WorldHost Scotland, visit:

http://scotland.worldhost.co.uk/worldhost-scotland-funding

Historical Funding Programmes Utilised by Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing Clients:

  • WIN – Western Innovation Network Funding for Mentoring via Centre for Competitiveness and NORIBIC
  • Department for Employment and Learning WorldHost Funding
  • Evolution Mentoring – Lisburn and Castlereagh Council
  • Craigavon Borough Council Mentoring
  • NORIBIC iFactory Mentoring
  • Mid & East Antrim Borough Council and Tourism Northern Ireland – WorldHost Food NI Ambassador Training
  • Antrim Enterprise Agency – Nurture Mentoring Programme
  • Belfast City Council – WorldHost South Belfast Customer Service Training Programme

*Visitor economy refers to businesses involved in tourism, hospitality, and related services.