Belfast City Council has announced a new funding competition to support local businesses and industries in the Belfast region to harness the power of 5G and digital technologies to deliver enhanced operations and solutions.

Organisations can apply for grants of between £50,000 and £100,000 for innovative projects that make use of 5G, and other types of advanced wireless connectivity, to deliver economic, social, and environmental impacts.

The competition is part of the Belfast 5G Innovation Region (5GIR) programme, led by Belfast City Council's City Innovation Office. Belfast 5GIR is working with businesses, academia, and the public sector to support the adoption of 5G to drive growth in the region's digital economy.

The competition is open to businesses and organisations located in the Belfast Region City Deal council areas: Antrim and Newtownabbey, Ards and North Down, Belfast, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid and East Antrim, and Newry, Mourne and Down.

An online information session for interested applicants will take place at 11am on 28 August 2024 and the closing date for applications is 22 September 2024.

Chair of Belfast City Council's Strategic, Policy and Resources Committee, Councillor Ryan Murphy said: "The Belfast 5GIR programme is about ensuring that our local businesses and industries are well placed to benefit from the transformative effect of advanced wireless connectivity.

"We know that 5G will drive growth and innovation across many sectors including health, advanced manufacturing, transport and logistics, creative industries, AgriTech, and public services. We want to make sure that, as a region, our businesses are getting early opportunities to explore its potential within their own sector."

Professor Liam Maguire, Chair of the Digital Advisory Board for the Belfast Region City Deal and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research at Ulster University, added: "Over the next few years, 5G will become the dominant wireless connectivity technology across our economy and will enable us to achieve our digital innovation ambitions in the Belfast region.

"This funding competition is a great opportunity for businesses and high-growth industry sectors to combine the unique benefits of 5G with digital technologies, such as IoT, Artificial Intelligence, robotics and immersive applications, to deliver 5G use cases."

The Belfast 5GIR programme is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as part of its UK 5G Innovation Regions programme which aims to drive economic growth and innovation by unlocking the opportunities presented by advanced wireless connectivity and digital technologies.

To find out more and to apply, visit www.smartbelfast.city