AQW 33064/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 08/10/2025
Answered On Date: 21/10/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy (i) to detail her Department's assessment of Invest NI’s support in Causeway Coast and Glens over the last five years; and (ii) whether this reflects her Department’s commitment to balanced regional economic growth.

Answer:

There are currently 6,340 registered businesses in the Causeway Coast and Glens Council area, accounting for 8% of all businesses in the North. The area accounts for 3% of the region’s exports and is home to 6% of the region’s exporters. Over the last five-year period Invest NI has assisted 619 investments, including job creation projects, providing £14m of financial assistance to businesses in the council area. The assistance provide by Invest NI is expected to unlock £95m of investment in the council area and lead to the creation of 550 new jobs. Invest NI published its new strategy last year entitled ‘Our Future in Focus’ (Invest NI Business Strategy 2024-2027 (PDF)). This strategy is directly aligned with my department’s commitment to balanced regional growth. To deliver against this strategy, Invest NI is implementing a new regional approach that is seeing it increasing the capacity and capability across its regional office network, assisting it to seek out, identify and engage with more companies than ever before. This involves attracting businesses that are new to Invest NI, enhancing the support, advice and guidance it provides to companies, as well as implementing a new purposeful partnership approach with its stakeholders and partners to align and maximise the impact of all of our work. To measure its success, Invest NI have set ambitious targets, including a new target to increase the number of investments outside the Belfast Metropolitan Area to 65% by the final year of their Business Strategy, 2026/27. Over the previous 5 years the average was c.56%. This is one of the first steps in a long-term commitment to better shape economic performance right across the North to provide better outcomes for all our people. Many of our regional challenges are deep seated, requiring multi-agency responses and investments, and will therefore not be addressed within Invest NI’s current business strategy period. Nevertheless, Invest NI and my department are fully committed to working with all partners to play our part in effecting real, meaningful change.