Page updated: 15 August 2025
Below are clarification questions received about the Belfast 5G Innovation Region funding competition. Email your questions to innovationfunding@belfastcity.gov.uk before 5pm, 27 August 2025.
Clarification questions and answers will be published on this page. Any commercially sensitive or personal information will be removed before publishing.
1. The guidance states that RTOs can apply – can you confirm if this would be individually or as part of a consortium?
A single business or organisation must apply to the competition and, if successful, Belfast City Council will sign a Grand Funding Agreement with the single lead applicant only. The lead applicant can have a range of partners and suppliers, so an RTO may submit an application itself, or may be part of another organisation’s application.
2. Can a university be the lead applicant?
Yes.
3. The statement “testbeds, trials and research will not be funded” – could you please define what is meant by trials in this context? I believe most projects will involve some form of trial or testing.
Trials refers to the research and development stage of the technical solution. The grant funding must be used for the implementation of existing technology solutions and products to enable 5G/advanced wireless use cases. The funding cannot be used for product development, research and development activities, or associated trials or testbeds. The funding can be used for pilots, where an existing solution is tested to assess whether it is suitable for supporting operational use in a specific live environment. For example, on one of a number of production lines or at one of several sites. Such a pilot or “trial” is acceptable.
4. The scheme outline specifies 5G or other advanced wireless. What other wireless technologies qualify for funding? Does there have to be a roadmap to 5G or will other technologies be fully supported?
The competition’s preference is to fund projects that use 5G or support a roadmap to 5G, though other advanced wireless technologies are acceptable. The scoring methodology sets out that projects that use 5G or clearly describe a roadmap to 5G adoption can attract more marks than those that don’t. The Technology section on Page 11 of the guidance document provides examples of advanced wireless technologies.
5. Could you explain again the difference between “Implementation deadline” (31/03/26) and “Grant funding period” (up to 31/03/28) … why the two years difference in final date?
The technical solution and use case (as well as a period of benefits realisation) must be implemented and operational by 31 March 2026. Applicants must continue operation of their use case after 31 March 2026. Belfast City Council may request updates from grant awardees on benefits realisation, case studies and other relevant information up to 31 March 2028.
6. What is the expected schedule for grant payments if one is successful.
There will be up to two grant payments. The first optional grant claim covers eligible costs incurred between October and December 2025 (deadline for submission is 31 January 2026) and a second grant claim covers eligible costs incurred between January and March 2026 (deadline for submission is 30 April 2026).
7. Can a project / deployment be temporary, providing the enabling infrastructure is permanent, i.e. we are often asked to provide 5G coverage for construction sites for comms, safety and digital twinning work, which is then removed afterwards – the expertise and equipment then moves on to the next location.
The operation stage of the project must begin before March 2026 and continue until at least 31 March 2028. A project that does not endure until then is not likely to be eligible, but an applicant project that moves from venue to venue over time could be eligible. The lead applicant must be the use case owner. In the example provided, this would likely be the construction company, who might use grant funding to procure the services from your organisation.
8. Regarding 5G in an industrial factory, does the funding scope include purchase of industrial automation modules/PLCs that can use 5G, and/or mobile robotics (ie. converting established production lines to 5G), as well as the setup of the 5G network itself?
Yes, this sounds like “adaptations to existing infrastructure: Modifications or upgrades to current systems to enable the deployment of the new solution”, which is included in eligible expenditure. Grant funding covers technology, equipment and infrastructure that is required for the delivery of the 5G/advanced wireless use case(s). Please see the information on eligible costs in the guidance document.
9. Can councils apply?
Yes, councils in the Belfast Region City Deal area can apply to the competition.
10. Can charities apply?
Yes, charities in the Belfast Region City Deal area can apply to the competition. The competition is open to private sector, public sector, academia, RTO, non-profit and charitable sectors.
11. We have previously received a grant from the Belfast 5GIR programme. Are we eligible to apply to this second funding call and can we submit a proposal which is an advanced version of our previous use case or do we need to submit something completely new?
The competition’s rules do not prevent a previous applicant from submitting a new application. Each application will be assessed on its own merits; it could in principle be an extension of a previous project.
12. What counts as eligible match funding?
Match funding must cover at least 30% of the total eligible implementation costs incurred before 31 March 2026. Only this pre-April 2026 contribution is assessed, and higher match funding will attract a higher score.
In-kind contributions, such as staff time, are acceptable if they represent a real cost to the project. However, voluntary contributions with no associated cost, such as voluntary labour, will not be accepted as match funding. See Section 2: Funding of the competition guidance for full details on match funding and eligible expenditure categories.
13. We’ve missed the deadline to apply for applicant support. Can we still apply?
We have a limited number of consultancy days for applicant support; it’s offered on a first-come, first-served basis. We have a few slots left – register your interest as soon as possible by emailing innovationfunding@belfastcity.gov.uk and we will offer support if available. Support can range from early-stage discovery and development to a late-stage review of your full bid.
14. The applicant has a registered office outside the BRCD area and a business address inside the BRCD area. The use case will be operated and delivered within the BRCD area. Is this eligible, and what evidence do you need to support this?
Yes, this is eligible. The competition requires that the applicant has a business address and operates within the BRCD area, and the project must be delivered within the BRCD area. Your organisation and project meet these criteria. Please ensure that the business address within the BRCD area and the address where the use case will be delivered are clearly provided in your responses to the first two questions in the Eligibility section of the application form.
15. In our last filed accounts to June 2024 our current ratio (current assets/current liabilities) is less than the required 0.5. Our accounts for y/e June 2025, which have not yet been filed, will meet the current ratio requirements. Will a confirmation statement from the accountant be adequate to meet this eligibility criterion?
Yes, a confirmation statement from the organisation’s accountant will be acceptable as evidence, provided it confirms that the applicant meets the current ratio requirement based on the year-end accounts for June 2025.
The statement must be signed by a fully qualified accountant who is a current member of a recognised UK professional body, such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) or the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). The statement should include the accountant’s full name, professional designation, membership number, and contact details.
16. Our project will develop a cost-benefits analysis to support a longer-term business case. We will evaluate how the anticipated enhanced service can lead to a longer term sustainable recurring revenue funding model. Are the costs associated with developing this evaluation and business case eligible as project implementation costs?
No. Only costs directly related to the implementation of the technology solution are eligible for funding under this competition. Activities such as developing a cost-benefit analysis or business case are not considered part of the implementation and do not qualify as eligible expenditure. As such, these costs cannot be funded through the grant and will not count towards your 30% match funding requirement.
17. Technical resources for both implementing the technology into the service, then validating the performance, form part of this project. Staff resources will be needed for these implementation phase tasks – can these staff costs be included as implementation costs?
Yes, staff costs directly related to implementing the advanced wireless solution into the service can be included as eligible implementation costs. This includes activities such as configuring and deploying the technology, integrating it into operations, and carrying out testing to ensure it is functioning as intended. These staff costs must relate specifically to the implementation phase and be incurred by 31 March 2026 to be eligible for grant funding or to count towards your 30% match funding requirement. Costs related to longer-term evaluation are not eligible.
18. As a charity, our cashflow is very tight and the ability to fund the implementation phase before grant is paid will be challenging. Is there any flexibility in the funding to allow for 1. The lead supplier being a joint lead applicant, 2. Grant being paid on invoices from the supplier, or 3. More frequent grant claims?
The grant agreement will be signed with a single lead applicant only. While that organisation may work with suppliers or delivery partners, it remains solely responsible for incurring eligible costs and claiming the grant. Grant claims are made quarterly in arrears, in line with the published claim windows. We recommend that applicants negotiate flexible payment terms with suppliers to align with the grant payment schedule. In this case, it may be helpful to explore whether the lead supplier is willing to defer payment until grant claims are processed.