North City Business Centre (NCBC) has secured £3.75 million (€4.4m) in funding from the UK Government's Local Growth Fund to acquire three significant buildings in North Belfast, expanding its managed workspace footprint to approximately 200,000 sq ft and bringing total project costs to around £8 million (€9.3m).

The Belfast Telegraph reported that the funding was secured through the Department for the Economy following extensive collaboration between the department and NCBC, with two of the three sites set to undergo extensive refurbishment and restructuring to meet the specific needs of local businesses.

NCBC was established in 1991 and operates as a registered charity providing advice, support and workspace accommodation for small businesses, functioning as a neutral hub in a historically divided part of the city. The centre has remained consistently fully occupied and has faced ongoing unmet demand for enterprise space.

David Williamson, chair of North City Business Centre, said the acquisition brings NCBC's total footprint close to 200,000 sq ft, adding that it is the organisation's intention to extensively refurbish and restructure two of the sites to attract new and growing businesses and new local jobs to the area.

Williamson added that the development will allow NCBC to extend its wider work in partnership with community-based, public and private organisations to ensure the greatest local benefit from the investment.

Once developed, the buildings will provide expanded, affordable workspace for start-ups, social enterprises and growing local businesses, alongside dedicated community facilities for residents.

The £3.75m forms part of Northern Ireland's allocation for the Pride in Place initiative delivered through the Local Growth Fund, replacing the UK Shared Prosperity Fund from April 2026.

Access the full details of North City Business Centre's £3.75m North Belfast expansion.