On Wednesday 9 September 2026, Belfast City Hall welcomed the first cohort of participants to the launch of the Belfast Region Contracts for Innovation Readiness Programme, marking the beginning of a six-week development journey designed to build the capability, confidence and leadership required to turn public sector challenges into innovation opportunities.
Funded through the Belfast Region City Deal, the programme brings together officers from all six Belfast Region councils:
- Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
- Ards and North Down Borough Council
- Belfast City Council
- Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council
- Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
- Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
Representing a diverse range of service areas and professional disciplines, participants will work collaboratively to develop the skills needed to identify, define and champion challenges that could benefit from innovative solutions, whilst building stronger connections across the region's innovation ecosystem.
The launch event brought together a broad range of regional partners and innovation leaders, reflecting the collaborative approach that sits at the heart of the Contracts for Innovation programme. Alongside programme participants, representatives attended from the Department for the Economy, Invest Northern Ireland, the Strategic Investment Board, Belfast Region City Deal and Innovation City Belfast.
Participants also heard directly from organisations already involved in innovation-led challenge development and solution delivery. Belfast Stories shared its experience as a potential challenge owner, providing insight into how major civic projects can use innovation to address complex challenges and deliver better outcomes. Hamilton Robson contributed the perspective of a technology solution provider, highlighting the opportunities that challenge-led innovation programmes create for SMEs and innovators to work alongside the public sector.
Delivered in partnership with PPL, the Readiness Programme is designed to help prospective challenge owners develop the knowledge and practical tools needed to move from recognising a problem to preparing a challenge that is suitable for progression through the wider Contracts for Innovation programme. Over the coming weeks, participants will explore challenge development, innovation procurement, organisational readiness, leadership, market engagement and data maturity.
As well as strengthening innovation capability across the region, the programme is expected to help identify some of the first challenges that could progress into the Belfast Region's £4.3 million Contracts for Innovation programme, creating future opportunities for councils to collaborate with innovative SMEs in solving real public sector challenges.
The launch demonstrated the collective ambition across local government, regional economic partners and the innovation community to develop new ways of delivering public services, addressing strategic challenges and supporting the growth of Northern Ireland's innovation economy. Through the Readiness Programme, participants will play a key role in building a culture of innovation across the Belfast Region and helping transform ideas into impactful solutions for residents, communities and businesses.
Contracts for Innovation Readiness Programme launched at Belfast City Hall
