BCT NI Partners in New EPIC Futures NI Research Project Supporting Inclusive Entrepreneurship
Pictured (L-R): Ana Chandran (Belfast Asian Women's Academy), Dr Minhas Mahsud (Ulster University), Professor Kristel Miller (EPIC Futures NI & Ulster University), Jill Bailie (BCTNI)
Belfast Community Training NI (BCT NI) is proud to be involved in a newly funded research project supported by EPIC Futures NI, focused on creating fairer and more inclusive pathways into employment and enterprise across Northern Ireland.
The project is part of EPIC Futures NI’s Phase 2 Policy Commissioning Call, which has awarded a total of £440,000 to eight innovative projects tackling the real barriers people face when trying to access work, training, or self-employment. EPIC Futures NI is led by Ulster University and brings together researchers, policymakers, employers, and community organisations to turn research into practical action.
Supporting Migrant Entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland
BCT NI is working alongside Ulster University and Belfast Asian Women’s Academy on the Small Award project titled:
Promoting Inclusive Entrepreneurship for Migrants in Northern Ireland: Challenges and Pathways
This research will look closely at the challenges migrants face when trying to start or grow a business here. It will also explore what actually helps, from access to training and advice, to confidence, networks, and practical support. The aim is to make sure future entrepreneurship support is grounded in real lived experience and works for people on the ground, not just on paper.
Research That Reflects Real Communities
Across Northern Ireland, and particularly in areas like North Belfast, many people bring skills, experience, and ideas with them but struggle to find the right routes to put them into practice. This project will help build the evidence needed to shape better policies and programmes that recognise those strengths and remove unnecessary barriers.
EPIC Futures NI is funded by UK Research and Innovation, including the Economic and Social Research Council, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and Innovate UK. The wider Phase 2 programme also includes research into youth employment, inclusive recruitment practices, supported employment models, green skills, and place-based economic inactivity.
Working in Partnership to Strengthen Opportunity
Professor Kristel Miller, Director of EPIC Futures NI at Ulster University, described the funding as an important step forward in tackling long-standing employment challenges and making sure opportunities are open to everyone.
For BCT NI, this work fits naturally with our long-term commitment to supporting under-represented communities, building confidence and skills, and making sure opportunities are meaningful, accessible, and rooted in everyday reality. It is about helping people move forward in ways that make sense for their lives.
What Happens Next?
Small Award projects will run through to June 2026, with learning and findings feeding into a wider showcase event in October 2026. The research will be shared with policymakers, employers, and community organisations to help shape future decisions and funding.
BCT NI looks forward to working closely with our partners on this project and sharing updates as the work develops.
Pictured (L-R): Dr Minhas Mahsud (Ulster University), Dr Karen Orr (Mary Immaculate College), Grace Boyle (EPIC Futures NI), Dr Anne Devlin (ESRI), Professor Anne-Marie Ward (Ulster University), Richard Kirk (Workplus), Ana Chandran (Belfast Asian Women's Academy), Jordan McDonald (IntrinsicAi), Professor Kristel Miller (EPIC Futures NI & Ulster University), Dr Stuart Henderson (Ulster University), Maureen O’Reilly (Independent Economist), Dr Martin McMullan (Youth Action NI), Dr Alexandra Chapman (Ulster University), Claire Lynch (EPIC Futures NI), Edyth Dunlop (Northern Ireland Union of Supported Employment), Jill Bailie (BCTNI)
