Enterprise NI is calling on all self-employed, micro and small business owners across Northern Ireland to help positively influence the future of their businesses by completing the NI Enterprise Barometer 2026 survey.
Conducted by Enterprise NI, the Barometer is open until the 16th of October and is the largest annual survey of micro and small businesses in Northern Ireland. Supported by the eConX, the Barometer enables Enterprise NI to capture vital data about the challenges and opportunities faced by micro and small business owners.
Now in its eighth year, the survey takes less than twelve minutes to complete and can be found online at enterpriseni.com
Every respondent will be entered into a draw to win a £250 voucher for a stay at a McKeever Hotel of their choice. The 2026 Barometer’s findings will be announced at the NI Inaugural Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Conference on the 20th of November at the ICC in Belfast.
Michael McQuillan, CEO of Enterprise NI, is urging business owners to complete the 2026 Barometer:
“The findings of the NI Enterprise Barometer provide the strongest, most unified voice for micro and small businesses in Northern Ireland. Every survey completed strengthens Enterprise NI’s ability to drive home the need for adequate funding for micro and small businesses and to directly influence the development of tailored strategies and support services that address their specific needs.
Self-employed, micro, and small businesses collectively form the biggest part of our economy. That’s why, we are urging every single entrepreneur, self-employed start-up, and micro and small business owner across Northern Ireland to grab themselves a cup of coffee, complete this survey and ensure their views, needs and concerns are heard.”
Findings from this year’s survey will be used to inform the shape of DfE’s emergent entrepreneurship strategy for Northern Ireland.
Also encouraging small business owners to get involved in completing this year’s survey, Barometer Economist Maureen O’Reilly said:
“Now, more than ever, the concerns of small and micro business owners in Northern Ireland must be heard, particularly in relation to the dangerous mix of challenges that include the significant escalation in costs and managing cashflow, adapting to rapid changes through AI and new technologies and trying to get and keep staff.
By completing the NI Enterprise Barometer, business owners will be providing us with strong and insightful data that enables Enterprise NI, and our network of 26 Local Enterprise Agencies, to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities they face, and the agility to deliver the on-the-ground supports they need.”
Further details on the survey, along with the findings from last year’s Barometer, can be found online at
enterpriseni.com
Read the Summer 2026 edition free online →
Stay connected with NI's tech community:
