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Corporate Finance and Deal Advisory
We offer a dedicated team of experienced individuals with a focus on successfully executing transactions for corporates and financial institutions. We offer an integrated approach, with our corporate finance specialists working seamlessly with tax and other specialists to ensure that every angle is covered.
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Digital Risk
Grant Thornton offers solutions to the digital risk issues you are sure to face. Our skilled and experienced security team can helping by advising and consulting, giving you peace of mind, clear value for money and an enhanced ability to react to attacks.
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Technology Consulting
Motivating and assisting our clients to pursue, maintain and secure the benefits of digital solutions is at the core of our Digital Transformation teams' agenda and goals. We work with business leaders to deliver efficient digital strategies and operating models that provide new or enhanced capabilities.
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Economic Advisory
Our all-island Economics Advisory team combines expertise in economics and business with a wealth of experience across the public and private sectors.
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Forensic Accounting
We have a different way of doing business by delivering real insight through a combination of technical rigour, commercial experience and intuitive judgment. We take pride in delivering responsive and tailored solutions to all our clients, capitalising on the wealth of experience housed within our Belfast and wider Forensics team
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People and Change Consulting
The Grant Thornton People & Change Consulting practice works with clients on these issues as well as on all aspects of how they attract, retain, engage develop, deploy and lead their people.
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Restructuring
We work with a wide variety of clients and stakeholders such as high street banks, private equity funds, directors, government agencies and creditors to implement solutions which provide the best possible outcomes.
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Corporate and International Tax
Northern Ireland businesses face further challenges as they operate in the only part of the UK that has a land border with a country offering a lower tax rate.
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Employer Solutions
Our team specialises in remuneration and incentive planning and works closely with employers, shareholders and employees to ensure that business strategies are aligned and goals achieved in the most tax efficient, cost-effective manner.
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Entrepreneur and Private Client Taxes
Our team of experienced advisors are on hand to guide you through any decision or transaction ranging from the establishment of new business ventures, to realising value on exit, to succession planning and providing for loved ones.
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Global Mobility Services
Grant Thornton offer a different approach to managing global mobility. We have brought together specialists from our tax, global payroll, people and change and financial accounting teams across Ireland and Northern Ireland, while drawing on the knowledge and insights of our global network of over 143 offices of mobility professionals to provide you with a holistic approach to managing global mobility.
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Outsourced Payroll
Our outsourced service provides valued service to over 150 separate PAYE schemes. These ranging from 1 to 1000 employees, working for micro, SME and global employers. The service is supported by the integrated network of tax and global mobility teams and the wider Grant Thornton network delivering a seamless service. Experienced staff deliver a personal service built around your business needs.
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Tax Disputes and Investigations
Our Tax Disputes and Investigation team is made up of tax experts and former HMRC investigators who have years of experience in dealing with a variety of tax investigations. Our expertise and insight can guide you through all interactions, keeping your cost at a minimum while allowing you to continue with the day to day running of your business.
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VAT and Indirect Taxes
At Grant Thornton (NI) LLP, our team helps Northern Ireland businesses manage their UK and global indirect tax risks which, as transactional taxes, can quickly become big liabilities.
Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Northern Ireland have traditionally depended upon bank funding, through overdraft and loans, to finance their business.
In Northern Ireland bank funding represents a significantly higher proportion of overall funding than other European countries and particularly the US, where it accounts for less than 30% of funding.
Trends
One emerging trend arising from the fall out of the credit crunch is that there has been a significant rise in the number of alternate funding providers in the UK and Ireland market. The alternative funders include Asset Based Lenders (ABL), Peer to Peer lenders, Private Equity and Venture Capital Funding. Thus far the uptake of alternate providers has been relatively modest however, particularly amongst Northern Ireland’s SMEs.
There is arguably still a lack of awareness, with many Northern Irish businesses unfamiliar with alternate sources of finance. However, there are also indications that the demand for and supply of finance is slowly improving. Business advisors have an important part to play, working with all key stakeholders, to ensure that knowledge of alternative finance sources is provided to SMEs.
As the local economy continues to improve and business confidence is restored, we will see increases in the demand and supply of funding. The onus is now on the companies to show the ambition to drive their business forward to take advantage of market opportunities.
Our local market continues to see enhanced levels of private equity funding including Broadlake Capital’s investments in Vita Liberata and Conveyortek, Foresight Group’s investment in Hospital Services Limited and MML Capital’s investment in Lowe Refrigeration. There remain significant funds available from private equity to support the potential scaling of our local businesses, facilitating those companies who have the appetite for an aggressive growth strategy.
Family businesses in NI
In Northern Ireland it is widely accepted that family businesses remain the engine of the economy. Historically however, those family businesses have been reluctant to relinquish control which in some cases can prove to be a barrier to success. Family businesses, and indeed all SMEs, must weigh up the benefits which can be gained from accessing finance from alternate providers against the cost of finance. It may well be that the opportunity to own a smaller share of a larger business will make commercial sense.
It is a good time for quality businesses and projects to source finance. There is an appetite to lend, however businesses may need to accept that a cocktail of funding from various sources may be required rather than funding from a single source.
In the last 12 months Grant Thornton has undertaken over 100 meetings with different SMEs who have been discussing their growth plans with us, and seeking advice on securing the right type of funding. The meetings show the ambition of Northern Ireland businesses for growth but highlights that there is a need to secure appropriate advice to ensure that the business is investment ready and seeking funding from the most appropriate sources.