Deals Digest 2026: momentum, technology and succession planning

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Welcome to Deals Digest

Northern Ireland enters 2026 with solid momentum. Activity through 2025 reflected disciplined pricing, improving financing conditions and continued appetite for strategic acquisitions. M&A activity this year will be shaped by funding availability, technology-driven capability gaps and a growing focus on succession and liquidity planning. This overview sets out the key forces expected to influence dealmaking in 2026, alongside highlights from 2025.

Paul Prenter

Partner - Deal Advisory

2026 outlook

Improved financing conditions supporting deal activity

Easing interest rates and more stable inflation will create a more favourable lending environment, making it easier for buyers to secure funding and for sellers to achieve realistic valuations.

Banks and funders are keen to lend, while steady borrowing costs help bring clarity to deal confidence, pricing and execution. These conditions are likely to continue driving activity across Northern Ireland’s traditionally strong lower mid market.

Valuation discipline in deals will remain high and value gaps will continue to be bridged by deferred consideration and earnouts. Companies that are well invested in people, processes and information provision will continue to be most attractive and command higher valuations in a sale process. Planning early is key to maximise sale value.

Accelerated demand for innovation and AI capabilities

Digital transformation continues to be a powerful driver for M&A. Businesses are pursuing acquisitions to integrate and scale advanced technologies, particularly AI, to modernise operating models and enhance competitiveness.

This reflects the region’s broader economic trends as businesses invest heavily in automation, artificial intelligence, and smarter working methods to improve productivity. AI will be a primary driver of deal activity – both as a capability being acquired and as a tool increasingly used to support deal execution, analysis and integration.

Strategic acquisitions for growth, diversification and succession

Northern Ireland continues to see good interest in acquisitions driven by succession planning, market expansion, and the pursuit of margin and revenue growth.

Companies are using M&A to access new markets, broaden service offerings and realise operational efficiencies. We are supporting an increasing number of Northern Irish clients to acquire companies in Great Britain, Europe and the US, reflecting the ambition and can-do attitude of the region.

Businesspeople Meeting in the Office Conference

Changes to inheritance tax reliefs

Changes to inheritance tax reliefs, which take effect in April 2026, could also influence owner behaviour.

For decades, businesses could be passed on free of inheritance tax upon death. Owners and founders deferred exit decisions in the knowledge that succession was sometimes cheaper than a sale. From April, this relief will be materially reduced, resulting in an effective 20% inheritance tax charge on qualifying business assets.

This will accelerate exit decisions, as owners aged 55 or over bring forward full exits, partial liquidity events and sales to PE with minority rollover. It is almost certain there will be more vendor-initiated sale processes and requirements for company valuation, succession planning and liquidity events.

Market recognition

Experian

Ranked first in Experian quarterly league tables across NI and ROI.

Dealmaker Awards

Corporate Finance Team of the Year at 2025 NI Dealmaker Awards.

Dealmaker of the Year

Charlie Kerlin named Dealmaker of the Year at 2025 NI Dealmaker Awards.

PitchBook

Recognised by PitchBook as the Most Active M&A Advisor in the UK and Ireland.

Key Industries

Lead Advisory (M&A) and Transaction Advisory

View all transactions [pdf 1.2 MB]

Lead Advisory (M&A) and Transaction Advisory teams

Lead Advisory (M&A) and Transaction Advisory teams advised on more than 20 NI deals.

Cross-border transactions

More than half of these involved cross-border transactions where the buyer, target or investor was from outside NI.

Private equity

40% of these deals involved private equity.

Range of industries

Activity was strongest in healthcare, manufacturing, construction, technology and professional services.

Global platform

Grant Thornton Advisors expanded across more than 20 countries and territories in three regions.

The addition of Stax, which provides commercial due diligence and value creation, strengthens our offering, particularly for larger corporate and private equity transactions.

A multinational, multidisciplinary platform offers clients seamless and enhanced cross-border services.

Whether you are considering succession planning, exploring growth capital or acquisition opportunities or assessing exit options, early engagement achieves the best outcomes. Start planning with us now.

Paul Prenter Partner- Deal Advisory