The Northern Ireland Food To Go Association (NIFTGA) has announced a partnership with Zempler Bank, a move that matters to institute professionals as trade bodies increasingly add financial services partnerships to their commercial networks rather than relying solely on advocacy and networking to justify membership fees. Eligible NIFTGA members will receive a banking offer including up to 1 per cent cashback on qualifying card payments, alongside educational content delivered through the association.

NIFTGA is the representative body for food-to-go businesses across Northern Ireland, supporting sole traders, micro-businesses and SMEs in the sector. As a trade association, it does not publish commercial financials.

Zempler Bank, formerly Cashplus Bank, is a London headquartered UK challenger bank founded in 2005, offering digital business banking to sole traders, freelancers and SMEs.

The partnership responds to a structural cashflow crisis among small hospitality operators rather than a routine member benefit.

Only 24 per cent of independent food and drink businesses describe themselves as confident about growth, and one in five question whether their business can survive long term, according to Zempler Bank's Feeling the Heat report, cited by Rouse Accountants. Just one in three small pub operators say they are currently profitable.

Michael Henderson, chief executive of NIFTGA, said, "This partnership is a huge deal for small businesses in Northern Ireland. At a time when costs continue to put pressure on business margins, Zempler's offer gives eligible NIFTGA members the opportunity for their money to work harder."

Nick Biggam, commercial director at Zempler Bank, said, "Our research shows that rising costs, fluctuating income and managing day-to-day cashflow remain key concerns for many small hospitality and food-to-go businesses. NIFTGA is a strong collective voice for the sector."

For the sector, embedding a banking partner directly into association membership converts a routine financial product into a retention tool at a time when member value is under scrutiny. For the sector's smallest operators specifically, cashback and cashflow tools address working capital pressure that advocacy alone cannot resolve.

Whether this model of embedding financial services into membership becomes standard practice will depend on how many members actually convert the offer into real savings.

Source: BusinessFirst / Rouse Accountants