Around £150m is to be offered to civil servants in a deal to settle the long-running dispute over pay.
Up to 13,000 low paid mainly female staff would benefit from the back pay and an annual increase in salaries of between £20m and £25m, Stormont sources said. The Executive has approved the offer.
Public service union NIPSA is expected to put the deal to a ballot of members.
It would pre-empt more than 5,000 pay claims pending with industrial tribunals.
A spokesman for the Department of Finance and Personnel refused to comment on the Executive decision but said: "We are still in discussions with trade union side and it would be inappropriate to say anything further about the progress of this issue at this stage."
Stormont ministers hope the ballot will take place before Christmas.
A spokesman for NIPSA said: "I can confirm that discussions with the Department of Finance and Personnel are continuing and as soon as an offer is received we will be consulting with members."
SDLP finance spokesman Declan O'Loan said the offer must be realistic and adequate.
"Above all we must remember that legally, the civil servants deserve to be paid in full value for their work. That is without question. It's a pity it has taken so long to reach this point," he said.
"This has resulted in stress amongst workers and this decision will go a long way to rectify the poor decisions made thus far.
"Let's not forget that this has been six years in the making and, in times of financial hardship, undue financial concerns are keenly felt."
© Press Association