Business Development

The UK Government has announced that they are doubling investment in the Fast Start Competition to encourage innovative technology and research-focussed businesses and start-ups to develop new ways of working and help build resilience across industries and communities. The additional £20 million funding, which is managed by Innovate UK, comes from a £211 million government investment package to encourage businesses developing new technologie...

The Welsh Government has launched a new £6.5 million fund to increase the use of recycled materials. The £6.5 million fund will offer grants to businesses of any size seeking capital investment funding to increase their use of recycled materials in manufactured products, components or packaging. Eligible businesses may either apply for a small scale grant from approximately £25,000 up to €200,000 or a ‘large scale’ grant from €200,0...

Dairy Farmers in England will be able to apply for government funding of up to £10,000 each to help them overcome the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The aim of the fund is to support those most in need due to a decrease in demand for their products as bars, restaurants and cafes have been forced to close. Eligible dairy farmers will be to entitled to funding which covers 70% of their lost income during April and May 2020 to ensure they c...

Businesses across the UK are being invited to collaborate with an academic or research organisation on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), a scheme that helps businesses to innovate and grow. Up to £40 million in total is available for part funding of KTPs that will offer businesses the opportunity to access new skills and the latest academic thinking to help them deliver a specific, strategic innovation project. KTPs can last between 12...

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has announced a new £14 million fund to support Zoos and Aquariums in England in response to financial losses incurred due to Covid-19. Establishments covered by the Zoo Licensing Act will be able to bid for grants of up to £100,000 through the Zoo Support Fund. The grant can be used to cover animal care costs that can not be lowered such as keepers’ wages, animal feed and bedding, vete...

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Power to Change have launched a £12 million crisis support package to provide immediate and medium-term support for community businesses supporting the vulnerable and isolated in England. The emergency package includes £7 million in rescue funding, which offers grants of up to £25,000 to contribute to trading incomes losses incurred between April and June 2020. This will initially be available to cur...

The Scottish Funding Council has announced that the next deadline for applications under its Follow on Innovation Voucher Scheme is the 5th June 2020. The awards are specifically intended to encourage existing partnerships that have previously collaborated and jointly received funding. This can include the Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher awards scheme or any other funded activity. Businesses in partnership with Higher Education Ins...

The second round of the UK Government’s Seafood Innovation Fund is now open for applications. Organisations from all sectors in the UK or EU can apply for funding from the £10 million research and development fund to develop innovative ideas, products and technology which will benefit the sustainability, productivity and profitability of the UK’s fishing, aquaculture and seafood industries. Applicants will be able to bid for up to £50,00...

Individuals such as researchers, students, consultants or new start-ups with a green business idea have the opportunity to win an award of up to €10,000 through ClimateLaunchpad’s Green Business Ideas Competition. If successful, applicants will join a bootcamp which will help put ideas into a solid business plan. Applicants will then have the opportunity to pitch their idea during national and regional finals. Winners of each regional fina...

Food companies in the UK can apply for funding of up to £50,000 to offset the cost of sending surplus food to good causes and thereby helping people in need. The funding is part of the FareShare £3million Surplus with Purpose Fund and can be used to cover the additional staff costs needed for packing and sorting edible surplus food, or in building, implementing and managing new processes. It could also cover packaging and transportation cos...

The Welsh Government has announced that the second phase of the £200 million Economic Resilience Fund is open for applications. This phase is targeted at microbusinesses, SMEs and large businesses of critical social or economic importance to Wales. Micro businesses with a reduction of over 40% in turnover since the 1st March 2020 to apply for grants of up to £10,000. Grants of up to £100,000 are available to small and medium sized firms wi...

Charities and, social enterprises in disadvantaged areas facing financial hardship and disruption to their trading due to the coronavirus will be able to apply for emergency funding from a £100 million programme of loans and investment. The emergency package is made up of a £25 million Resilience and Recovery Loan Fund to provide emergency loans with no fees or interest for the first twelve months; £29 million for smaller, emergency loans t...

The Prince’s Trust and NatWest have launched a £5million grant fund for young entrepreneurs affected by coronavirus. The Fund is available to entrepreneurs aged 18-30, who can apply for grants and tailored support from today. Grants can be used to maintain core business operations during the crisis, as well as meet any existing financial commitments, such as paying for essential equipment or settling invoices from suppliers. In conjunction...

More than 90,000 ratepayers across Scotland will be able to benefit from one-off grants to help them deal with the impact of the coronavirus. Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with a rateable value of between £18,001 up to and including £50,999 will be able to apply for a one-off grant of £25,000. £10,000 is also available as a one-off grant to small businesses in receipt of the small business scheme or rural relief. The aim of th...

Funding of £500,000 is being made available to find and support the UK’s most promising female innovators, helping them develop their ideas and expand their businesses. Grants of £50,000 each and a bespoke package of mentoring, coaching and business support are offered to female inventors to develop solutions that tackle major economic and societal change, such as climate change, developing new treatments and services for healthcare patien...

Innovate UK has announced the launch of its £2.2 million Young Innovators Programme in partnership with The Prince’s Trust. Through the programme, grants of £5,000, as well as one-on-one coaching and an allowance to cover living costs, will be available to 18-30 year olds with a creative and ground-breaking business idea. Studies from Innovate UK, the UK government’s innovation support organisation, shows that half of young people in th...

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has extended the deadline for businesses to apply for customs support funding to the 31st January 2021.  This is to ensure that trade with the EU continues as smoothly as possible after Brexit. Customs agents currently help businesses who trade outside the EU. Businesses based in, or with a branch in, the UK can apply for funding to support training costs for businesses who complete customs declarations, or who i...

Disadvantaged and under-represented communities that want to develop successful community businesses by issuing community shares, can apply for development grants of up to £10,000 and equity investments of up to £100,000. The funding is available to both new and existing community businesses. The funding is however not suitable for newly formed community groups that are in the early stages of developing a community business proposal. The fun...

The government has announced a new £1.5 million fund to support community pubs. The funding will help an estimated 100 new groups to take ownership of and save their local pub or support their essential community services based in pubs in rural and remote areas. The £1.15 million fund will support community pubs through two key programmes. £650,000 will be allocated to the More Than a Pub programme which provides small grants and speciali...

The government has announced the launch of a new £10 million capacity fund to generate innovative proposals for new business-backed development corporations and similar delivery models. Local authorities individually or working in partnership can apply for up to £10 million over three years for proposals focus on housing and economic growth to regenerate their areas. Up to 10 proposals will be funded. To register an interest in applying f...

Funding is still available from the £3million Community Shares Booster programme which is being managed by Power to Change. This is an independent charitable trust that supports and develops community businesses in England. The programme provides existing community businesses that are either planning to make or have recently launched community shares offers with match funding of up to £100,000 in equity investment made on equal terms with o...

Businesses and Organisations in Scotland can apply for grants of up to £25,000 to encourage cycling as a healthy, sustainable and accessible way to commute. The funding is available for capital projects that encourage staff and visitors to travel by bike. The type of projects that can be supported includes the installation of secure and sheltered cycle parking; upgrades to shower, changing and drying facilities; the purchase of office pool bi...

Applications are now open for UK businesses to apply for grants of up to £2,500 to attend international trade shows. The financial support is for UK SMEs to participate in overseas exhibitions and conferences that cover a range of sectors, from education to aerospace and creative to maritime. Successful businesses can use the grants to fund direct exhibiting costs, including stand costs and conference fees. The funding is being made available...

Rural and urbarn communities that wish to take over the ownership of their failing local pub can apply for loan and grant funding of up to £100,000 as well as business development support through the More than a Pub programme. This is the 2nd phase of the programme which supported 190 communities and saw 28 pubs open their doors under community ownership from 2016 to 2019. The programme is run by the Plunkett Foundation and supported by Power...