Business Development

The Scottish Funding Council has announced that the next deadline for applications under its Follow on Innovation Voucher Scheme is the 23rd November 2018. 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 Educatio...

UnLtd, the charity for Social Entrepreneurs is seeking applications to its Impact Fund. The fund aims to address one the key challenges for early stage social ventures: getting to access to capital. The Impact Fund will invest in around 35 social ventures over the next three-years. Initially, the UnLtd Impact Fund is looking to support social ventures tackling challenges related to training and employment - including school leavers and apprent...

Round Three of this business innovation competition will open on Monday 24 September 2018. Worth a total of £20 million, the investment will fund the delivery of game changing or disruptive innovations that have significant potential for impact on the UK economy. UK-based business of any size or research and technology organisations can apply for a grant for up to 70% funding for projects costing £25,000 up to £3 million and lasting 6 - 36...

A new loan funding opportunity is available to community sports organisations that need investment to enable them to grow and become more sustainable by generating more or new income. Unsecured loans of £50,000 to £150,000, repayable over 3 to 5 years, are available to help the development of new projects, operations and revenue streams. Loans will not cover capital costs but could be an investment to support, for example, a community café...

Businesses across the UK are being invited to collaborate with an academic or research organisation and a graduate 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 business the opportunity to access new skills and the latest academic thinking to help them deliver a specific, strategic innovation project. KTPs can las...

To enable small and medium sized business to overcome barriers to implement waste prevention measures a new fund has been launched. Grants are available to SMEs to undertake a particular project with a focus on raw materials savings, carbon savings and the movement of waste material up the waste hierarchy. To be eligible to apply for funding the applicant organisation must have a base in Scotland and be a small or medium sized enterprise with...

Charities and social enterprises in England working in either the homelessness or youth sectors can now apply for grants to develop or grow their enterprising activity and earned income. Feasibility grants of between £5,000 - £10,000 will enable organisations to investigate and develop an enterprise proposition from the very earliest stage into a proposed delivery plan. Development grants of around £50,000 offer support for enterprise prop...

A combination of business support as well as potential access to finance are available to social enterprises that improve access to employment for those excluded from the labour market. Designed to give social enterprises the chance to grow their business and deliver greater social impact, up to 20 ventures will be supported in 2018. The support is being made available through Unltd’s new social accelerator programme, Thrive. . Eligible a...

Researchers and innovators who have promising technology-based business ideas can apply for funding through the Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowships programme. The funding is designed to allow researchers and innovators to concentrate solely on developing the commercial potential of their proposal, whilst receiving one year's salary; up to £10,000 support funding; expert training in entrepreneurship and mentoring. The Fellowships...

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...

Small and medium size businesses in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland interested in investing in Gigabit connectivity are being encouraged to take advantage of a UK wide voucher programme. Offered by the UK Government, individual business can claim up to £3,000 towards the cost of full fibre connection or join together with nearby businesses to make a group application with each member able to claim a £500 voucher. The scheme is open unt...

Key Fund, an investor in community and social enterprises, plans to invest £1m every month for the next five months through a combined loan and grant package to help finance new business ideas or existing business growth for the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. Grants will be at the discretion of the Key Fund, but typically make up 10 percent of the loan taken. Applicants don't need assets or even necessarily experience, the...