Updated 10 September 2026
Start-up business grants in the UK
Schemes open today whose published criteria a new company can meet: no trading history required, or an age limit a start-up is inside. Re-checked daily.
41 open today. Whether your business qualifies for any of them depends on your legal form, your size, your age and where you are, which is what the check does.
Which of these can you actually get?
Enter your company number. We read each funder’s own page against your business and tell you which fit, which do not, and why.
Check my businessWhat kind of funding these are
- Grants
- 23
- Loans
- 8
- In-kind and free support
- 7
- Equity investment
- 2
- Mixed
- 1
A grant is money you keep. A tax relief lowers a bill rather than arriving as cash. In-kind support is training, credits or expert time instead of money. Loans and equity have to be paid back or bought back, and are worth treating as a different decision entirely.
Who can apply
Every one of these has published criteria. Across the 41, the conditions that come up most are that you must:
- have been trading for a set time25 of 41
- be a particular kind of organisation14 of 41
- be at a particular stage12 of 41
- be under a headcount limit8 of 41
- work in a named sector6 of 41
- be a certain age5 of 41
Which of them you meet depends on your legal form, size, age and where you are registered. That is what the check reads for you, scheme by scheme, and it quotes the funder’s own sentence beside each answer.
What the money is for
- Start-up costs 28
- Equipment 16
- Business growth 14
- Website and ecommerce 9
- Marketing 8
- Staff training 8
- Research and development 5
- Digital and software 4
How to apply
You apply to the funder, never to us. Every scheme above links straight to its own page, and that page is the only thing that decides whether you get it.
Before you spend an afternoon on a form, three things are worth checking: that you are inside the deadline — 2 of these close within the month; that you have not already started or paid for the work, which a great many grants refuse; and that you can fund the share they expect you to.
Most refusals are not close calls. They are a rule the applicant never saw, in a sentence on the funder’s own page.
Where else to look
The government publishes its own list, free, and you should use it. What is above is wider than that list, because it also holds council schemes, tax reliefs and in-kind support that Find a Grant does not carry — but if you only want a list, start there.
Find a grant, on GOV.UKThe 41 open today
Equity
Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and VCT — higher limits for knowledge intensive companies
HM Revenue & Customs
Up to£40,000,000
Knowledge intensive companies carrying out research, development or innovation can raise more investment, and for longer, than the standard Enterprise Investment Scheme or Venture Capital Trust limits allow, provided they meet extra conditions on staff, R&D spend and company age.
RollingThe funder’s page
Equity
Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)
HM Revenue & Customs
Up to£10,000,000
The Enterprise Investment Scheme lets a qualifying company raise equity investment by issuing new shares to individual investors, who in turn receive UK tax reliefs. The company must meet size, age and trading conditions, use the money raised to grow the business, and submit a compliance statement to HMRC before investors can claim relief.
RollingThe funder’s page
Mixed
Finance Durham Fund
Business Durham
Up to£2,000,000
A County Durham investment fund managed by Maven Capital Partners, offering flexible debt, equity or mezzanine funding packages of £150,000 to £2 million to early-stage and established businesses of any sector, based in or relocating to County Durham.
RollingThe funder’s page
Loan
Midlands Engine Investment Fund II – Debt Fund
Department for Business and Trade
Up to£2,000,000
A flexible debt fund providing loans between £100,000 and £2 million to established SMEs trading business to business across the East and West Midlands, to support growth plans such as working capital, asset purchase, product development, new staff and marketing. It cannot be used to refinance existing debt.
RollingThe funder’s page
In-kind support
AWS Activate Credits
Amazon Web Services, Inc.
Up to£200,000
AWS Activate Credits gives eligible startups promotional credit toward AWS cloud services. A self-funded entry tier offers up to $5,000, while startups backed by a venture capital firm, angel investor or accelerator that is a registered AWS Activate Provider can apply for up to $200,000, with a further invite-only tier for AI startups scaling beyond that.
RollingThe funder’s page
Loan
NI Small Business Loan Fund
Invest Northern Ireland
Up to£125,000
The NI Small Business Loan Fund offers unsecured loans of £10,000 to £125,000 to small and micro businesses based in Northern Ireland that are in their start-up or growth phase. It is delivered by Ulster Community Finance Ltd and Enterprise Northern Ireland, as part of Invest NI's Access to Finance Strategy.
RollingThe funder’s page
Loan
Start Up Loans
Start Up Loans Company (British Business Bank)
Up to£100,000
A government-backed loan of up to £25,000 per business owner or partner, capped at £100,000 per business, to start or grow a UK business. The loan carries a fixed interest rate and is repaid over one to five years, and successful applicants also receive 12 months of free mentoring. From April 2026 the eligibility window for a first loan extends to businesses that have been trading for up to 60 months.
RollingThe funder’s page
In-kind support
Retool for Startups
Retool
Up to£60,000
Retool gives qualifying early-stage startups its Team or Business plan free for a year, worth up to $60,000, applied as a 100% discount coupon on the first invoice cycle. It is a software credit rather than cash, aimed at new customers that are bootstrapped or have raised a modest amount of early-stage funding, and were founded within the last decade.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
BBSRC-STFC DeepTech Catalyst Bio 2026
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Up to£50,000
A UKRI business incubator programme giving early-stage UK biotech start-ups R&D funding, an innovation voucher, and access to UKRI campuses and investor networks. Applicants must already have received prior BBSRC/UKRI-linked support and be taking a bioscience innovation to market.
Closes 14 September 2026The funder’s page
Grant
Build It
Firstport
Up to£40,000
Firstport's Build It fund gives early-stage Scottish social enterprises up to £40,000 in grant funding to create new permanent salaried roles paid at least the Real Living Wage. It is aimed at enterprises with a proven trading track record that need staff to reach financial sustainability.
Closes 24 September 2026The funder’s page
In-kind support
Scaleway Startup Program
Scaleway
Up to£36,000
A staged cloud-credit programme from French cloud provider Scaleway for early-stage startups going to market. Businesses progress from a one-off Founders voucher through an Early Stage tier to a Growth Stage tier, together worth up to €36,000 in cloud credit, plus community support and technical guidance.
RollingThe funder’s page
Loan
Start Up Loans
SWIG Finance
Up to£25,000
SWIG Finance is a delivery partner for the government-backed Start Up Loans Scheme, offering unsecured personal loans for business purposes to new and early-stage businesses in South West England. Loans run from £500 to £25,000 per applicant at a fixed 7.5% interest rate over 1 to 5 years, with free mentoring and support included.
RollingThe funder’s page
Loan
Start Up Loans (Let's Do Business Finance, South East England)
Let's Do Business Finance
Up to£25,000
Let's Do Business Finance is a regional delivery partner for the British Business Bank's Start Up Loans scheme, offering personal loans of £500 to £25,000 for business purposes to people starting or recently started a business in the South and East of England. Loans are fixed at 7.5% per annum over 1 to 5 years, with free application support and mentoring.
RollingThe funder’s page
Loan
Start Up Loan (South East)
Let's Do Business Finance
Up to£25,000
A personal loan for business purposes, delivered by Let's Do Business Finance as the British Business Bank's regional Start Up Loans partner for the South East of England. Loans of £500 to £25,000 are available at a fixed 7.5% APR for people launching a business or trading under five years, with free application support and post-loan mentoring.
RollingThe funder’s page
Loan
Start Up Loans (via SWIG Finance, South West)
SWIG Finance
Up to£25,000
Start Up Loans, part of the British Business Bank, offers personal loans of up to £25,000 per director to help launch or grow a new or early-stage business, plus free mentoring. SWIG Finance is the Bank's delivery partner for this government-backed programme across the South West of England.
RollingThe funder’s page
Loan
Virgin StartUp - Loans for UK Entrepreneurs (Start Up Loans)
Virgin StartUp
Up to£25,000
Virgin StartUp, a national delivery partner of the government-backed Start Up Loans programme, has a £20 million allocation for the 2026-27 financial year to lend to founders across the UK. Loans of £500 to £25,000 are available for start-up costs, equipment, marketing and cashflow, alongside optional mentoring.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
Community Enterprise Fund
Firstport
Up to£5,000
The Community Enterprise Fund, delivered by Firstport with money from the Scottish Government's Social Entrepreneurs Fund, gives grants of up to £5,000 to help community groups in Scotland start trading or set up a social enterprise. It covers most start-up costs but not existing activities, repairs or property improvements, and is a rolling, open programme.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
Early Enterprise Support Scheme (EESS)
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council)
Up to£5,000
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's Business Gateway team, funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, offers capital-purchase grants to new and growing businesses in the Outer Hebrides trading for less than 5 years. Grants of £5,000 (full-time) or £2,500 (part-time) cover up to 50% of eligible costs, rising to 70% for certain project types.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
Enterprising Worcestershire Grant
Worcestershire County Council
Up to£5,000
Worcestershire County Council offers the Enterprising Worcestershire Grant, a match-funded grant of £1,000 to £5,000 for start-up SMEs, or businesses trading for 3 years or less, in the districts of Bromsgrove, Redditch, Worcester City and Wyre Forest. It funds items such as machinery, equipment, website construction, marketing materials and consultancy support.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
Bassetlaw Enterprise Grant
Bassetlaw District Council
Up to£2,000
A small local grant from Bassetlaw District Council to help pre-start and early-stage businesses in Bassetlaw with costs such as marketing and equipment. It covers up to half of project costs, with a discretionary smaller one-off grant also possible.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
SWEF Business Grant
SWEF
Up to£2,000
SWEF, a national funder partnering with local community foundations, offers grants of up to £2,000 through Foundation Derbyshire to young business owners aged 18-30 in Derbyshire or Derby City. The grant is aimed at an already-trading business (under two years old) that wants to make a significant step forward, for things like equipment, product development, a website, or training.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
SWEF business grants
Kent Community Foundation
Up to£2,000
Kent Community Foundation delivers the SWEF programme locally, offering grants of up to £500 for pre-revenue start-ups and up to £2,000 for young-entrepreneur businesses trading up to two-and-a-half years in Kent or Medway. The grant covers equipment, materials, websites and prototypes, but not salaries, rent or software development costs.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
SWEF Enterprise Fund
Staffordshire Community Foundation
Up to£2,000
SWEF Enterprise Fund gives young people across Staffordshire grants towards business start-up costs, particularly those not in education, employment or training. It has two streams: Start-Up grants up to £500 and Business Grants up to £2,000, reviewed monthly until funds run out.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
SWEF Enterprise Fund Business Grant
Community Foundation Northern Ireland
Up to£2,000
Community Foundation Northern Ireland, in partnership with SWEF Enterprise Fund, offers grants of up to £2,000 to young NI-based entrepreneurs who cannot afford to invest in their own business. The grant is aimed at early-stage sole traders, limited companies and CICs limited by shares, trading less than 2.5 years, and can go towards equipment, prototypes, a website/booking system or training.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
SWEF Enterprise Fund - Business Grants
Community Foundation for Staffordshire and Shropshire
Up to£2,000
A grant of up to £2,000 for young people aged 18-30 in Shropshire or Telford & Wrekin running a sole trader, partnership, limited company or CIC that has been trading for less than two years. The money does not need to be repaid and must be spent on a specific, quoted item that will help the business grow.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
SWEF Enterprise Fund – Business Grants
Community Foundation for Staffordshire & Shropshire
Up to£2,000
Business Grants of up to £2,000 for young sole traders, partnerships, limited companies and CICs in Staffordshire or Stoke-on-Trent that have been trading under 2.5 years and need support to grow. Grants do not need to be repaid.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
SWEF Enterprise Fund (Dorset)
Dorset Community Foundation
Up to£2,000
A rolling grant of up to £2,000 for young people in Dorset aged 18 to 30 who want to invest in their own business but cannot access finance from other sources such as a bank loan.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
SWEF Enterprise Fund - Established Business Grant
Somerset Community Foundation
Up to£2,000
A SWEF Enterprise Fund grant delivered by Somerset Community Foundation to help young entrepreneurs aged 18-30 in Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) and North Somerset grow and develop an existing new business. Grants of up to £2,000 are considered every month and applications are open all year round.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
SWEF Enterprise Fund (Lancashire)
Community Foundation for Lancashire
Up to£2,000
The SWEF Enterprise Fund, delivered by the Community Foundation for Lancashire, gives grants of between £500 and £2,000 to young people in Lancashire who need help covering business costs they could not otherwise afford. This is a listing-page entry with a truncated description, so the exact age range and full eligibility criteria are not given here.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
SWEF Enterprise Fund (Merseyside)
Community Foundation for Merseyside
Up to£2,000
The SWEF Enterprise Fund, delivered by the Community Foundation for Merseyside, gives grants of between £500 and £2,000 to young people in Merseyside who need help covering business costs they could not otherwise afford. This is a listing-page entry with a truncated description, so the exact age range and full eligibility criteria are not given here.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
SWEF Grants
SWEF
Up to£2,000
SWEF grants of up to £500 or £2,000 support young people aged 18-30 who are starting or running an early-stage business, giving them money towards equipment, stock, prototypes, a website or training. In this area applications go through Foundation Derbyshire or ForeverNotts, so it is only open to businesses in Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
New Business Start Up Grant
Orkney Islands Council
Up to£1,500
A discretionary grant from Orkney Islands Council to help new small businesses in Orkney get started. It contributes towards start-up costs such as capital equipment, marketing and training, with awards between £500 and £1,500. Applicants must register with Business Gateway before applying.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
Business Launchpad Bursary
Carmarthenshire County Council
Up to£1,000
Carmarthenshire County Council offers a fully funded bursary of up to £1,000 to help people living in Carmarthenshire test-trade a business idea before formally setting up a business. Applicants must be over 18 with little or no previous business experience, and must submit a breakdown of planned spending with supplier quotes. The award is paid up front, with evidence of spending due within two months and evidence of test-trading within six months.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
New Business Start-Up Grant
Inverclyde Council
Up to£750
Inverclyde Council offers a grant of up to £750 to help cover the start-up costs of a new business that has begun trading in Inverclyde in the last six months. Applicants must first meet a Business Gateway Inverclyde adviser, and the grant is paid retrospectively once trading is evidenced.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
SWEF Enterprise Fund - Start-Up Grants (Cumbria)
Cumbria Community Foundation
Up to£500
Small start-up grants of up to £500 for young people aged 18 to 30 living in Cumbria who are launching or have recently started a business and are struggling financially to develop it. Money can go towards equipment, stock, prototypes, a website or training, but not salaries, debt or new tech unless second-hand.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
Fife Start-Up Grant
Fife Council
A small grant from Fife Council, delivered by Business Gateway Fife, to help people starting a new business in Fife cover the costs of starting to trade, such as equipment, stock and certification. The grant is paid retrospectively after costs have been incurred and claimed.
Closes 14 February 2027The funder’s page
In-kind support
Fit To Bid
Department for Business and Trade
A fully-funded programme of workshops and 1:1 advice delivered by Brandiun Business Support Ltd to help small and medium-sized London businesses win contracts with Tier 1 suppliers, including a bid capability assessment and tendering guidance.
RollingThe funder’s page
In-kind support
Get Started and Grow scheme
Staffordshire County Council
Free, expert-led business support for individuals starting a business and businesses under five years old, based in Staffordshire (excluding Stoke-on-Trent). Successful applicants choose one package: a website build, branding and logos, legal support, or masterclass workshops in social media, marketing or accountancy.
RollingThe funder’s page
In-kind support
MongoDB for Startups
MongoDB
MongoDB for Startups gives qualifying early-stage software startups free MongoDB Atlas cloud-database credits and Voyage AI embedding/reranker tokens, plus technical guidance and support, delivered as a redeemable promo code valid for 12 months after activation. The programme has tiers by stage (bootstrapped through rapidly scaling) but the page does not state a credit amount for any tier.
RollingThe funder’s page
Grant
Start-Up Grant
Mansfield District Council
Mansfield District Council offers a grant for pre-start and new businesses trading less than a year, alongside a separate Growth Grant for more established firms. Businesses register interest through the council's Business Support Enquiry Form and a dedicated Business Adviser then follows up to discuss funding and wider support.
RollingThe funder’s page
In-kind support
Women in Business Programme
Staffordshire County Council
A fully-funded programme from Staffordshire County Council giving women running an early-stage business free start-up workshops, one-to-one mentoring from experienced female entrepreneurs, skills training (leadership, finance, confidence, digital, marketing) and networking events. It is open to female entrepreneurs based in Staffordshire (excluding Stoke-on-Trent) running a business no more than five years old.
RollingThe funder’s page