The Ultimate List of Grants That Small Businesses Can Apply for in 2021 By Location
This is the definitive list of grants that UK-based small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can apply for in 2021. As you will see, the sheer wealth of grants available to SMEs reflects the Government’s pledge to ‘level up’ the economy.
This article will first look at UK-wide grants, then delve into grants available by nation, and finally, will examine grants available for each English region.
If you want to find out more about business grants for small businesses, you’ve come to the right place. At East river, we are committed to helping businesses set up in the UK to thrive and grow. Ask away for any questions at all.
UK-Wide Grants For Small Businesses
Vouchers for SMEs looking to reach international markets.
Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) grants scheme - England
Grants to help businesses increase their competitiveness in the construction sector.
CRACK IT – Challenges
A fund to support organisations solving business and scientific challenges to deliver commercial benefits.
Funding and advice for space services - UK
Funding for businesses who are seeking to develop a space-based service.
Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) - UK
Grant contributions to pay towards upgrading business broadband.
Heritage Enterprise (HE) - UK
Funding to help restore neglected historic buildings and sites and unlock their economic potential.
Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI2) - UK
Grants for SMEs focused on developing innovative medicines.
Horizon Europe funding
Funding for groundbreaking research that deals with challenges like climate change or food security.
Industry fellowship
Grants to fund a researcher’s salary/research costs for scientists looking to work on collaborative projects.
Innovate UK - grant funding, innovation loans and expert support
Grants of up to £10M to support innovative UK businesses that are developing new technologies.
Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)
Offers a maximum of £150,000 in tax reliefs for individual investors in your business.
£25,000 #BusinessBoost grant competition
A grant of £25,000 towards helping entrepreneurs launch a new business or help existing SMEs bounce back from COVID-19.
Tax credits for science and technology companies with fewer than 500 staff members and a turnover of under £100m (or balance sheet total under £86m).
Grants that go towards research, travel, and workshops.
£10,000 grants for small, ethnically diverse businesses
£10,000 grants for small, ethnically diverse businesses majority-owned by a person from a marginalised ethnic background with fewer than 15 employees and an annual turnover of less than £100,000.
Over 248 grants for improvements, from planting fruit trees to stone wall restoration.
Woodland Creation Planning Grant (WCPG)
Grants of up to £30,000 per project for the planting of multi-purpose woodland.
Funding of up to £15,000 for social entrepreneurs with a focus on creating access to employment, developing strong communities, and developing solutions for an ageing society.
Weekly allowance of up to £1,274 for unemployed people wanting to start their own business.
Grants of up to £5,000,000 for the restoration of neglected historic buildings and sites.
Grants of up to £350,000 for the transformation of high streets and town centres.
Grants of £12,000 for SMEs seeking to rebrand themselves.
Fantastic Services £5,000 (Re)start grant
Grants of up to £5,000 to help people to start up their own business within the domestic service industry.
Grants of up to £5,000 to help you start your social enterprise.
Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS)
Grant for self-employed people impacted by COVID-19 who submitted a tax return on or before April 23 2020.
Scotland
Business loans, grants and funding - Scotland
Finder to help businesses based in Scotland find funding from private and public organisations.
A package of financial support of up to £500m for Scottish businesses — the funding varies for each particular scheme.
Open Fund: Sustaining Creative Development
Funding available of up to £100,000 for individuals and organisations in the creative industries, aimed at helping them find new ways to adapt to changing conditions.
Temporary Closure grants of either £2,000 or £3,000 every four weeks (depending on the value of their property) if they have had to close due to government-mandated lockdowns.
Scottish Wedding Industry Fund
Grants of up to £25,000 for businesses whose primary income comes from the wedding industry and has been badly affected due to the pandemic.
Grants of up to £5,000 to support the introduction of innovative workplace practices to businesses based in Scotland.
NESTRANS Sustainable Travel Grant Scheme
Businesses based in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire can bid for up to £10,000 in matched funding to go towards initiatives that support sustainable transportation.
Aimed at fostering high-growth, up-and-coming entrepreneurial talent in Scotland, winners of this competition can get up to £100,000 in funding.
Grants focused on financially supporting businesses involved in the creation or management of woodland spaces.
Small Innovation Grants Scheme
Grants of up to £15,000 for SMEs based in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland developing innovative projects, with priority given to projects that are directly responding to the COVID-19 crisis.
Culture & Business Fund Scotland
Pound for pound match-funding grants for projects costing between £1,000 and £40,000, aiming to encourage businesses to sponsor arts and heritage activity within Scotland.
Grants of up to £2,000 for SMEs looking to upskill their workforce (and they will cover 100% of the total cost).
Orkney Islands New Business Start Up Grant
New Business Start Up Grant of up to £1,500 for new fully sustainable start-ups based in the Orkney Islands.
West Dumbarton Business Start Up Grant
Grants of up to £500 in start-up costs for new businesses based in West Dumbarton.
Wales
Caerphilly Business Start-Up grant
Start-ups in the Caerphilly County Borough can claim a discretionary grant providing 50% of eligible costs of up to £500 (for expenditure on things like capital equipment, training, and building works).
Grants for new and established SMEs in Caerphilly County Borough, going towards ‘eligible costs’.
Grants available to help businesses pay the wages of people who have been made redundant (in quarterly instalments of £3,000), and grants of £1,000 to help retrain them.
Community toilet grant scheme, Gwynedd County
Grants of £500 for businesses based in Gwynedd County if you allow your toilet to be used by the general public.
ISO Grant Scheme, Gwynedd County
Grants to help SMEs in Gwynedd County get ISO accreditation for their business, with the grant going towards the cost of working with a consultant to get the certification itself.
Vacant commercial floor space grant, Newport
Grant covering 50% of the costs of an individual or organisation’s first year’s rent in a new commercial space in Newport, up to the value of £6,000.
Start-up Business Grants, Newport City
Grants of up to £1,500 available to pre-start-ups and businesses up to 12 months old based in Newport City.
Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund
Grants incentivising rural businesses to create jobs — £20,000 per job created or an intervention rate of 45% for small businesses, or 35% for medium-sized businesses.
Grant for start-up SMEs of up to £1,000, while applicants must match-fund 50% of the total funding.
Grants of up to £4,000 for SMEs with fewer than 10 employees and a balance sheet total of less than £2M, and are located, or are planning to start trading, in the Bridgend County Borough.
Wales Tourism Investment Fund (WTIF) and the Micro Small Business Fund (MSBF)
Grant and commercial funding in one package of financial support, aiming to finance capital investment projects in the tourism sector in Wales.
Grants of up to £200,000 for SMEs in the circular economy based in Wales, whose projects seek to increase the use of recyclables, or extend the lifetime of products through preparation for re-use, refurbishment or re-manufacturing activities.
Grants of up to £50,000 for capital projects in Wales that will acquire, revitalise, and enhance nature.
Northern Ireland
Grants of either up to £10,000 or a concept-plus grant of up to £35,000 for entrepreneurs with innovative product or service concepts.
Available only to customers of Invest Northern Ireland (unless you prove that your business will grow, export your product overseas, and create jobs in Northern Ireland). Applicants can receive up to £10,000 to go towards staff training for firms involved in manufacturing or internationally tradable services.
Grant scheme for businesses involved in the expansion of forests, protection of existing forests, woodland management, and the ‘agri environment’.
Financial support of up to £2,250 towards professional advice relating to Brexit.
Rural Business Investment Scheme, Derry City and Strabane District Council
Capital grants of up to £90,000 (with 50% funding) for non-agricultural SMEs involved in the social enterprise sector that are based in rural parts of Derry City and Strabane Council.
England
Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk - England
Grants for the conservation of historic buildings, monuments and landscapes.
Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) grants scheme
Grant schemes available throughout England.
North West
Energy Efficiency Grant - Greater Manchester
Grants towards a project relating to energy efficiency (e.g. lighting, heating or equipment upgrades) that will reduce energy bills and environmental impact.
Key Fund - Midlands and the North of England
Grants for social enterprises in the North and the Midlands.
Grants for tourism-generating projects based in Eden, Cumbria.
Premises Improvement Grants, Pendle
Grants for Pendle-based businesses of up to £3,000.
Grants towards business ventures that support infrastructure projects that enhance development, and create jobs and homes in Cumbria.
Grants of up to £7,500 for SMEs in the Liverpool City Region to enter or grow in the renewable energy supply chain.
Enhancing SMEs international trade performance
Grants to SMEs based in the North West of up to £1,500 to help companies carry out Export Action Plans.
Greater Manchester #SEEDIFFERENT SME Apprenticeship Support Grants
Grants of £3,000 may be offered to SMEs based in Greater Manchester that don’t pay the Apprenticeship Levy and haven’t employed an apprentice in at least two years.
Salford Skills for Business Apprenticeship Fund
Fund that covers the training and employment costs for Salford-based SMEs.
Accelerate Cheshire and Warrington
Funding for SMEs in Cheshire and Warrington to support them to reskill their workforce.
North East
DigitalCity Accelerator Programme - Tees Valley
Grant of up to £5,000 for digital SMEs based in Tees Valley that have been trading for up to 18 months.
Key Fund - Midlands and the North of England
Grants for social enterprises in the North and the Midlands.
North of Tyne Growth Fund
Grants for business growth projects that lead to job creation.
PNE Enterprise - business support service - North East England
Grants for businesses based in the North East of England
Tees Valley Business Start Up programme
Grant funding for residents thinking of starting a business in certain priority sectors based in the Tees Valley.
The Growth Fund
Grant funding of up to £200,000 for businesses based in Gateshead, South Tyneside & Sunderland.
Tees Valley Apprenticeship Support Grant
A grant of up to £3,000 per apprentice for Tees Valley SMEs in high-demand sectors identified in the Tees Valley Strategic Economic Plan.
Grants of up to 30% of expenditure for SMEs expanding or establishing in Newcastle, Tyneside or Northumberland and planning a capital investment of at least £134,000.
Arrow: Supporting Innovation in the North East
Offers up to £10,000 of match-funding for businesses in the North East.
Yorkshire
Business Growth Programme
Capital grants towards job-creating expansion projects in the Leeds City Region.
Conservation grant scheme - Howardian Hills
Grants to help with community and rural conservation projects in the Howardian Hills.
Product and Process Innovation - York, North Yorkshire and East Riding
40% grant innovation funding for small businesses in York, North Yorkshire and East Riding.
Sustainable Development Fund - Howardian Hills
Grants to help with social and rural economic development projects in the Howardian Hills.
Scarborough Business Development Grant Scheme
Grants of up to £5,000 for Scarborough-based start-ups with fewer than 10 employees.
Growing Hull & East Yorkshire Business Investment Grants
Capital grants of up to £250,000 for SMEs in Hull and East Yorkshire to support and incentivise investment, growth, and job creation.
Grants starting from £10,000 for Hull-based individuals or organisations looking to start, expand, or reorganise.
South West
Agri-tech Cornwall - Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
Grants to enhance research, development, and innovation in agritech.
Arts University Bournemouth Innovation Vouchers
Vouchers to access external expertise, facilities, and equipment to help SMEs develop.
High Impact Scale-Up Coaching Grant
Grants up to £5,000 for high-growth businesses in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bath, and North East Somerset.
Small Growth Grants for Dorset
Small grants given to projects over £4,000 for Dorset businesses with plans to grow.
Business Innovation Fund, West of England
Grants of up to £20,000 for SMEs based in the West of England to help develop innovative projects and products.
East Midlands
FEAST 2
Grant funding that provides up to 25% of the cost of all production equipment purchases in Derbyshire, South East Midlands, and Nottinghamshire.
Key Fund - Midlands and the North of England
Grants for social enterprises in the North and the Midlands.
Harborough Business Grant for Apprenticeships
Grants of up to £750 are available to help businesses in the Harborough district take on new apprentices.
Match-funded grants of up to £9,000 available for East Midlands businesses.
DE-Carbonise Project - Derby and Derbyshire
Grants of up to £20,000 to help SMEs reduce carbon emissions.
Business Growth Grant - Leicestershire
Grants of up to £25,000 for SMEs trading over 12 months.
DRIVEN - ESF High Level Skills programme
Grants to help SMEs in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to recruit talented students and graduates.
NBV Grant for Enterprise
Grants to support growth of micro and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Greater Lincolnshire.
Green BELLE - Leicestershire
Energy efficiency grants and advice for SMEs in Leicester and Leicestershire.
NBV Grant for New Businesses, Nottinghamshire
Grant of up to £2,500 for businesses based in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Greater Lincolnshire.
Energy for Business - Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
Business support and grant funding for energy efficiency projects.
Invest to Grow
Grants to support SMEs in the East Midlands to innovate, grow, and create jobs.
Greater Lincolnshire Growth Fund
Up to £500,000 in capital grant funding (with the proviso that you will match-fund up to 80%) with priority given to sectors like agri-food, manufacturing, health and care, ports and logistics, visitor economy, low carbon and digital.
Business Growth and Digital Growth Grants (GLLEP)
Grant of up to £5,000 (contributing to 50% of overall costs) for Greater Lincolnshire-based SMEs seeking to increase turnover or create jobs.
Growing Enterprise, Lincolnshire
Grant of up to £2,500 for SMEs based in Greater Lincolnshire — businesses have to pay the supplier for the full cost of the project before receiving the grant.
Grants of up to £250,000 for Lincolnshire-based businesses making developments that enable the delivery of new jobs and commercial space.
Grant of 30% of project spend for creative or digital industry SMEs in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire looking to grow their business.
D2N2 Capital Growth Fund
Grant funding of up to £10,000 towards capital investment projects of SMEs based in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire with potential for growth.
D2N2 Growth Hub Business Investment Fund (BIF)
Grant funding of up to £20,000 towards the costs of efficiency projects for SMEs based in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Business Growth Grant Scheme - Mansfield
Grants of up to £2,500 for existing businesses in Mansfield that can produce a growth plan leading to job creation.
Business start-up grant scheme - Mansfield
Grant of up to £1,000 for new businesses in the Mansfield area.
West Midlands
Innovation Voucher
Innovation vouchers to help SMEs in Birmingham, Solihull, Redditch, Bromsgrove, and Wyre Forest enhance new processes and systems to improve efficiency.
Key Fund - Midlands and the North of England
Grants for social enterprises in the North and the Midlands.
Business Growth Programme 2 – The Marches
Grant support up to £1,000,000 for individuals and businesses seeking to start, grow and expand in the Marches.
The Supplier Skills Programme (SSP)
Grants of up to £18,000 for SMEs in Birmingham, Solihull, Redditch, Bromsgrove, and Wyre Forest, to go towards the upskilling of new and existing employees.
Growth Deal funding, Black Country
Grant for private sector landowners in the Black Country seeking to de-risk their sites.
Heavy Duty Vehicle Fund
West Midlands based SMEs conducting commercial operations in Birmingham could apply for up to £200,000 to upgrade their vehicle fleet.
Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme
Grants of up to £50,000 to fund projects aimed at reducing SMEs’ carbon footprint.
Business Growth Programme 2 - Greater Birmingham & Solihull
Grants of up to £1,000,000 to support the growth of businesses trading over 6 months in the Greater Birmingham & Solihull area.
Diverse Supply Chains Project
Up to £2,500 in grants to help minority-owned businesses in Greater Birmingham and Solihull enter the supply chains of large public and private sector organisations.
Business Energy Efficiency Programme - West Midlands
Grants to help businesses in the West Midlands reduce energy costs.
Duplex Investment Fund
Combined grants and loans towards capital purchases for SMEs based in Coventry or Warwickshire.
Lichfield District Start Up Grant Scheme
A one-off grant of £3,000 for people in Lichfield looking to start a business.
Proof of concept funding - Worcestershire
Grants of up to £30,000 (towards project costs) for SMEs to test and develop early stage new business ideas.
Business Growth Grant, Worcester City
Grants of up to £3,000 (match-funded pound for pound) for Worcester City based SMEs that have been trading for more than a year.
Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme
Warwickshire District Council will fund up to 40% of investment on new equipment that cuts carbon emissions for your business, providing grants of up to £50,000.
Low Carbon Revenue Grants, Warwickshire
Warwickshire City Council is providing grants aiming to commercialise low carbon products, covering 40% with a maximum £6,000 funding.
Low Carbon Innovation Grants, Warwickshire
Grants of up to £50,000 to go towards Warwickshire SMEs developing low carbon products or invest in low carbon technology, covering 40% of improvements.
Business Energy Efficiency Programme (BEEP), Worcestershire County
Worcestershire County is providing ‘energy efficiency’ grants of up to £20,000 available to SMEs throughout Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Telford, and Wrekin and Shropshire.
Warwickshire County Council Growth Fund – Small Capital Grants
Warwickshire County Council is offering grants of up to £35,000 to SMEs with growth plans.
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Grants for Growth
Capital grants of up to £160,000 to be used to expand your premises or buy new plant, machinery and equipment. Project costs must be at minimum £35,000.
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Revenue Grant
Grants of £1,000 for SMEs based in Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire to go towards product design, specialist consultancy costs, or improvements to your website.
Malvern Hills Enterprise Scheme
Grants of up to £1,000 for SMEs in the low carbon economy to go towards investment in the business’s own environmental sustainability.
South East
Civic Improvement Fund (ECIF) - Elmbridge
Grant of up to £15,000 to help the Elmbridge economy, including improving empty shopfronts.
This is a one-off grant of up to £1,000 to go towards start-up costs.
Digital High Street Fund, Elmbridge
Grants to help independent high street retailers based in Elmbridge establish or upgrade e-commerce websites, with funding of up to 90% of costs, up to a maximum of £2,000.
Enterprise M3 Growth Fund
Growth funding of up to £200,000 for businesses in Surrey and Hampshire.
Low Carbon Workspaces - Hertfordshire
Grants to help introduce energy efficiency measures. There are also similar grants in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.
South East Creatives (SECCADS)
Grant funding of up to £1,400 to support freelancers, sole traders, start-ups and growing businesses based in Essex, East Sussex, or Kent.
Reigate and Banstead Business Support Grant
Grants of up to £1,000 for SMEs with fewer than 4 employees that are based in Reigate and Banstead Borough.
The Hertfordshire Start-up Programme
Match-funded grant of up to £3,000 for new businesses in Hertfordshire.
TALE (Transport and Logistical Efficiencies)
Grants of up to £60,000 to help SMEs who transport goods or deliver services, to improve their use of data.
The Business Hothouse
Grants between £5,000 to £120,000 for individuals starting or growing a business in the Coast to Capital LEP area.
Grants of £1,500 to private and voluntary organisations who are looking to hire an apprentice.
Grants between £10,000 to £25,000 (with a minimum match-funding of 60%).
Grants between £10,000 and £25,000 for East Sussex businesses seeking to grow.
Grant of £1,000 to encourage independently owned retailers to take up ground floor premises that have been empty for at least 1 month (class A1 or A3) in Romsey and Andover.
Small Business Grant Scheme, Crawley
Grants of up to £4,000 available to Crawley-based businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
South East Business Boost (SEBB), East Sussex, Kent, Essex
Open to businesses across the South East, firms can secure a grant of up to £10,000.
Social enterprise, Wenta, can offer up to £3,000 via support programmes for businesses based in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Enfield.
Grants available for capital spending between £2,500 and £50,000 but 50% of the costs must be matched by private funds.
Businesses based in Maidstone with an apprentice between the ages of 16 to 24 can receive a £1,500 apprenticeship grant.
East of England
Get Growing 2
Possible grants for SMEs in Hertfordshire looking to grow.
New Anglia Small Grants Scheme and Growing Business Fund
Grants of up to £25,000 to entrepreneurs who want to grow their business; and up to £500,000 to local businesses who are keen to grow and create new jobs, covering up to 20% of total project costs.
Broadland District Enterprise grant
Grant of up to £750 for Broadland-based SMEs with fewer than 10 employees.
The West Lindsey Feasibility Fund (formerly the Gainsborough Feasibility Fund)
Grants of up to £5,000 (you provide 50% match-funding) to support SMEs with professional fees or technical survey work.
Business Energy Efficiency (BEE Anglia)
Grants of up to £10,000 to help businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk to cut their carbon emissions.
New Anglia Growth Through Innovation Fund
Grants up to £25,000 (paying for up to 50% of total project costs) to help businesses invest in innovation, research and development.
London
ReLondon Circular pilot grants
Grants of up to £15,000 to support SMEs based in London with circular economy projects.
It’s worth noting that most grants for London-based businesses are controlled by local councils rather than by the UK government itself. To find out more, check out your local council’s website.
What Are You Eligible For?
There are clearly plenty of UK government grants for small businesses, with the government keen to get UK SMEs flourishing as quickly as possible. Be sure to make the most out of this opportunity while you can.
For more advice on business grants for small businesses, or for wider help with strategic growth planning, accounting experts in the UK.
