A government grant is essentially an incentive package made available by various government bodies and organisations to individuals as well as businesses. Government grants (barring the finance grants) are usually non-repayable.
Depending upon the nature of the grant body and the grant objective, these grants can come in a variety of sizes and formats. As far as small businesses are concerned, such grants range from £1,000 to £500,000. Some of the bigger and more prized grants can go even higher.
Government grants have been there for a long, long time. The names and forms they have taken may have changed over time – from business subsidies to business support – but the objectives haven’t. If you were to analyse government grants across business sectors and districts, two things become very clear:
To put things in a more sweeping perspective, we can say that government grants have three clear objectives:
Even though government grants are incredibly appealing, very few SMEs actually realise the potential of such grants. Here are some features of government grants that SMEs can’t afford to overlook:
Government grants are diverse: Very specific grants are available across all business sectors. This allows SMEs to compete more fairly for similar grants.
Grants are more than just money: As we will discuss in the next part of this post, government grants offer much more than just money.
Winning a grant validates your business idea: A large number of SMEs are stuck in the validation loop that stops them from expanding or trading more confidently. Inadequate funding makes matters even worse. A grant can be a good way to turn the corner in such times and receive external recognition and validation.
While the features associated with government grants are certainly attractive, there exist shortcomings and drawbacks you should be aware of:
The competition is fierce: The competition for government grants is fierce to say the least. Since young businesses, start-ups and established businesses all tend to spill over into the space that’s reserved for SMEs, the competition can become entirely off-putting.
It can take months before you see the money: Applying for a government grant isn’t always the smoothest of processes. It can take many months for the assessment process to conclude, making grants irrelevant for businesses that require urgent funding.
Grants can never replace external funding: Given their limitations in size and scope, government grants cannot replace external, third-party funding channels – not in the long run, anyway.
A Start Up Loan is a government-backed personal loan available to individuals looking to start or grow a business in the UK.
In addition to finance, successful applicants receive 12 months of free mentoring and exclusive business offers to help them succeed.
The loan is unsecured, so there’s no need to put forward any assets or guarantors to support an application.
All owners or partners in a business can individually apply for up to £25,000 each, with a maximum of £100,000 available per business.
Adoption support fund
The adoption support fund (ASF) provides funds to local authorities and regional adoption agencies (RAAs) to pay for essential therapeutic services for eligible adoptive and special guardianship order (SGO) families. The ASF will continue to offer support to adoptive and eligible special guardianship families up to March 2025.hjg
Location England
Funding organisation Department of Education
Who can apply Personal / Individual
How much you can get From £1 to £5000
Total size of grant scheme N/A
Opening date 1 April 2022, 12:00am
Closing date 31 March 2025, 12:00am
Healthy Start
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk. If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. We’ll add your benefit onto this card every 4 weeks.
Location England, Wales, Northern Ireland
Funding organisation Department for Work and Pension and the NHS
Who can apply Personal / Individual
How much you can get From undefined to undefined
Total size of grant scheme
Opening date 1 April 2022, 12:00am
Closing date 31 March 2025, 12:00am
Woodland Partnership (Forestry England)
A lease scheme available to private and public landowners with options of 60 or 120 years. Forestry England (FE) are looking for land plots suitable for tree planting ideally of 50Ha+. Once the lease is agreed FE will design, plant and manage the new woodland and the landowner will receive a negotiated rent.
Location England
Funding organisation Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Who can apply Public Sector, Private Sector, Non-profit
How much you can get From £100 to £300 per hectare per year
Total size of grant scheme £50 million
Opening date 1 April 2022, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2024, 11:59pm
Electric vehicle infrastructure grant for staff and fleets
The grant provides small and medium-sized businesses money off the cost of installing electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints and supporting infrastructure for their staff and fleet vehicles.
Location National
Funding organisation Office for Zero Emission Vehicles
Who can apply Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £350 to £30,000
Total size of grant scheme £5 million
Opening date 1 April 2022, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2025, 11:59pm
Electric vehicle chargepoint and infrastructure grants for landlords
Grants for landlords to install electric vehicle chargepoints and supporting infrastructure in rental and leasehold properties.
Location National
Funding organisation Office for Zero Emission Vehicles
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £350 to £30,000
Total size of grant scheme £500,000
Opening date 1 April 2022, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2025, 11:59pm
Electric vehicle chargepoint grant for renters and flat owners
The grant provides electric vehicle (EV) drivers who are renters or own a flat with support towards the costs of the purchase and installation of EV charge points.
Location National
Funding organisation Office for Zero Emission Vehicles
Who can apply Personal / Individual
How much you can get From £300 to £350
Total size of grant scheme £5 million
Opening date 1 April 2022, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2025, 11:59pm
Apply for Funding for Community Projects
Find out information from your Local Authority about community-based funding and grants for projects like activities for young people, volunteer programmes and development of communal facilities.
Location England, Wales
Funding organisation Local Authorities
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From Various to Various
Total size of grant scheme Various
Opening date 1 April 2022, 12:00pm
Closing date 31 December 2025, 11:59pm
Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS)
The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS) delivers investment to safeguard the long-term sustainability, resilience and prosperity of the seafood sector across England.
Location England
Funding organisation Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £500 to £250,000
Total size of grant scheme £20.3 million
Opening date 13 April 2022, 12:01am
Closing date 28 February 2025, 11:59pm
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) supports the decarbonisation of homes and small non-domestic buildings in England and Wales. The scheme provides upfront capital grants of £5000 or £6000 to encourage property owners to replace existing fossil fuel heating with more efficient, low carbon heating systems including heat pumps and biomass boilers.
Location England, Wales
Funding organisation Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £5,000 to £6,000
Total size of grant scheme £450 million over 3 years
Opening date 23 May 2022, 12:01am
Closing date 31 December 2024, 11:59pm
Commissioned Rehabilitative Services General Grant Scheme
Commissioned Rehabilitative Services General Grant Scheme for support for people with shared protected characteristics or shared experiences or to promote rehabilitation and desistance to support the aims of Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) to protect the public and reduce reoffending. This includes the aims to improve people’s engagement in, and experience of, probation and other rehabilitative activities; to support an individual’s rehabilitation and desistance journey; and to improve HMPPS’ knowledge of which activities work to support people and to encourage rehabilitation and desistance.
Location England, Wales
Funding organisation Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service
Who can apply Non-profit
How much you can get From £8,000 to £450,000
Total size of grant scheme
Opening date 22 July 2022, 12:00pm
Closing date 29 March 2024, 5:00pm
Tree Health Pilot
The tree health pilot scheme will test different ways of slowing the spread of pests and diseases affecting trees in England. It expands on support already available through the Countryside Stewardship woodland tree health grant.It expands on support already available through the Countryside Stewardship woodland tree health grant.The results of the pilot, which runs from August 2021 to 2024, will help develop the future funding policy for tree health schemes. Around 100 grant agreements will be allocated through a competitive application process.
Location England
Funding organisation Forestry Commission
Who can apply Non-profit, Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Private Sector
How much you can get From £500 to No maximum award as it is dependent on learning objectives
Total size of grant scheme £3 million
Opening date 1 August 2022, 12:01am
Closing date 31 August 2024, 11:59pm
Business Support for Scotland
FindBusinessSupport.gov.scot gives an overview of grants, loans, funding, advice and other support available to businesses in Scotland, offered by over 100 Scottish public sector organisations, conveniently in one place. Information is available for businesses of all sizes and sectors, from start-ups and sole traders to large enterprises and includes support for social enterprises.
Location Scotland
Funding organisation Scottish Government
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From Various to Various
Total size of grant scheme Various
Opening date 23 September 2022, 12:01am
Closing date 30 September 2030, 11:59pm
Capital Grants 2023: Countryside Stewardship
Capital grants are standalone grants under Countryside Stewardship which can also be used to support and complement Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier, Higher Tier, Wildlife Offers and Environmental Higher Level Stewardship. Capital Grants are 3 year agreements offering capital items to achieve specific environmental benefits within 4 groups; boundaries, trees and orchards (including the former hedgerows and boundaries grant items), water quality, air quality, natural flood management. There is no limit on either the amount of any application or the amount you can apply for in each of the 4 groups (boundaries, trees and orchards, water quality, air quality and natural flood management.
Location England
Funding organisation Department of Food and Rural Affairs
Who can apply Personal / Individual
How much you can get From £1 to £20,000
Total size of grant scheme £60,000
Opening date 5 January 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 4 January 2024, 11:59pm
Good Growth Community Capacity Fund
The Community Capacity Fund programme is being managed by Cornwall Council, with a dedicated team available to offer advice and support to potential applicants. All enquires should be directed to this team who can be contacted through: Email: ccf@cornwall.gov.uk Website: Community Capacity Fund https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/business-trading-and-licences/economic-development/community-capacity-fund/ The focus of this programme is to engage with community-based organisations across Cornwall, opening up opportunities for them to get involved in developing projects for their area.
Location South West England
Funding organisation Cornwall Council
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £2,000 to £25,000
Total size of grant scheme £1.23 million
Opening date 1 February 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 1 November 2024, 11:59pm
Trees, woodlands and forestry - Local Authority Treescapes Fund
Defra - Forestry Commission – Nature for Climate Fund. The Local Authority Treescapes Fund (LATF) will fund Local Authority-led tree planting and assisted natural colonisation of trees outside woods, establishing more trees in settings such as parklands, riparian zones, copses and shelterbelts, as well as green lanes and small linear woodlands alongside roads and footpaths. The fund aims to improve landscape connectivity outside woodland, increase natural colonisation and provide benefits to ecosystems and society, such as carbon absorption.
Location England
Funding organisation Defra - Forestry Commission – Nature for Climate Fund
Who can apply Public Sector
How much you can get From £50,000 to £300,000
Total size of grant scheme N/A
Opening date 8 February 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 8 February 2024, 11:59pm
Trees, woodlands and forestry - Urban Tree Challenge Fund
Urban Tree Challenge Fund provides funding to support the planting and establishment of standard trees in urban and peri-urban areas in England, particularly in areas of low canopy cover and high social deprivation. The fund encourages community involvement and education while providing benefits to wider society including health and well-being and addressing climate change.
Location England
Funding organisation Forestry Commission
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £10,000 to N/A
Total size of grant scheme N/A
Opening date 8 February 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 8 February 2024, 11:59pm
Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Capability Fund
Grant to local authorities to support capacity in delivering local electric vehicle chargepoints.
Location England
Funding organisation Department for Transport
Who can apply Public Sector
How much you can get From £279,000 to £3 million
Total size of grant scheme £45.8 million
Opening date 21 February 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2025, 11:59pm
National Highways Lorry Parking Facilities Improvements Scheme
This grant provides lorry parking operators with support to improve HGV driver facilities through the provision of welfare facilities, parking and improved security.
Location England
Funding organisation National Highways
Who can apply Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £1 to £20 million
Total size of grant scheme £20 million
Opening date 6 March 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 30 March 2025, 11:59pm
Regional Capacity Building
We offer funding under this programme for activities and projects which are local or regional in coverage and which promote the understanding, management and conservation of the historic environment. Our support for building and maintaining sector capacity is focused on the sustainable management and development of the historic environment. We aim to ensure that those eligible activities and projects for which there is a lack of alternative sources of funding are our highest priorities for support.
Location England
Funding organisation Historic England
Who can apply Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £1,000 to £100,000
Total size of grant scheme £1 million
Opening date 1 April 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2024, 11:59pm
UK Global Screen Fund International Distribution Festival Launch Support
Supporting the festival launch of UK films in order to enhance their promotion, reach and value internationally.
Location National
Funding organisation British Film Institute
Who can apply Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £1 to £15,000
Total size of grant scheme £1 million
Opening date 1 April 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2024, 11:59pm
Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas
Local authorities can apply for funding under our Partnership Schemes in Conservation Areas (PSICA) scheme. These schemes are run on a day-to-day basis by local authorities and are designed to target funding for the preservation and enhancement of conservation areas. They are based on a partnership between us, the Local Authority and other funding bodies and are designed to ensure the long term sustainable future of conservation areas, in particular through supporting heritage-based regeneration initiatives.
Location England
Funding organisation Historic England
Who can apply Public Sector
How much you can get From £100,000 to £300,000
Total size of grant scheme £1 million
Opening date 1 April 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2024, 11:59pm
Plug-in Taxi Grant
This grant provides taxi drivers with money off the upfront cost of a new zero emission capable taxi, so that they can buy them more cheaply. You do not apply for the grant. The seller includes it as a discount in the purchase price.
Location National
Funding organisation Department for Transport
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Private Sector
How much you can get From £1 to £7,500
Total size of grant scheme N/A
Opening date 1 April 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2024, 11:59pm
Plug-in Van and Truck Grant
The plug-in van grant (PIVG) was launched in 2012 to help bridge the price gap between the cost of ultra-low emission vans and diesel vans. It was extended to trucks, also referred to as heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in 2016.
Location National
Funding organisation Department for Transport
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £2,500 to £25,000
Total size of grant scheme N/A
Opening date 1 April 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2025, 11:59pm
Section 17 Management Agreements
We can offer funding to improve the management of monuments or access to them through agreements with the owner or occupier of the land. These agreements usually run for a term of three or five years. We can include payment for one-off repairs which would usually be carried out at the start of the term. More major repairs can be considered under our Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk grant scheme. Our priorities for funding through management agreements are be scheduled monuments at risk.
Location England
Funding organisation Historic England
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £100 to £20,000
Total size of grant scheme £250,000
Opening date 1 April 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2024, 11:59pm
Plug-in Motorcycle Grant
Some types of zero emission mopeds and motorcycles are eligible for a grant from the government, so that you can buy them more cheaply. You do not apply for the grant. The seller includes it as a discount in the purchase price.
Location National
Funding organisation Department for Transport
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £150 to £500
Total size of grant scheme N/A
Opening date 1 April 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2024, 11:59pm
UK Global Screen Fund: International Distribution Film Sales Support
Supporting UK sales agents to increase their international promotion and sales of UK feature film projects.
Location National
Funding organisation British Film Institute
Who can apply Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £1 to £25,000
Total size of grant scheme £1 million
Opening date 1 April 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2024, 11:59pm
Heritage Protection Commissions Programme
The Heritage Protection Commissions provides funding for strategic research and to build skills and capacity in our historic environment. The research funding from this scheme helps us to know what our historic environment comprises, which aspects of it are the most significant, how people value and interact with it, and what innovations in science and approach will help us to look after it for the future. The capacity building is targeted towards helping to reduce or avoid risk to the historic environment by building the capacity and commitment of local communities to champion the conservation and enhancement of their own local historic environment.
Location England
Funding organisation Historic England
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £100 to £300,000
Total size of grant scheme £4.5 million
Opening date 1 April 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2024, 11:59pm
Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk
We give grants towards the repair and conservation of listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered parks and gardens. This includes project development actions which enable repair or improved future management. Our grants under this scheme are intended to reduce the risk faced by some of the most significant historic sites in England, as shown on the Heritage at Risk Register. We focus our grants on those sites which are most in need of repair and where, without our grant, a project would not be able to go ahead. This scheme was formerly called Grants for Historic Buildings, Monuments and Designed Landscapes.
Location England
Funding organisation Historic England
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £5,000 to £500,000
Total size of grant scheme £9 million
Opening date 1 April 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2024, 11:59pm
Business Events Growth Programme
The Business Events Growth Programme forms part of Government’s commitment to grow the business events sector. The programme supports the attraction of international business events, which align with the Government's priority industry sectors, the growth of the international profile of business events in the UK, as well as the creation of new business events. Through the programme, VisitBritain supports all organizations in hosting international business events in the UK. Whether you would like to win international events or to develop, grow and internationalise your events, the Business Events Growth Programme can support.
Location England, Wales, Scotland
Funding organisation British Tourist Authority t/a VisitBritain
Who can apply Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £2,000 to £20,000
Total size of grant scheme £350,000
Opening date 5 May 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 December 2023, 11:59pm
The Force for Change programme
Through the Force for Change programme, the Trust will fund projects which make a real difference to Armed Forces communities locally. They will support projects that offer support to Armed Forces communities to help with needs that may not have been addressed in the past. This can also include funding for pilot projects; or to try new ways of offering local support. It can also include projects that build on earlier work that you have done.
Location National
Funding organisation The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust
Who can apply Non-profit, Public Sector
How much you can get From £1 to £15,000
Total size of grant scheme N/A
Opening date 22 May 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 13 December 2023, 5:00pm
Trees, woodlands and forestry - HS2 Woodland Fund
The HS2 Woodland Fund re-opened on Tuesday 30 May 2023 for applications supporting projects that create and restore woodland along the High Speed Two (HS2) Phase One route. £3.25m is available to support woodland creation and the restoration of plantations of ancient woodland sites (PAWS). First launched in November 2017 and managed by the Forestry Commission on behalf of HS2 Ltd, the fund is available for sites located up to 25 miles from phase one of the route from London to the West Midlands. The Woodland Creation aspect of the fund will now be available under the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO).
Location England, South East England, Midlands
Funding organisation High Speed 2 (HS2) Ltd / Forestry Commission
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £1 to £300,000
Total size of grant scheme £3.25 million
Opening date 30 May 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 31 March 2024, 11:59pm
Good Growth Community Levelling Up Programme
This programme puts communities at the heart of delivery. Funding is available to enable locally based projects and skills investments that tackle deprivation and level up communities across Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.
Location South West England
Funding organisation Cornwall Council
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £5,000 to £200,000
Total size of grant scheme £7.6 million
Opening date 27 June 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 1 December 2024, 11:59pm
UK Seafood Fund: Fleet modernisation – engine replacement & engine modifications
This round will trial replacement engines and the modification of engines in commercial fishing vessels, to support the modernisation of the UK fleet.
Location National
Funding organisation Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Who can apply Personal / Individual, Private Sector
How much you can get From £1 to £160,000
Total size of grant scheme £2 million
Opening date 17 July 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 13 December 2024, 11:59pm
Teacher Mentoring Programme (TMP)
On 28 March 2023, the Department for Education (DfE) announced the next phase of government support for FE teacher mentoring through the Teacher Mentoring Programme. Following a competitive procurement, DfE has signed a two-year contract with Cognition Learning Group for delivery of the programme which will run until 31 March 2025.
Location England
Funding organisation Department for Education
Who can apply Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £5,000 to £25,000
Total size of grant scheme £3 million
Opening date 31 August 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 30 March 2025, 11:59pm
DHSC Community Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Fund
Organisations across England are being invited to bid for a share of £1 million of government funding to buy life-saving defibrillators for community spaces like town halls, local parks or post offices. The DHSC Community Automated External Defibrillator (CAED) Fund will support provision of 2000 AEDs. These will be distributed across England during 2023-2024, supporting any organisation based in England that is not eligible for the current Department of Education AED programme.
Location England
Funding organisation The Department of Health and Social Care
Who can apply Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector
How much you can get From £450 to £1,250
Total size of grant scheme £1 million
Opening date 22 September 2023, 12:01am
Closing date 21 September 2024, 11:59pm
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