Find grants and funding for your business, project, or community
Funding for UK businesses, charities, and community groups is fragmented across central government, local authorities, the National Lottery, regional Growth Hubs, and sector bodies. This hub explains the major schemes — Innovate UK, Made Smarter, Start-Up Loans, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, R&D tax relief, regional and sector-specific grants — alongside what funders typically ask for, common application mistakes, and how to spot grant scams. We cover sport, arts, environment, youth, disability, and rural funding, plus how to write a credible application and what to do when you have been refused.
42 guides in this section
Popular guides
View all 42Innovate UK & UKRI Grants
R&D grants and innovation funding from the UK Research and Innovation agency for businesses and researchers.
Startup Funding Support Options in the UK
A plain-English guide to grants, loans, and other startup funding available to new businesses in the UK.
UK Small Business Grants Overview
Find out what small business grants are available in the UK, who is eligible.
What Funders Usually Ask For
Understand what information and documents UK grant funders typically require, including business plans.
Regional Funding in England: An Overview
Understand how regional and devolved funding works in England, including combined authorities.
Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)
Tax relief for investors in very early-stage UK companies to raise up to £250,000.
Step-by-step guides
Follow a guided process from start to finish for common situations.
Compare your options
Prepare with a checklist
All guides in this section
Innovate UK & UKRI Grants
R&D grants and innovation funding from the UK Research and Innovation agency for businesses and researchers.
Startup Funding Support Options in the UK
A plain-English guide to grants, loans, and other startup funding available to new businesses in the UK.
UK Small Business Grants Overview
Find out what small business grants are available in the UK, who is eligible.
What Funders Usually Ask For
Understand what information and documents UK grant funders typically require, including business plans.
Regional Funding in England: An Overview
Understand how regional and devolved funding works in England, including combined authorities.
Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)
Tax relief for investors in very early-stage UK companies to raise up to £250,000.
Community and Charity Funding in the UK
Funding for community groups, charities, and voluntary organisations in the UK.
Social Enterprise Funding
Finance and grants specifically for social enterprises, CICs, and businesses with a social purpose.
Common Grant Application Mistakes
Learn the most common mistakes that lead to UK grant application rejections and how to avoid them.
Grant Scams and Warning Signs
Learn how to recognise grant scams and fraudulent funding offers targeting UK businesses and individuals.
Energy Efficiency Grants for Businesses
Grants and financing to improve energy efficiency and install renewable energy in commercial premises.
How to Write a Winning Grant Application
Structuring your application, evidencing need and impact, and avoiding common pitfalls.
Arts Funding
Grants from Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, and other bodies for arts and cultural projects.
Sports Funding
Grants from Sport England, UK Sport, and National Lottery for grassroots and elite sports projects.
Environmental Grants
Funding for environmental, conservation, and sustainability projects from public and charitable sources.
Heritage Funding
Grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England for heritage projects and buildings.
Youth Funding
Grants for youth clubs, young people's services, and organisations working with children and teenagers.
Disability Grants
Funding available to disabled individuals and organisations providing services to disabled people.
Social Enterprise Grants
Dedicated funding for social enterprises, community interest companies, and mission-led businesses.
Research & Development Tax Relief
How SMEs and larger companies can claim tax relief or credits on qualifying R&D expenditure.
Export Grants
Support from UK Export Finance and the Department for Business and Trade to help businesses sell overseas.
Digital Grants
Funding for digital transformation, tech adoption, and cybersecurity improvements for businesses.
Apprenticeship Funding
How employers can fund apprenticeships through the apprenticeship levy or government co-investment.
Rural Funding
Grants and support for rural businesses, communities, and land managers through DEFRA and devolved schemes.
Start Up Loans in Detail
The full application process for a government-backed Start Up Loan, including the business plan requirement.
Crowdfunding Guide
How reward, equity, and donation crowdfunding works and which platforms suit different types of projects.
Angel Investment
How angel investors work, how to find them, and what they expect in return for early-stage funding.
Venture Capital
How VC funding works, typical deal terms, and whether venture capital is right for your business.
Business Plan for Funding
What funders and investors look for in a business plan and how to present financial projections compellingly.
Match Funding
How match funding requirements work and how to find partner organisations or private donors to match a grant.
Cost of Living Business Support
Grants, rate relief, and schemes available to help businesses with rising energy and operating costs.
Levelling Up Fund
Capital investment grants from the Levelling Up Fund for infrastructure, regeneration, and local growth.
Community Ownership Fund (Closed)
The fund closed in 2024 with no further application windows. What it awarded, and what replaces it.
National Lottery Funding
How to apply for National Lottery grants through the National Lottery Community Fund and other distributors.
Trust & Foundation Funding
How to research and approach charitable trusts and foundations for project or core cost funding.
Post-Award Grant Management
Reporting, monitoring, and compliance obligations after receiving a grant to protect your award.
Creative Industry Funding
Arts Council, BFI, UK Games Fund, and creative sector grants.
Grant Reporting
Funder reporting requirements, evaluation, and audit.
Ethnic Minority Business Funding
Specific funding programmes for ethnic minority-led businesses.
Post-Brexit Trade Grants
Export support, UKEF, and international trade grants.
Growth Hub Navigation
How to use the 38 English Growth Hubs for free advice, signposting to grants, and specialist programmes — plus Wales/Scotland/NI parallels.
Local Authority Funding for Businesses and Communities
Understand how local councils in the UK fund businesses, community projects, and voluntary organisations, and how to access discretionary grants and.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a grant and a loan?
Are there grants available purely for starting a business?
Can I apply for multiple grants at the same time?
How do R&D Tax Credits work?
What is a Growth Hub and how can it help me?
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