Grants
There is a comprehensive list of grants to secure funding for your business
1) Entrepreneur First (EF).
EF is Famous as one of the first accelerators to bring together talented individuals who do not know each other and forging these individuals into entrepreneurs and formidable startups teams. The startups created are focused purely on deep technology and solving significant solutions in global markets. A recent example of success if the acquisition of one of their AI startups called Magic Pony by Twitter in recent years. On the programme, you’ll receive access to hands-on mentors, experts and investors with a focus on fast growth and technology development. If your looking for a project this programme might be a good fit for you, be warned it is a highly competitive process.
Funding/duration: £16,600 – £19,900 for startups created during the programme in exchange for 8% equity (this may vary for startups that join the programme with 1 or more founders). The programme duration is unknown.
Location/contact: London
2) R/GA IoT Venture Studio.
The R/GA IoT Venture Studio was born in 2016 and is an accelerator programme for early, mid and late stage startups or companies developing connected hardware products and software services. The program is particularly specialised for firms involved in digital technology, fintech or smart city technologies. The programme covers everything from industrial engineering to sales, marketing and much more (IOT = Internet of Things).
Funding/duration: £75,000 in exchange for 6% equity. The standard programme duration is 3 months.
Location/contact: London
3) StartupBootCamp IOT.
StartupBootCamp IOT is a Connected Devices accelerator programme for early-stage ventures building physical products or software in the Internet of Things space, specifically companies working on connected devices with industrial or consumer applications. To apply, you will need a prototype that is working and at least two co-founders.
Funding/duration: €15,000 in exchange for 6% equity. The programme duration is 3 months and 2 months free office space.
Location/contact: London
3) TechStars
Techstars is arguably one of the worlds most successful accelerators, their London chapter is open to all kinds of digital technology but tends to focus on early-stage deeptech or other sector startups with more traction.The added advantage of Techstars apart from the world-class program is the network of founders, investors and startups they have amassed, arguably better than any other accelerator in this regard. You also have the cache of a being a Techstars Alumni but bear in mind before applying the programme is very tough to get into. Each cohort they take is 13 startups in size; several groups are run each year.
Funding/duration: €15,000 with an optional convertible note of €70,000 (the first sum in exchange for between 6 and 10% equity). The standard programme duration is 12 weeks.
Location/contact: London
4) Ignite
Ignite is a comprehensive programme from concept ideas to later-Stage companies in the software industry. The program is mostly carried out remotely, meaning any UK startup would be able to take part in Ignite. Regarding criteria, to apply for an Ignite program, you’ll need to have an MVP, be a team of at least two founders and be working on your project/business full time.
Funding/duration: £25,000 for 5%, with a contribution of a further 1% to their founder’s equity pool which is owned by the founder and the Ignite team. The standard programme duration is 6 months.
Location/contact: Manchester (Mostly remote)
They offer both accelerator programs and a place in their incubator with a team of 60 operators eager to help founders build great companies. Their investors help startups with distribution, product validation, data access, market insights, relationships, credibility, and capital. In exchange for a minority stake in each startup they give £150,000 seed round and 12 months of operational support. Until today, they have 53 startups accelerated and 13 startups incubated from various industries starting with AI & big data, beauty, education, FinTech, and media.
6) Proof of Concept Grant Fund
This Proof of Concept Grant Fund from Techstart is a pre-commercial grant awarding fund. It supports entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland with grants to explore the viability and commercial potential of an innovative concept.
Techstart gives out concept grants of either up to £10,000 or a concept plus grant of up to £25,000. Concept Grants are awarded on a quarterly basis while Concept Plus Grants are awarded every four months.
7) Grant for Business Investment (GBI)
GBI is a capital grant offered by the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). These mainly intend to help businesses expand and diversify their perspectives. It can help entrepreneurs set up a new company or fund a new project. The minimum financing offered is Ј10,000. The grants are available for businesses of all sizes with different ratios of total project funding provided.
8) Innovate UK
Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency, and provides networking, collaboration and funding opportunities, business-led innovation and R&D.
9) Staffordshire Business Funding
• Grants of up to £9,000 available (37% intervention)
• Fund external specialist support to help you research, develop & launch to market a new product or service.
• The Grant can be used to pay for specialist advice in areas such as IPR strategy, advice on New Product Design and Development, IT support, Financial advice, Marketing strategy for a new product, process or service.
10) Southwark Pioneers Fund -Southwark
Grants of up to £5k to help businesses and charities to start and grow, and to deliver social value for the Southwark community. A grant of up to £5,000 to help with piloting, testing and experimenting with new or innovative enterprise ideas.
Prior to filling out the Southwark Pioneers Fund grant application form, check to ensure that you meet each of the following criteria:
• you're over 18 years old
• you're registered with Companies House, or registered as a charity, or registered as a sole trader with HMRC
• your enterprise is registered to a Southwark postcode or you can demonstrate that you wish to start-up and grow in Southwark within the next three months
• you're a micro-enterprise / charity or entrepreneur with fewer than 10 full time employees
• you're a micro-enterprise / charity or entrepreneur at an early stage of your business life cycle (0-5 years) and/or you have the intention to grow and scale
11) Key Fund - Midlands and the North of England
Key Fund can support a range of activities, from restoring a derelict building to buying equipment or meeting start-up costs. If you’re an existing enterprise that needs to adapt and shift its focus or create a new service, we can help with immediate cash-flow problems or working capital until you’re on your feet.
From Derby to the borders of Scotland, we can provide investment of between £5,000 and £150,000 to support:
• Working capital to pay for staff or overheads
• Growth and development
• Contributing to the purchase and renovating of buildings
12) Tees Valley Business Start Up programme
How much you can get
up to £10,000
Maximum employees
9
What you can get
Access to workshops and possible grant funding. You must be starting your business and creating jobs in one of the priority sectors to apply.
There are specific grant criteria, please contact the provider to discuss your eligibility.
Region:
North East.
13) Northern Ireland Business Support Finder
Type of support:
Finance, Equity, Grant, Loan, Expertise and advice, Recognition awards
Business stage:
Not yet trading, Start-ups (1-2 years trading), Established
Industry:
Agriculture and food, Business and finance, Construction, Education, Health, Hospitality and catering, IT, digital and creative, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Mining, Real estate and property, Science and technology, Service industries, Transport and distribution, Travel and leisure, Utilities providers, Wholesale and retail
Number of employees:
0 to 9 employees, 10 to 249 employees, 250 to 500 employees, More than 500 employees
Region:
Northern Ireland
14) Enterprise Europe Network - Greater London
Maximum employees
249
What you can get
You can get free tailored support and advice to help your business innovate and grow internationally, such as:
• finding the right partners for research, development and innovation
• finding new markets for your products
• accessing funding and finance
• assessing and planning your internal resources
Organiser:
Innovate UK
15) Energy Efficiency Grant - Greater Manchester
Type of support:
Business stage:
Start-ups (1-2 years trading), Established
Industry:
Agriculture and food, Business and finance, Construction, Education, Health, Hospitality and catering, IT, digital and creative, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Mining, Real estate and property, Science and technology, Service industries, Transport and distribution, Travel and leisure, Utilities providers, Wholesale and retail
Number of employees:
0 to 9 employees, 10 to 249 employees
Region:
Opportunities for tenders.
There is a special public tendering process. Successful public tender applications must follow this specific series of steps:
• Identify a relevant opportunity
• Make sure you can fulfil the requirements of the tender
• Express interest to the buyer
• Complete the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ)
• Invitation to tender (ITT) is issued
• Submit full tender response
Public sector contracts.
Opportunities to tender for public sector and government business can be found on Contracts Finder and Tenders Electronic Daily (TED). Contracts Finder allows businesses to research information about contracts worth over the value of £10,000 with the Government and its agencies.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own public sector procurement websites for contract opportunities within each respective country, which are:
• Wales: Sell2Wales
• Scotland: Public Contracts Scotland
• Ireland: eSourcingNI
Special Guidance Note concerning “Publication of Central Government Tenders and Contracts” is available via the link:
How to register for opportunities to tender?
• All the necessary details are listed below:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/skills-funding-register-for-opportunities-to-tender
• A person, willing to view a list of tenders or contracts, can consult the relevant website:
https://in-tendhost.co.uk/parliamentuk/aspx/Home
• The pdf instruction is provided to understand the following instructions on how to register your company or organisation:
https://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/Guidance-for-Suppliers-V4.pdf
• Contracts Finder lets you search for information about contracts worth over £10,000 with the government and its agencies.
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
The Digital Services framework will give public sector customers easy access to suppliers of all sizes with the right digital capabilities to help them produce public services that are digital by default and focused on user needs. It will be a flexible and speedy route to meet customers’ needs for digital project expertise.
How to become a supplier
To supply cloud services you will need to register on the Digital Marketplace and apply through the G-Cloud Framework.
The Application Process
There are 2 parts to the supplier application process on the Digital Marketplace. Suppliers have to:
• confirm information about their company history and the way they work through a series of questions. This is called the ‘supplier declaration’.
• add information about the services that they want to offer.
Applications are now open and the next step for suppliers will depend on whether they’re already registered with GPS.
• Suppliers not registered with GPS (Government Procurement Service) will need to register to access the https://gpsesourcing.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/emptoris/sso_login.jsp#/login/loginPage
• Suppliers already registered with GPS should express their interest in this framework by e-mailing ExpressionOfInterest@gps.gsi.gov.uk detailing their organisation’s name and interest in the Digital Services Framework Reference RM1043
• Once GPS has registered your ‘expression of interest’ email, you will receive an email from GPS with instructions to log into the GPS eSourcing Suite. Once logged in you will need to accept the ‘invitation to tender’ which will give you access to the documentation you need to proceed.
