A business grant from the council means non-repayable funding from your local authority.
What kind of grants do councils provide?
Councils usually want improvements in the community, so these are the grants you’re most likely to see.
- Job creation: Creating new jobs or taking on apprentices/interns
- Energy efficiency: Making improvements to operations such as upgrades to lighting, insulation or office equipment
- Tourism: Attracting people to the local area with new experiences and exhibitions
- Thriving high street: Reviving disused buildings and turning them into shops or hospitality venues; improving signage and shop fronts
Where to find a council business grant
Below is a list of business grant schemes offered by the council, or a body connected to the council, in your area.
If you’re in Scotland or Wales, check out these articles:
Birmingham and Solihull Export Support Programme
What is it?
Through BASESP, grants are available to businesses looking to engage in new or enhanced export-readiness activity in overseas markets. The grant fund will do this by supporting 100% of the total eligible costs up to a maximum grant award of £6,000.
Businesses can submit more than one bid up to a combined total value of £6,000 subject to funding availability at the time.
This grant is open to small to medium enterprise (SME) based within the Birmingham City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council local authority areas.
Businesses from all sectors are eligible for consideration, except for:
– Charities
– Those of a political or religious persuasion-
– Any business activity that is illegal or deemed unsuitable for public support by Birmingham City Council
How to apply
To request an expression of interest form, email the Growth Hub: bsgh@birmingham.gov.uk. Use ‘Birmingham and Solihull Export Support Programme’ in the email subject field.
When the Growth Hub receives your expression of interest, they will arrange a free business diagnostic appointment.
Buckingham Business First Grants and Vouchers
What is it?
Buckinghamshire have a plethora of options for grants for manufacturing, growth, innovation and other areas.
How to apply
Check Buckinghamshire Business First to see what’s available.
Support packages, Cheshire East
What is it?
Chesire East Council delivers a programme of promotional activity to encourage and secure new inward investment and reduce barriers to growth for businesses looking to relocate or expand. It works to attract investment in key employment sites and regeneration schemes to help create high value jobs.
How to apply
For more, click here.
Coventry Business Support Programme
What is it?
The grant funding can be used for the following activities:
– Relocation, expansion, and growth of existing businesses
– Developing new market opportunities
– Low carbon/energy efficiency/waste management – Green grants through the Business Energy Advice Service Programme
– Improving systems and processes
– Capital investment, e.g., new plant, machinery and equipment
– Increase in productive capacity of new and existing premisses through new property builds/refurbishment/extensions.
How to apply
For more information, complete an expression of interest form here.
Eden Tourism Grant
What is it?
A £500 tourism grant for tourism-related projects in the Eden district.
How to apply
For details see the Visit Eden website (managed by Westmoreland & Furness Council).
Town Centre Shop Front Grant
What is it?
Businesses located within the defined town centre boundaries of one of Amber Valley’s four market towns: Alfreton, Belper, Heanor, or Ripley can apply for funding of up to £4,000, aimed at improving and revitalising shop frontages.
The grant operates on a match-funding basis, with the contribution varying depending on the total project cost.
Total Project spend band:
– Below £1,250 – Not eligible
– £1,251–£2,500 -80% flat
– £2,501–£3,000 – Slides 80% → 70%
– £3,001–£4,500 – 70% flat
– £4,501–£5,000 – Slides 70% → 60%
– £5,001–£6,667 – 60% flat
Above £6,667 – 60% capped at £4,000
*If your total project cost is higher, you can still apply for the grant, however the maximum grant award is £4,000.
If you are unsure about the timing of your project or need further advice, please contact regeneration@ambervalley.gov.uk
How to apply
To apply, please complete an online application form.
Independent Retailer Grant, Test Valley
What is it?
Provided by Test Valley Borough Council, the Independent Retailer Grant supplies £1,200 to encourage independently owned retailers to take up vacant space in Romsey and Andover.
It’s open to new or existing businesses moving into ground floor premises which have been vacant for at least one month in the primary shopping areas of Andover and Romsey.
How to apply
Find out more here.
Natural Flood Management (NFM) construction grant scheme
What is it?
The Herefordshire Natural Flood Management (NFM) Project aims to reduce flood risk to local communities, as well as improve water quality and enhance biodiversity, using natural flood management processes.
The NFM construction grant scheme has been designed to provide the necessary funding to help support landowners and farmers within the project’s priority sub-catchments (shown in the map below and in the detailed catchment maps) to alter their land and water management practices to slow the flow of water and reduce flood risk to downstream communities.
The grant can be used for:
– Soil management
– Over winter cover
– In field water retention
– In channel water retention
– Fencing
– Trackway
– Tree planting
– Landowner innovation
How to apply
Apply before March 2027. Find out more here.
Get Growing 2
What is it?
These grants are for SMEs based in Hertfordshire that have five or more full-time equivalent employees.
Eligible businesses will collaborate with a growth account manager who will carry out an analysis of your business and put in place an action plan including:
– Recruitment
– Accessing new markets
– Developing a digital strategy
– Product development
How to apply
You must register and find more information here.
Nelson Town Deal grants
What is it?
The grants are to help manufacturing businesses become more resilient and to help them grow.
There are three priorities for the funding:
1. Investment in new plant or machinery
2. Energy efficiency/Carbon reduction
3. Premises improvements or adaptations
The grant funding can be for up to 50% of eligible project costs. The business would meet the remainder of the cost. The maximum grant is £100,000.
For every £10,000 of grant, the business is expected to create one new full-time job.
For every £10,000 of grant the business will need to show that two jobs, which would have been at risk without the funding, have been safeguarded.
How to apply
If your business is interested in taking forward a grant funded project please request an Expression of Interest (EOI) Form from Mike Williams.
North of Tyne Business Support Fund
What is it?
The Fund covers up to 50% of eligible business spend and grants are available to support projects costing between £3,000 and £8,000 (excluding VAT).
Your business may be eligible for funding if it’s a trading SME based in the North of Tyne Combined Authority catchment area.
You can use the grant for most types of business support where external expertise will help your business to grow or become more resilient.
How to apply
Apply here.
Go Digital, Norfolk
What is it?
Business owners and managers can apply for a grant of up to £500 to help you implement a digital action plan. Applications are on a first come first served basis.
Your business must meet certain requirements to take part in the Go Digital funding programme:
– Your business must be based in Norfolk
– You must have fewer than 250 employees
– Your turnover must be less than £42.9M
– You must have received less than £198k in public sector funding in the last 3 years
– You have been trading for the past 6 months
– You already use digital technology in some way e.g. a website, social media account etc.
How to apply
Fill out the form on the website to apply.
Local Growth Fund Low Carbon Project
What is it?
This project provides dedicated support and a source of funding for eligible businesses to reduce their energy consumption and carbon emissions.
To be eligible to take part in the project your business must:
– Be a Small or Medium Sized Enterprise (SME), meaning 250 employees or fewer, with a turnover of less than £54 million
– Have commercial premises in Sheffield – the scheme cannot support home-based businesses
– Not have received more than £315,000 Minimal Financial Assistance subsidy over the last 3 years
– Be able to provide 12 months’ energy bills to establish baseline energy use (or however many months you’ve been in your premises, if less than 12 months)
How to apply
Find out more here.
Improving Green Spaces for Businesses
What is it?
Through this pilot, funded by Staffordshire County Council, fifteen businesses will be selected to receive up to £1,000, enabling them to create a new green space or make meaningful improvements to existing green spaces on their site. Participants will also receive expert advisory sessions to help shape their project, ensuring each green space maximises benefits to wildlife, visual appeal, and positive impact for staff and visitors.
The project aims to target underused, unkept, sites with little or no planting, or poor biodiversity value. The project will support the transformation of these spaces to maximise benefits.
Eligibility:
– Business premises located in Staffordshire (Staffordshire Post Code not including Stoke-on-Trent)
– SME businesses that are registered on Companies House (and trading for 12 months)
– Will continue to trade from their premises for a minimum of two years after the project is completed
– Own the land the green space is on, or have permission from the landowner
– Can match fund the grant with their own funds at a minimum 50% contribution
– Can ensure that site constraints and ecology of the site have been considered before any work is undertaken
Applicants will be required to join advice sessions after joining the programme (it will be a requirement that all businesses accepted will attend sessions with expert advice to develop site specific plans to maximise impact for staff, wildlife and curb appeal).
How to apply
Fill out an expression of interest form here.
Elmbridge business boost grants
What is it?
The Elmbridge business boost grants help Elmbridge businesses, local high streets and support the local economy.
The business boost grants can help your business with:
– Up to £5,000 available in grant support to help businesses improve their shop fronts or signage
– Up to £5,000 available in grant support to help bring a shop that has been empty for at least three months back into commercial use
– Up to £2,000 to help town or village wide projects to drive new footfall, investment, street improvements or sustainability
All applications require at least 50 per cent match funding and three quotes for each element.
How to apply
Complete either the PDF or Word application form which can be found here: Elmbridge Borough Council
If you require any more information, please contact us at business@elmbridge.gov.uk.
Solar for Business
What is it?
Through the Solar for Business scheme, West Suffolk Council will design, fund, install, and maintain a solar photovoltaics (PV) installation on your business’s roof. 100 per cent of the electricity generated by the system is provided for your business to use at a discounted tariff cheaper than your current electricity supplier, to help you cut your energy bills.
To be eligible for Solar for Business, the following criteria must be met:
– Annual electricity consumption of at least 5,000 kilowatt hours (kWh), this is equivalent to an annual electricity bill of £1,250 if paying 25p per kWh
– Your building must be located within West Suffolk, Babergh, or Mid Suffolk
– Your building cannot be Grade I or II listed
– If you do not own the premises, you would like the panels installed on, you must have landlord permission to join this scheme.
How to apply
Complete the Solar for Business Enquiry Form to express your interest in the scheme.
Worcestershire grants
What is it?
This programme offers free renewable energy/low carbon innovation assessments along with grants to SMEs in Worcestershire (and grants only to SMEs in Shropshire). SMEs will be encouraged and enabled to adopt lower carbon technologies – or the grant can help businesses in the clean innovation or those developing low carbon solutions alongside their normal business operations.
Some sectors such as primary agriculture and finance are not eligible.
How to apply
Find out more here.
Get Exporting
What is it?
Funding: Revenue grants between £3,000 and £10,000.
Match Funding: Businesses must contribute 25% of the total project cost.
Application Window Opens 9am, 11 May 2026
Application Window Closes 5pm, 30 June 2026
Decision Notification Expected by end of September 2026
Eligibility criteria
The applicant:
Must have a trading address in York or North Yorkshire.
Must have been customer-trading for a minimum of 12 months.
Must demonstrate a clear interest in exporting (for example by using the DBT Export Academy, previous export research, or engagement with DBT representatives).
The project:
Start date: Expenditure is only eligible after a grant funding agreement is signed (expected Oct 2026). Costs incurred before this date cannot be claimed.
Completion: All activity must be finished and claimed by March 2028.
Eligible activities: Trade event attendance (Standard class travel), website/marketing adaptation for foreign audiences, export-related legal/consultancy fees, and market research.
How to apply
Begin your application here.
More on grants
Business grants for women – Female entrepreneurs face unique challenges in accessing funding, which is why we’ve listed these business grants for women
Where to find green small business grants – If you fancy making your business and its operations that bit greener, these eco grants will help you get there
150 UK small business grants to apply for right now – In need of some funding for your small business? These grants should give you a boost, wherever you’re based in the UK
Ben Lobel was the editor of SmallBusiness.co.uk from 2010 to 2018. He specialises in writing for start-up and scale-up companies in the areas of finance, marketing and HR.
More by Ben Lobel