Where to get grants

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Grants - where to get them

It is not possible to say exactly how many grants schemes there are out there. The Enterprise Advisory Service’s main database usually contains over 3,000 at any open time not including those offered by local authorities.


Here are some places that may help


European grants

The European Union is a huge source of funds for businesses of all sizes, and the money is usually distributed through the European Commission. This body administers a number of schemes through what are known as Structural funds. There are also specific grant schemes such as for business involved in agriculture for example.

National government grants

Grants for small firms come from both the UK government but also the Scottish Parliament, Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies and each of these has its own departments and agencies, which hand out the money based on their own criteria and objectives. There are over one hundred of these bodies but among the most important are:

Department of Trade and Industry

Department for Education and Employment

Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions

Industrial Development Board – Northern Ireland

Scottish Executive

Welsh Development Agency

Countryside Agency

Enterprise Ireland

Industrial Research & Technology Unit


Local grants

In addition to the local government authorities, which are also potentially be a source of funding, there are also a number of locally based agencies and organisations which have been established specifically to support and encourage enterprise at local level. Examples of these include the likes of Business Link an the Small Business Service.

Grant eligibility

Each grant scheme has its own set of criteria to determine whether a firm or project is worthy of its money. There is no business or industry sector which is excluded from applying for assistance, The vast majority of schemes apply without major restrictions but on those that do eligibility tends to fall into three main categories – location, size and industry.