Here, we collated information on business grants from the area available at the beginning of December 2023.
Even if you can’t find information on financial support in your council area, we strongly recommend that you speak to your council’s Business Gateway and economic development team to see if there is any support they can offer. You can also check Find Business Support to find out other kinds of support.
Argyll & Bute
Small Business Development Grant – The aim of the Small Business Development Grant is to support a range of business development objectives including improvements in productivity, competitiveness, skills, growth, sustainability, resilience, profitability, innovation or net zero transition. Grants from £1,000 up to £5,000 are available, payable at 50% of approved costs.
Fully Funded Expert Help – Businesses based in Argyll & Bute can access fully funded expert help at no cost to support business growth or recovery. The aim of this specialist advice is to support a range of business development objectives including improvements in productivity, competitiveness, skills, growth, sustainability, resilience, profitability, innovation or net zero transition.
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire Expert Help – The Clackmannanshire Council Expert Help Programme allows businesses to get free support from a specialist to help them grow and develop their business. Businesses located in the Clackmannanshire Council area will receive up to 3 days of fully-funded support, including advice from experienced, qualified experts.
Dumfries & Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway Expert Help – The Dumfries and Galloway Council Expert Help scheme allows businesses to get free support from a specialist to help them start and grow their business. Businesses located in the Dumfries and Galloway Council area can receive up to 2 days of free support, plus advice from experienced, qualified professionals.
East Ayrshire
Net Zero Support Grant – The East Ayrshire Net Zero grant is a non-repayable grant which should cover 50% of the approved project expenditure, up to a maximum of £3,000. This is intended to help businesses in their transition to net zero carbon emissions by assisting small to medium-sized businesses with the implementation of energy and resource efficiency improvements.
Business Growth Grant – The Business Growth grant is available to support the eligible costs of implementing growth plans. The grant will cover 40% of eligible costs. The minimum grant award is £500. The maximum grant award is £3,000. Eligible projects would include digital marketing, IT, staff training, industry accreditations, and attendance at UK and international trade exhibitions.
East Renfrewshire
Business Development Grants – Between now and the end of March 2024, there's grant funding available to develop and strengthen businesses based and trading within East Renfrewshire. These grants are provided as part of our East Renfrewshire Business Support package and open to businesses located and trading in East Renfrewshire.
Falkirk
Digital Development Fund – The aim of the Digital Development Fund is to provide businesses located within Falkirk Council area with financial support to assist them with the development and implementation of new digital systems which aim to improve business performance and enable business growth. Grants of between £1000 and £10,000 are available to support 50% of eligible expenditure.
Falkirk Council Expert Help – The Falkirk Council Expert Help scheme allows businesses to access support from a specialist to help them grow and develop their business for free.
Employer Recruitment Incentive – Are you a local employer, private SME or third sector organisation? Looking to expand your workforce, creating new and additional jobs? Interested in providing fair work in a diverse and inclusive workplace? If you answered yes to these questions, then Falkirk Council Employment and Training Unit (ETU) may be able to provide help with wages costs during that crucial first 6 months of employment.
Glasgow
Green Business Grant – Glasgow City Council is introducing a new Green Business Grant. It is a grant of up to £10,000 to reduce energy bills and help businesses make progress towards net zero carbon emissions. The grant can be used to fund up to 50% of the total cost of a project.
Tech Smart Rent Subsidy – The Council will provide a rent subsidy grant for tech SMEs that can be used to subsidise the costs of co-working space with the right levels of flexibility and suitability. A two-year rent subsidy capped at £10K in total will help eligible SMEs with the costs of co-working space in the city.
Inverclyde
Business assistance grant – This discretionary fund provides financial assistance to help businesses meet specific business growth objectives. The fund can cover up to 50% of eligible costs of capital expenditure (excluding VAT), up to a maximum contribution of £5,000.
Business training grant – This discretionary fund can provide a training grant to businesses that are trading in the area. The grant can be used to cover up to 50% of total costs (excluding VAT) of training activities up to a maximum contribution of £2,000. Training should be aimed at management and key workers and have a notional competency threshold of around VQ Level 3.
New Business Marketing Grant – This discretionary fund can provide a marketing grant to businesses that are starting to trade in the area. The grant can be used to cover up to 100% of eligible costs (excluding VAT) of marketing activities up to a maximum contribution of £500.
North Lanarkshire
Business Growth Fund – The Business Growth Fund (BGF) is a competitive, discretionary grant fund targeted at new and existing SMEs (less than 250 employees) to support the strategic, long term sustainability and growth of the business. BGF grants can provide up to 50% towards eligible project costs (ex VAT), up to a maximum grant award of £50,000 to fund specific activities to help businesses expand and diversify their operations.
Small Business and Self-Employed Support Scheme – The purpose of the Small Business and Self-Employed Support Scheme is to help micro and small businesses (with fewer than 49 employees) to grow by creating or safeguarding jobs and improving the viability of the business. This grant scheme has a tiered funding structure with grants of up to £1,000 and up to £3,000 available.
Renfrewshire
Net Zero Grant – Small and medium sized businesses in Renfrewshire can apply for a grant providing up to 50 percent funding up to £10,000 to make changes to their business premises and operations to reduce their carbon footprint.
Business Resilience Grant – The Business Resilience Grant is part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and provides up to a 50 percent match-funded grant from £1,000 up to £10,000 to support small and medium sized businesses, including people self-employed, in meeting changed objectives and plans for growth.
Digital Development Grant – This grant supports businesses in Renfrewshire to develop and implement new digital systems that will improve business performance and enable business growth. Grants of £1,000 - £10,000 are available to support up to 50% of eligible expenditure. This discretionary grant can support digital projects which are new to the business. To qualify, you must operate from a commercial premise in Renfrewshire.
South Lanarkshire
Business Growth Fund – The South Lanarkshire Business Growth Grant (SLBGG) is a discretionary grant fund targeted at assisting the growth of new and existing businesses based in South Lanarkshire. The grant fund supports local businesses to implement projects that will create new jobs and/ or help businesses reduce their energy usage and make progress towards achieving net zero carbon emissions in a quantifiable manner. SLBGG grants will provide up to 50% of eligible project costs (excluding VAT) and up to a maximum total grant award of £20,000.
Micro Business Support Fund – The South Lanarkshire Micro Business Support Grant aims to help micro businesses fund a new project to improve the viability of the business and create and safeguard jobs. Any decision regarding the award of this grant is at the sole discretion of South Lanarkshire Council. The Grant can provide up to 50% support up to a maximum of £3,000 for businesses with more than one full-time employee. For self-employed individuals, with no employees, the maximum grant available is up to 50% and a maximum of £1,000.
West Dunbartonshire
Business Recovery & Growth Grant – The Business Recovery & Growth Grant is fully funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and can provide up to 50% of project expenditure up to a maximum of £10,000 to businesses located within West Dunbartonshire. This grant aims to provide a financial contribution towards business recovery/growth projects which will safeguard and/or create local jobs.
Business Development Grant – The Business Development Grant is to assist established businesses to develop and grow their business through investment in growth projects. The grant will provide up to 50% of project expenditure up to a maximum of £3,000 to businesses located in West Dunbartonshire. This grant aims to provide a financial contribution towards business growth projects which will safeguard or create local jobs.