UK Business Grants 2026: 315 Live Grants to Apply For
315 live grants, deadlines from 28 Jul 2026 to 1 Apr 2028. Updated daily.
There is more grant funding available to UK businesses than most owners ever see — spread across central government, the devolved nations, local councils and the EU, each with its own portal, rules and deadlines. Subvention pulls them into one place. Enter your company name and we match live grants to your business using your real Companies House profile, then show you a ranked, explained shortlist with a link to the original source for every result.
Grants change frequently — always confirm eligibility, amounts and deadlines with the funder via the linked source. Subvention does not guarantee funding.
Open grants right now
Search all 315 →- BBSRC Brazil pump-priming award (FAPPA)
BBSRC (Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council)
Closes in 2 days
- Full ADOPT Grant: Round 8
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) · £50k–£200k
Closes in 3 days
- Trees, woodlands and forestry - Tree Production Innovation Fund
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs via the Forestry Commission · £20k–£600k
Closes in 4 days
- EPSRC new investigator award: Nov 2023: responsive mode
EPSRC (Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council)
Closes in 9 days
- DRIVE35: Scale Up Fund
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) · £2.5m–£20.0m
Closes in 10 days
- Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition - Round 2
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero · up to £30.0m
Closes in 10 days
What counts as a business grant
A business grant is funding you don't repay, usually awarded for a specific purpose — research and development, taking on staff, buying equipment, going greener, exporting, or growing in a particular region. Most grants are competitive, most expect you to part-fund the project yourself (often 30–70% is covered), and almost all require an active, trading company. They are not the same as loans or R&D tax credits, though many businesses use a mix of all three.
Types of business grant in the UK
Funding tends to fall into a few buckets. Innovation grants such as Innovate UK competitions support R&D and new products, typically from around £25,000 for feasibility work up to several million for collaborative projects. Start-up and growth grants include British Business Bank Start Up Loans (£500–£25,000 per founder, government-backed) and The King's Trust for younger founders. Local and regional grants delivered through councils, Growth Hubs and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund commonly run from a few hundred pounds up to around £40,000 for equipment, premises or training. Sector and theme grants cover net zero, manufacturing, agriculture, the arts, tourism and more.
What Subvention covers
One search runs across the sources you'd otherwise check one by one: GOV.UK Find a Grant, Innovate UK and UKRI, the British Business Bank, government departments (DEFRA, Arts Council, NIHR, VisitBritain), National Lottery funds, the devolved agencies (Scottish Enterprise, Business Wales, Invest Northern Ireland), regional Growth Hubs and combined authorities, and European schemes such as Horizon Europe — 49 sources in total, refreshed daily.
How the matching works
Type your company name and we pull your profile from Companies House — sector (SIC codes), registered region, status and size. You confirm a few details and tick what you want to fund, and every match comes back with a score, a plain-English reason it was matched, eligibility ticks for sector, region and size, any risk flags, and a link to the funder's own page with the date we last checked it. Nothing is invented: if a grant isn't a real, current match, it isn't shown.
Free to search
Searching and eligibility matching are always free. Optional one-off passes (30 or 90 days, no auto-renew) add saved grants, email alerts, deadline reminders and application tools when you're actively applying.
Business grants for sole traders and the self-employed
You don't need a limited company to win funding — many grants are open to sole traders and the self-employed, including equipment, training, local council and Growth Hub schemes. The right structure can still affect which grants you can apply for, so it's worth checking before you commit.
Grants for electric vehicles and EV charging
Businesses installing chargepoints can use the Workplace Charging Scheme, which contributes towards the cost of EV charging sockets, alongside on-site charging and fleet-transition support. These sit within the wider net-zero and green funding landscape.
Business grants for young entrepreneurs
Founders under 30 have extra routes available — The King's Trust (formerly The Prince's Trust) enterprise programme offers grants, low-interest loans and mentoring to young people starting a business. Many startup and early-stage schemes are open regardless of age too.
Grants and funding for veterans starting a business
Ex-Forces founders can access dedicated enterprise support from organisations such as X-Forces Enterprise and the Royal British Legion, as well as mainstream startup grants and loans. If you're leaving service and starting up, it's worth checking both veteran-specific and general business funding.
How to write a business grant application
Read the eligibility and scoring criteria first and answer them directly. Be specific about the project, the amount requested and the outcomes (jobs, growth, innovation, carbon saved), show you can fund your share if match funding is required, and keep claims factual and evidenced. Tailor every application to the individual funder rather than reusing one generic version — assessors can tell.
Alternatives to grant funding
Grants aren't the only option, and aren't always the fastest. Start Up Loans and commercial lending give you certainty without competing for a grant round; equity suits high-growth businesses willing to give up a stake; and R&D tax relief rewards qualifying innovation after the fact. Many businesses combine a grant with one of these — a grant rarely covers 100% of a project.
Can I get a business grant with bad credit?
Usually yes — most grants assess the project and your eligibility, not your personal credit score, because a grant isn't a loan. Credit checks are more relevant for loan-based support (such as Start Up Loans). Always confirm the specific requirements on the funder's page.
Frequently asked questions
- What grants can a small business get in the UK?
- Depending on your sector, size and location you may be eligible for innovation grants (e.g. Innovate UK), start-up funding (e.g. British Business Bank Start Up Loans), local council and Growth Hub grants, and theme-based funding for things like net zero or exporting. Subvention matches the live ones to your specific company.
- Are UK business grants free money?
- Grants don't have to be repaid, but they're competitive, usually cover only part of a project's cost, and come with eligibility rules and reporting. Always confirm the terms on the funder's page before applying.
- Do I need to be a limited company to get a grant?
- Most grants require an active, trading business, but many are open to sole traders and partnerships too. Subvention works from your Companies House profile and flags where your structure affects eligibility.
- How do I find grants I'm actually eligible for?
- Enter your company name on Subvention. We match live grants to your real profile and explain why each one fits, so you skip the schemes you can't apply for — and link you straight to the source to confirm.
- Is the search really free?
- Yes. Grant search and eligibility matching are free with no time limit. Paid passes are optional and one-off.
- Is a business grant or a business loan better?
- A grant doesn't have to be repaid but is competitive and usually covers only part of a project; a loan is certain and fast but must be repaid with interest. Many businesses use a grant alongside a loan, equity or R&D tax relief, since a grant rarely funds 100% of a project.
- Can I get a business grant with bad credit?
- Usually yes — most grants assess the project and your eligibility rather than your personal credit score, because a grant isn't a loan. Credit history matters more for loan-based support such as Start Up Loans. Check the specific funder's requirements.
- How do I write a strong grant application?
- Answer the funder's published criteria directly, be specific about the project, amount and outcomes, show you can cover any required match funding, keep claims factual, and tailor each application to the individual funder rather than reusing a generic version.
Grant data refreshed daily · page last reviewed 2026-07-26. Always confirm details with the funder.