Council support
Babergh & Mid Suffolk – Business and licensing – Mid Suffolk District Council – Babergh & Mid Suffolk District Councils – Working Together
Breckland – https://www.breckland.gov.uk/business-growth/business-skills
Broadland & South Norfolk – https://www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk/business/business-grants-funding/1
East Suffolk – https://www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/business/
Great Yarmouth – https://www.visitgreatyarmouth.co.uk/business/business-support
Ipswich – https://www.ipswich.gov.uk/content/accessing-grants-loans-and-other-funding-streams
Kings Lynn & West Norfolk – https://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/info/20014/business_and_property
North Norfolk – https://www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/tasks/projects/invest-north-norfolk/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-and-rural-england-prosperity-fund/
Norwich – https://www.norwich.gov.uk/info/20402/support_and_advice_for_businesses
West Suffolk – https://www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/Business/start-and-grow-your-business/find-funding.cfm
Funding and support for businesses and specific sectors
Sustainable Farming Incentive – pilot funding stream for greener land management actions.
Future Farming Resilience Fund – introduced to support farmers through the agricultural transition. Details of support providers are here and eligible businesses are urged to contact them as soon as possible.
Farming In Protected Landscapes – provides funding for nature recovery and countryside access projects in AONB and National Parks, including the Broads. Runs July 2021 to March 2024.
The Prince’s Trust and NatWest Enterprise Relief Fund – Grants and support for 18-30 year olds who are self-employed or running their own businesses.
Tech East – Tech cluster based in the East, community of start-ups, scaleups and late stage tech businesses. Free to join for tech support.
Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre – The Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre (ECRC) supports and helps protect SMEs, supply chain businesses and third sector organisations in the East of England against cyber-crime. Providing an affordable testing and training service, with the opportunity to learn how to procure private sector cyber services where needed.
Arts Council open funds – We invest in art and culture for a lasting return. We are looking for organisations, artists, events, initiatives and others to apply for our funding and help us achieve our strategy, Let’s Create.
Get Ready for Business Growth is an Arts Council England-funded programme designed to help creative businesses that are looking to grow. We know business in the creative sector is tough at the moment. Whether you are running as normal, struggling to keep up with demand or adapting to a new model of operation, we can help you.
SHARE Museums East – SHARE runs a number of development grants schemes each year. Our grants are open to museums in the East of England which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation. Click on the links below for information about open grants schemes including guidance notes, eligibility criteria and application forms. Please check this page periodically as new grant schemes are will be launched throughout the year.
Agri-tech – There are a number of places offering funding for agri-tech developments. We include the latest calls on this link and try and signpost other opportunities.
Funding to enable Clean Growth
Low Carbon Innovation Fund – This co-investment initiative worth over £100 is aimed at SMEs in the East of England developing or deploying environmentally beneficial technologies. Businesses interested in becoming investment ready should also look at the investor-led advice programme Invest East.
Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP) – has announced £2m in grant funding for offshore wind supply chain products
- OWGP launches latest Development Grant funding competition
- £2m available to UK offshore wind supply chain to improve competitiveness, increase capability and build new capacity
- Grants of £50k to £500k available to unlock a step-change in company growth.
Funding for innovation and innovative companies
Space to Innovate Campaign – Alpha Drop
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) Space Programme is seeking proposals that can aid UK Defence and Security to develop future space technologies. The objective is to fund research into space technologies that may not otherwise be developed within the civil space industry. Challenges will run as a series of ‘drops’ running throughout 2021 and 2022.
Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) – Runs a rolling open call for innovative projects in a range of themed areas. Worth investigating for businesses which may have innovations relevant to the Defence sector.
Clean Growth Fund – A £40m Clean Growth Fund has been launched, with funding from Government and from one of the UK’s largest charity investors, CCLA. Clean Growth Investment Management (CGIM) is managing the Fund, which makes investments into start-up companies developing clean energy solutions.
Innovation Grant Mentoring for businesses in Norfolk & Suffolk
Free support programme to help businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk apply for innovation funding.
Tax reliefs available for Innovative Companies
Patent Box – Use the Patent Box to reduce your Corporation Tax on profits
R&D Tax credits – Claiming Research and Development tax reliefs.
Creatives Tax reliefs – Creative Industry tax reliefs for Corporation Tax.
Venture capital schemes – These schemes are intended to incentivise investment in smaller, higher risk, unquoted trading companies that would otherwise struggle to access finance for growth by providing a range of income tax and capital gains tax reliefs to individual investors. Email us at enterprise.centre@hmrci.gov.uk.
Funding platforms
Pay it Forward from Crowdfunder – Free to use crowdfunding service, helping businesses to source financial support.
Spacehive – Funding platform for ideas that bring local places to life. Can match funds raised through its partner funders.
Funding opportunities for charities, communities and social enterprises
Community Ownership Fund is a new scheme from the Government enabling communities to purchase and run assets and amenities for the benefit of local people. Several rounds of funding to 2024-5.
Community Action Norfolk provides guidance and support to charities and community organisations. It produces a monthly funding newsletter and can help find funding. For more information or to sign up please email office@communityactionnorfolk.org.uk
Community Action Suffolk has a regularly updated resource for funding for charities and social enterprises affected by Covid 19.
Good Finance – Listings of funding sources and funding advice for charities and social enterprises. Be aware that not all the funding sources listed may be up to date.
Community Shares – Advice, support and booster funding for community projects looking at community investment options.
Support with green initiatives
Energy Saving Trust – Whether you’re looking for advice on strategy, helping households with energy efficiency or are interested in getting your product or technology verified, we’re here to help.
Natwest Green Loans – A Green Loan from NatWest aims to help eligible UK businesses finance business assets to support their sustainability ambitions, such as solar panels, electric vehicles, or heat pumps on commercial buildings, that fall within the eligible list.
The Workplace Charging Scheme – If you’re a UK business, charity or public authority and looking to install charging stations for electric cars at work for staff, fleet vehicles and visitors, you could be eligible for the Workplace Charging Scheme.
Carbon Charter – The Carbon Charter logo means businesses have been independently assessed for sustainability, while our website offers a host of free resources to all.
Green Suffolk – Climate-action-community-match-funder.
SME Climate Hub – SME climate commitment, commit today to future-proof your business, companies can sign up.
UK Business Climate Hub – Join thousands of UK businesses tackling climate change, start your net journey today and sign up.
Footprint calculator – How big is your environmental footprint? Take the questionnaire.
Zero Carbon Business – Reduce energy costs and cut carbon, make sure your business has the knowledge and support it needs as the UK economy decarbonises
Norwich Upcycle your waste – Norwich BID has launched the Norwich Upcycling Exchange, a website which connects businesses with Norwich waste producers to create a circular economy. Providing a steady supply of free raw materials for enterprises and helping Norfolk businesses become more sustainable. Interested companies can sign up to the online directory to offer or request materials and where possible will be matched to an appropriate supplier.
Funding – loans
British Business Bank – Government-owned business development bank dedicated to making finance markets work better for smaller businesses. Offer start up loans, finance for scaling up, recovery loan scheme, life sciences investment programme to name a few and also the finance hub.
The Funding Circle – Offers unsecured loans up to £500,000.
Fleximise – Can offer loans to sole traders.
Fredericks Foundation – Provides access to small business loans to people excluded from mainstream credit.
Foundation East – Offers support for applicants with a poor credit history.