Suffolk Economy Grant – Programme Criteria for Applicants
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Suffolk Economy Grant
Grant Programme Criteria for Applicants
This programme is aimed at micro, small and medium sized businesses based in
Suffolk that wish to achieve clean growth, e.g., job creation, business growth,
external investment.
The grant will help Suffolk businesses grow productively, inclusively, and
sustainably. It supports companies focused on innovation, digital technology
adoption, carbon footprint reduction, and sustainable practices.
Projects should lead to measurable improvements in productivity, carbon reduction,
job creation, and innovation.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is available?
Suffolk County Council has grants available as follows:
• Micro business: £2,500 - £10,000 grant at 50% intervention rate
• Small business: £5,000 - £50,000 grant at 30% intervention rate
• Medium business: £10,000 - £100,000 grant at 20% intervention rate
How do I know what size my business is?
Size
No. of Employees
Turnover or Balance Sheet
Micro
Fewer than 10
Turnover up to £1m and total assets (balance
sheet) up to £500,000
Small
10 – 49
Turnover up to £15m and total assets (balance
sheet) up to £7.5m
Medium
50 – 249
Turnover up to £54m and total assets (balance
sheet) up to £27m
Is my business eligible?
To apply for this grant, your business must be:
• located within the boundaries of Suffolk County Council (business and project)
• trading for at least two years (must provide 2 years’ full accounts)
• micro, small or medium enterprise (includes businesses, CICs, charities
(where set up as a business), LLPs)
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• registered with Companies House or Charity Commission and have a
business bank account.
• a going concern and not an ailing or insolvent or dormant business.
There are some business sectors which are not eligible for grant funding, and there
are additional eligibility criteria, both of which your business adviser will help you
with.
Timeframe
Your project must be ready to proceed as soon as your application has been
approved and be fully completed by 31/03/2026 and you must check with your
proposed suppliers that this is achievable.
You should note that all planning permissions, licenses and agreements must be in
place before you can submit an application.
Is my project eligible?
Our priority areas for grant funding are as follows:
• Digital transformation and technology convergence
• Innovation and R&D which includes product and service development
• Decarbonisation and sustainability
Projects can include:
• Energy efficient plant and machinery
• On-shoring of product manufacturing and supply chains to increase efficiencies
• Development of new technology or innovation and productivity improvements
• Reducing methane, nitrogen oxide and other greenhouse gases/particulate
emissions
• Innovative R&D projects, where the innovation is new to the business.
Following investment, we would expect to see at least one of the following
outcomes:
• Improved productivity
• Measurable increase in energy efficiency
• measurable reduction in emissions
• the introduction of new products and services,
• the adopting of technologies which are new to your business
• accessing new markets
• increasing export capability
• creation of new jobs
• increased growth
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What business sectors are not eligible for support?
• Banking and insurance
• Public funded bodies and statutory services
• Healthcare and care homes
• Schools, nurseries and childcare facilities
• Religious or political organisations
• Estate and employment agencies
• Education
• Sole traders (any sector)
• Ailing or insolvent business or a dormant business (any sector)
Expenditure not eligible for support
• Property and/or land purchase
• Vehicles (of any type)
• Solar panels (supply and/or installation)
• Core running or staff costs
• Any costs incurred before a grant offer is made
• Items that are not directly needed to deliver the proposed project
• The direct, like-for-like replacement of equipment, items and consumables
including laptops and software
• VAT (unless this cannot be recovered)
• Any projects that can be funded from other grant schemes
• Repeat applications, including from linked enterprises
• Working capital or stock items for selling
• Marketing costs (including websites) and items for a trade fair
• Statutory requirements
• Professional fees
• Recruitment costs
• LED lighting;
• Insulation;
• Air conditioning or heating systems
• Windows and doors;
• Website creation
• WMS/CRM platforms or equivalent
How do I apply for funding?
Businesses wishing to apply for support should contact us via the Business Grants
and Funding page on the Suffolk Economy website: Business Grants and Funding -
Suffolk Economy
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Our expert Business Advisers will work with you to help you develop your
application. As part of the process, an initial in-depth diagnostic exercise will be
undertaken to determine eligibility of your business and identify what type of support
you require.
The application will be submitted via a portal (your Business Adviser will provide a
link) and you will need to upload the supporting documentation.
What is the EPIC Framework?
You must explain, in your application, how your project will address the EPIC
framework, which underpins the Suffolk Economic Strategy and provides a
structured approach for evaluating applications. It helps the panel assess each
application against four core principles: Economic Wellbeing, Productivity, Inclusivity
and Clean Growth.
Economic Wellbeing: Assesses the project’s overall contribution to Suffolk’s
economy by considering both its economic impact (e.g. job creation, business
growth, external investment) and the value for money offered by the grant.
Productivity: Evaluates how the project strengthens the business’s productivity
through improved supply chain integration, innovation, and the creation of high-
quality, sustainable jobs with opportunities for development.
Inclusive: Assesses how the project supports inclusive economic growth by
distributing benefits fairly across communities, sectors and geographies – particularly
improving access for underrepresented or disadvantaged groups.
Clean Growth: Evaluates how the project supports Suffolk’s clean growth ambitions
by reducing environmental impact and improving resource efficiency – particularly
through innovation and alignment with circular economy principles.
As part of your application, you will need to provide quotes for each item you
wish to purchase
The minimum quote we will accept is £500.
Value of contract*
£0 to £499
£500 to £2,499
£2,500 to
£24,999
Over £25,000
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Subsidy Control
If a grant is awarded, it will constitute a subsidy and will initially be available through
Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA).
The maximum support through MFA is £315,000 and this is a cumulative total of all
support received over the current, and the last two complete financial years through
MFA, EU de minimis and Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance.
If you are offered support through MFA, you will need to make a declaration that you
have not already exceeded the £315,000, and/or with approval of the requested
support, you will not exceed the £315,000 threshold.
If relevant, a grant award could be considered through one of the Streamlined Routes,
and your business adviser will explain this.
Match Funding
You should only apply for the gap you have in funding your project and you will be
required to provide evidence of the match funding. This can be any form of asset
finance, loan, etc., but cannot be paid in cash or by a personal credit card. You will
need to show how much funding you can provide, by one of these means, and then
your grant application will be for the shortfall (up to the maximum you would be
allowed).
Things you should know
• There are limited funds available, and each application will be considered on
how well it addresses the EPIC framework.
• You must be an established SME and be able to provide accounts covering at
least two years.
• We are unable to support ailing or insolvent businesses with a negative
balance sheet and financial checks are undertaken.
• This discretionary grant is awarded by an independent panel and it may take
up to 30 working days from receipt of your full, complete application for you to
be notified of a decision
• All planning permissions or other dependencies must be evidenced as in
place at time of application
• To support your application, you will be required to provide routine business
documents such as quotes, business accounts and bank statements.
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• All projects will need to demonstrate value for money and there will be a
requirement to provide quotes for each category of expenditure. The minimum
quote we can accept is £500.
• You will receive advice and support as required during the application process.
Please note, grants are awarded on a discretionary basis and are subject to
eligibility checks and approval.