Grants

How can I secure a grant?

Grants are a form of funding that rarely have to be repaid, but can take the form of low or interest free loans. They are typically awarded by local authorities, central government, the European Union, charitable organisations and trust/foundation donors. They normally relate to specific projects with defined outcomes, meaning your organisation objectives need to be closely aligned to the grant purpose.

Government and EU grants are rarely awarded for working capital or existing activities. Small grants are typically qualification-based, meaning if your business is eligible then you will be awarded the grant instead of being in a competitive tender process. Grants are often awarded by local councils and enterprise bodies for younger or lower income entrepreneurs for start-up assistance. For larger grants, there’s normally a lot of competition for the funds and the process can be time consuming, particularly if there’s a match-fund requirement that needs to be committed to in parallel.

Read on for the resources to help you assess whether applying for a grant is right for you and how to find, apply and secure the funding

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