Access to Funding

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Most businesses, be they start ups or growing organisations, will at some stage require funding, usually to bridge a gap in their operational cashflow to make purchases, fund construction projects, bring in consultants and so forth. It is always advisable to seek advice from a bank, accountant or other financial consultant to find a solution that best suits your business, but there are many avenues you can explore beforehand.

Before embarking down the rabbit hole of funding, please get in touch with us. We will have an initial conversation with you, and either visit to find out what the funding is needed for and/or put you in touch with a team suitable to your business needs.

A useful tool is Grantfinder, although a paid for service, you might find grants in Wyre in the news section.

Grants

Money that does not usually need to be paid back (usually subject to completion of a project of some kind).
Grants can be up to 100%, however this is very rare. Average 40 – 60%.
You may need to match fund and have an extra contingency funding plan.
Grants tend to be geared towards innovation, skills, training, community projects, and those ventures that can demonstrate they will higher new employment returns.
Grants tend to reflect the UK’s broader economic strategy to foster inclusive growth, regional development, and global competitiveness.

Loans

More plentiful.
Available from a financial institution, a trust, charity or a Government body.
Research on flexibility terms and interest rates of a business loan.
Can improve credit rating of a business.
Can be loaned against assets, plant and equipment, invoices, premises etc.
Business owner remains in control of their business, unlike some forms of equity funding.
In many cases, the interest paid on business loans is tax-deductible, which can help reduce the overall tax burden.

This list is not exhaustive, please research online or use the Talk to us form

Community Foundation for Lancashire – Local Impact Grants

Provider: Community Foundation for Lancashire

Summary: This foundation offers a variety of grants to support grassroots organisations across Lancashire. Funding priorities include:

Tackling deprivation and inequality
Supporting mental health and wellbeing
Empowering young people and marginalised communities
Encouraging innovation and enterprise

The foundation works with donors and businesses to channel funds into high-impact local projects. Grants typically range from £500 to £10,000, depending on the fund. The foundation also supports corporate giving and social investment through its Lancashire Investors in Community initiative.

The Community Foundation for Lancashire

Innovate UK – Growth Catalyst: New Innovators Grant

Provider: Innovate UK

Summary: This grant supports early-stage UK-registered micro and small businesses developing innovative products, services, or business models. The Growth Catalyst programme offers up to £50,000 in grant funding, plus tailored business support. It targets five critical technologies and aims to accelerate commercialisation and scale-up. The current round closes 6 August 2025.

Competition overview - Growth Catalyst Early Stage: New Innovators - Innovation Funding Service

Lancashire Apprenticeship Grants

Lancashire County Council is funding 100 incentive payments of £3,000 to Lancashire employers who recruit, and employ, an apprentice under twenty-five years old before 30th September 2025.

Provider: Lancashire County Council

Summary: The number of apprenticeship starts for this age category has been falling since 2018. Consequently, this incentive aims to:

Stimulate employers to recruit young people into their workplace.
Address systemic skills gaps that have been amplified by an ageing workforce and the rising numbers classed as economically inactive.
Show young people there are thriving industries and employers that are offering them great opportunities to forge their careers in Lancashire.

Apprenticeships - Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub

British Business Bank – Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS)

Provider: British Business Bank

Summary: The GGS provides up to £2 million in government-backed loans to help small businesses manage cash flow, invest in growth, or recover from economic disruption. It supports a wide range of finance types including term loans, overdrafts, and asset finance. The scheme is open to UK-based SMEs and is delivered through accredited lenders.

Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) | British Business Bank

Royal British Legion – Employment Grants for Veterans

Provider: Royal British Legion

Summary: RBL offers employment grants to veterans and their families to support training, skill development, and self-employment. Grants can cover course fees, equipment, and business start-up costs. The programme is open to anyone who has served in the UK Armed Forces, including reservists.

RBL - Employment Grants for veterans and family members

The King’s Trust – Enterprise Programme

Provider: The King’s Trust (formerly Prince’s Trust)

Summary: This programme supports young people aged 18–30 who want to start their own business. It includes training, mentoring, and access to low-interest start-up loans. The programme is ideal for those who are unemployed or working fewer than 16 hours per week.

The King's Trust | Confidence, courses, careers

The Royal Countryside Fund – Supporting Rural Communities

Provider: The Prince’s Countryside Fund

Summary: Grants of up to £25,000 over two years are available for community-led projects that improve rural resilience, reduce isolation, and support local enterprise. Projects must demonstrate strong community support and leadership. The next round is expected to open in late 2025.

PCF-Supporting-Rural-Communities-Guidance-Notes-2.pdf

Capital Grants 2025 – Countryside Stewardship

Provider: Rural Payments Agency (Defra)

Summary: Offers 3-year agreements for capital items that deliver environmental benefits. Categories include:

Boundaries, trees, and orchards
Water and air quality improvements
Natural flood management
Educational access and signage

New for 2025: Additional items like pond restoration and tree surgery for watercourse management.

Capital Grants 2025 - GOV.UK

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF)

Provider: Defra

Summary: Provides grants of £1,000 to £25,000 for equipment and technology that improves:

Productivity
Slurry management
Animal health and welfare

2025 Update: One round of funding available this year, with £110 million allocated nationally.

What farming grants will be available in 2025? - Farmers Guide

ADOPT Grant for Farmers and Growers

Provider: DEFRA

Summary:

The government has committed £20.6 million to help bring cutting edge technologies to farms and improve productivity.

This funding is part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

The money will be allocated via the ADOPT Fund, which will commit up to £20.6 million of funding in 2025/26 to support the introduction of innovative technologies aimed at improving productivity, resilience and sustainability. The current ADOPT Grant will close on 20th August. This is a rolling call, so as one window closes, another will open immediately after. Known dates are detailed at the bottom of this post.

The aim of this competition is to support innovative, on-farm trials or experiments to test ideas or solutions and demonstrate that they will address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities.

ADOPT Grant for Farmers and Growers: Defra - Agri-TechE

The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS)

Provider: DEFRA - delivered by Marine Management Organisation (MMO).

Summary: Since opening in 2021, the scheme has been incredibly successful with £35 million invested in over 1,700 projects supporting England’s catching, aquaculture and processing sectors, as well as projects that are improving the marine environment.

This is the final year of the scheme, and government financial guidelines dictate that all claims and payments must be made between 9th June 2025 and 31 March 2026. Any expenditure beyond this date will not be eligible for reimbursement.

Fisheries and Seafood Scheme - GOV.UK

Lancashire County Council – Finance and Funding

Provider: Lancashire County Council

Summary: This county-wide initiative supports ambitious businesses looking to grow or relocate to Lancashire. Key programmes include:

Rosebud Finance: Loans between £25,000 and £100,000 for high-growth potential businesses.
Peer-to-Peer Lending: Through platforms like Funding Circle, enabling direct borrowing from investors.
Invest in Lancashire: A bespoke service for inward investment and business relocation.

Visit Lancashire Finance and Funding

Arts Council England – National Lottery Project Grants

Provider: Arts Council England

Summary : National Lottery Project Grants is our open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects. The fund supports thousands of individual practitioners (artists, musicians, performers etc), community and cultural organisations.

Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants | Arts Council England

Skills for Care - Workforce Development Fund

Provider: Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS)

Summary: The scheme supports the non-regulated ASC workforce to advance their careers, develop new skills and specialisms and gain recognition for their existing expertise. It does this by allowing eligible ASC employers to claim towards costs they have incurred when putting their staff on certain courses and qualifications. The overall funding pot is limited. Once this has been exhausted, claims submitted will not receive reimbursement.

Learning and Development Support Scheme for the adult social care workforce: a guide for employers - GOV.UK

Venture Capital

Provider: UK Government and Investors

Summary: There are 3 schemes designed to help small or medium sized companies grow by attracting investment. They offer tax reliefs to individuals who buy and hold new shares, bonds or assets for a specific period of time. The company, investor and proposed investment must meet the conditions of whichever scheme you opt for.

Use a venture capital scheme to raise money for your company - GOV.UK

Banks and Building Societies

Provider: British Banks and Building Societies

Summary:

A small business should first contact their bank before searching for a loan from elsewhere because:

Established Relationship: Banks already familiar with the business and may offer better terms or faster processing.
Tailored Advice: They can recommend suitable loan products based on the business’s financial history.
Access to Additional Services: Banks may bundle loans with other support like overdrafts, credit lines, or financial planning.
Improved Credibility: A bank’s endorsement can strengthen future funding applications elsewhere.
Match Funding: In some circumstances a bank can help you with match funding letters, or loans against a grant opportunity.

Research is required to find out the best solutions offered by all the banks and building societies. Good practice is creating a pro's and con's list so you can see at a glance the offers and charges available to you.