Your KEY to unlock Grant Funding

The key eligibility tests and criteria that must be met are given below.

1) The purpose(s) for which the grant is being offered must be met by your project. The purpose may be very tightly defined e.g. ‘basic research into imaging technology for medical devices for blood screening’; or broad as in ‘increase productivity and/or employment’.

2) The size of your business. Some grants are only available to businesses of a certain size e.g. small or medium size businesses (SMEs). Often, even when open to businesses of any size, SMEs may receive favourable terms or special treatment.

(this list is indicative not exhaustive)

Grants for Capital investment, job creation and productivity

Grants for capital investment either from the United Kingdom or the European Union are almost invariably connected to the creation or sustaining of employment. It is therefore essential that you specify how many new jobs are to be created or, as a minimum, how many old jobs will be protected. Capital grants are usually only available where there will be regional or national benefit as a result of the project.

No. In the majority of cases a consultant is not necessary. Thus grants for export, training, consultancy and most other services may be applied for quickly and easily without assistance. However, in the case of grants for capital investment and research & development the application procedures are complex, and, more importantly, the rules applied by the issuing bodies are not transparent.

No, under no circumstances. A grant, in the strict sense, will be an outright gift of cash, but it is given on condition that agreed criteria, particularly purposes and objectives, are met.

"Grants" may also be taken to mean: -

• • Soft loans which will have, typically, an interest rate rebate and/or a capital repayment holiday and/or a reduction in collateral requirements.
  • Subsidized services or the provision of free information and advice.
  • Tax credits e.g. for rate relief or R&D are also a form of grant.

Annoyingly the definitions used still vary from scheme to scheme, but the European Union schemes and most UK Government schemes adopt the EU definition which came into force on 1 January 2005 which takes account of employee numbers, turnover and annual balance sheet total. In summary: -

No. Location is rarely of importance. "Grants" for research & development, export, training, consultancy and advisory services are available throughout the United Kingdom regardless of location.