Grant Directories

Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Entrepreneurs (DBACE) supports visionary creative entrepreneurs between the ages of 18-30 who are driven by a mission to create and sustain social value through their enterprise. Through the programme Deutsche Bank aims to reach ambitious individuals from all backgrounds with ideas that will improve the lives of others and the communities we live in. An award from DBACE includes up to £20,000 investment to start or grow the enterprise; 12 months business support with MeWe360 and Deutsche Bank’s high calibre industry & business mentors; recognition and the opportunity to raise your profile within the industry; access to peer and influential industry contacts; leverage to bring in additional funding and access to further investment opportunities; specially tailored business and leadership training for the cohort of winners.

The Oli Bennett Charitable Trust provides small grants for young people starting their own business. Through their Young Entrepreneur Grants, the Trust provides funding of up to £2,000 to help young people aged between eighteen and thirty, from all backgrounds across the UK, get their business ideas off the ground and turned into sustainable, profitable organisations, whatever their scale. Support is for new or very young businesses and the Trust prefers to provide funds for buying a business asset rather than towards general expenses. All applicants need to supply a business plan which must include a profit and loss and cash forecast. Applications can be made at any time.

The Community Asset Development is part of Social Investment Cymru which supports social enterprises in Wales with a range of financial products.   Through the Wales Micro-business Loan Fund,  Social Investment Cymru is investing a total of £6 million in small loans until 2022, with Social Investment Cymru managing access to these fund for social businesses in Wales.

The Waterloo Foundation (TWF) is an independent grant-making Foundation created in 2007, and based in Cardiff, Wales. The Foundation provides funding through several programmes, the Working Wales programme was created in response to the recession which started in 2008 and has had a profound and far reaching effect on the Welsh economy and on the lives of the people of Wales. The programme provides funding of between £5,000 and £25,000 to organisations that help people to set up businesses or gain permanent paid employment. Organisations that have previously been supported include The Prince’s Trust Cymru, Creative Rural Communities and Autism Spectrum Connections Cymru

The Geovation Accelerator Programme allows the Ordnance Survey and HM Land Registry the opportunity to make it easier for businesses to use their data. The programme aims to help launch and grow innovative solutions to social, environmental and economic challenges that harness the power of data and technology. The programme will provide grant funding of up to £10,000 over 6 months with the opportunity for a further £10,000 of funding to build a product. The programme will also provide a wide range of support services. The programme has two streams: The Geotech stream is the call for any tech company creating location-based products and services; The Proptech stream is run in partnership with HM Land Registry. It supports innovative technology businesses to revolutionise the property industry using property and geospatial data.

Bethnal Green Ventures (BGV) is an accelerator programme, early-stage investor and support network for ambitious technology start-ups that are tackling problems in the areas of health, education, sustainability, civic engagement, tech to support young people, workertech. BGV's accelerator programme invests in and supports teams with new ideas through an intensive three-month programme. Supported teams may include software developers, designers or people with personal experience of something they want to change - from teachers and doctors, to patients and carers. BGV looks for early-stage ideas with the potential to help millions of people. Teams of between two and four people selected to be part of the BGV programme will benefit from a £60,000 investment in exchange for 7% equity. BGV also provides a three month programme of support and advice to help build, test and launch each start-up.

The Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland Social Entrepreneurs Programme offers social entrepreneurs the best possible chance of success by providing access to support and funding. To date 1,000 social entrepreneurs in the UK have been supported via this programme. The Programme is a package of support that includes three different elements; an inspirational and practical 14-day course, a business mentor from Lloyds Banking Group and a grant. The content of the course and the size of the grant award will vary depending on whether the applicant joins Start Up or Scale Up. Eligibility for each depends on the stage of development of the applicant's organisation.

The Enterprise Programme supports young people to explore and test their business idea and launch their business or move into education, training or employment. They provide support and personal mentoring helping people to learn the skills and knowledge required to start up a business including business planning, marketing, sales, raising capital, budgeting and tax.

Finance Wales is a highly experienced, award-winning investor who has been backing Welsh SMEs for 15 years. Start-up and early stage businesses in Wales (or willing to re-locate to Wales) can apply for micro loans of between £1,000 and £50,000, repayable over 1 - 5 years, interest rates are based on an SME's individual circumstances and fixed for the term of the loan.The loans can be used for a wide range of investment needs such as purchasing stock; new plant or equipment; cash flow; new premises or acquisitions. Micro Loans can be used alongside other grants or private investment for B2B or B2C businesses.