Choose your grant
Choose your grant amount then apply through your local community foundation.
Start-up Grant
up to £500
SWEF Start-up Grant
- Just getting started or pre-revenue
- Revenue less than £500 a month
- Applicants aged 18-30 in the UK
Start-Up Grant Eligibility
Grant Information
- Applications can be for grants up to the value of £500.
- Applications solely for ‘business ideas’ will not be considered. You must be able to give evidence of significant steps taken to get your business off the ground.
- Applicants must have a financial need for a grant, i.e. they don't have access to other forms of funding such as personal savings or help from friends and family.
- The item that grant funding is going towards should not exceed £2,000 in value.
- Grants must be spent within one month of receipt of funds.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Applicants need to be between the age of 18-30.
- Applications need to be for UK businesses only, and the applicant should have the right to work in the UK and be resident/present in the UK.
- Applications can only be from sole traders/limited companies/CICs limited by shares.
Business Criteria
- The business is pre-revenue or has revenues of less than £500 a month.
- The business has a business bank account.
- The business has been trading for less than 2 years.
- If a limited company, the applicant needs to be the majority owner of the business. A business partner over the age of 30 may not hold more than 20%.
- It must be looking to generate revenue within 3 months of application.
- There is visibility of the steps taken to move the business forward, which is illustrated by any of the following; a website, leaflets or business cards, relevant social media posts, confirmed purchases for the business, client testimonials, market research, photos of products, premises or of the applicant practising their trade.
Businesses in the following areas are not eligible for applications:
- Invasive beauty treatments such as Botox, aesthetics, semi-permanent makeup, facial tattoos or dermal fillers
- Involved in consultancy or property development
- Drugs (this includes any business or idea connected to tobacco or vaping)
- Political or religious agendas
- Gambling
- Illegal or unregulated activity (such as cryptocurrencies)
- Finance or trading (which would need approval from the FCA)
How you can use the grant:
(This is not an exhaustive list)
- Equipment that will help a business achieve increased revenues. Applications that involve the purchase of second hand items are particularly welcome.
- Materials/stock
- Prototypes and product development costs
- Website/booking system build
- Goods and services provided within the UK are preferred
- Any courses or training applied for must be formal, visible and preferably accredited.
- Any IT hardware requested should be refurbished (cameras can be new)
Please note that SWEF does not provide grant funding for the following:
- Salaries
- Debt repayment
- Retrospective purchases
- App development or software development costs. Apps/software should be ready to launch or already launched at the point of applying to SWEF.
- Rent and utilities
- Dual use items (such as mobile phone/driving lessons)
SWEF Business Grant
- Less than 2.5 years trading
- Current revenue £500+ a month
- Applicants aged 18-30 in the UK
Business Grant Eligibility
Grant Information
- Applications can be for grants up to the value of £2,000.
- Grants must be spent within one month of receipt of funds.
- Applicants must have a financial need for a grant, i.e. they don't have access to other forms of funding such as personal savings or help from friends and family.
- The item that grant funding is going towards does not exceed £10,000 in value.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Applicants need to be between the age of 18-30.
- Applications need to be for UK businesses only, and the applicant should have the right to work in the UK and be resident/present in the UK.
- The business should be the applicants sole work focus or there is a clear path for this to be the case.
- Applications can only be from sole traders/limited companies/CICs limited by shares.
- If a limited company, you need to be the majority owner of the business. A business partner over the age of 30 may not hold more than 20%.
Business Criteria
- The business should be turning over £500+ a month for three consecutive months.
- The business has a business bank account.
- The business has been trading for less than 2.5 years.
- There is visibility of the business.
- Applications that involve ‘match funding’ are particularly welcome.
Businesses in the following areas are not eligible for application:
- Invasive beauty treatments such as Botox, aesthetics, semi-permanent makeup, facial tattoos or dermal fillers
- Involved in consultancy or property development
- Drugs (this includes any business or idea connected to tobacco or vaping)
- Political or religious agendas
- Gambling
- Illegal or unregulated activity (such as cryptocurrencies)
- Finance or trading (which would need approval from the FCA)
How you can use the grant:
(This is not an exhaustive list)
- Equipment that will help a business achieve increased revenues. Applications that involve the purchase of second hand items are particularly welcome.
- Prototypes and product development costs
- Website/booking system build
- Goods and services provided within the UK are preferred
- Any courses or training applied for must be formal, visible and preferably accredited.
- Any IT hardware requested should be refurbished (cameras can be new)
Please note that SWEF does not provide grant funding for the following:
- Salaries
- Debt repayment
- Retrospective purchases
- App development or software development costs. Apps/software should be ready to launch or already launched at the point of applying to SWEF.
- Rent and utilities
- Stock for an existing product line
- Subscriptions that relate to the basic operational running costs of a business
- Dual use items (such as a mobile phone/driving lessons)
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We’ve Backed 1,000+ young people
Since 2021 we've helped young people from less advantaged backgrounds create sustainable livelihoods with business grants.
– Get a grant with Swef
Application Process
Our application process is designed to be clear and supportive, with guidance from our Community Foundation partners at every stage.
1
Funding
Apply through one of our Community Foundation partners. They will check your application and eligibility and contact you if they need any more information.
2
Let's talk
If shortlisted, you may be invited to an online meeting to talk through your business. You will meet with a member of the SWEF team and a representative from the Community Foundation.
3
Receive your grant
If your application is successful, you will accept the grant terms and the funding will be paid directly into your business bank account.
4
Keep moving forward
We will check in 12 months later to see how your business is progressing. You will also have the chance to join a SWEF community group with other grantees to share ideas, experiences, and learn from each other.
– Testimonials
Success Stories
We believe every young person deserves a fair chance at financial independence through self-employment. A SWEF grant helps make aspirations achievable.
– Get a grant with swef
Helping the business people of tomorrow,
today.
Blue Barrel Surf School, Cornwall
