GrantRadar

Community Foundation for Staffordshire & Shropshire

SWEF Enterprise Fund

Grants (not loans) for young people aged 18 to 30 starting or growing a business who cannot otherwise afford the costs, particularly those not in education, employment or training. Start-Up Grants of up to £500 are for businesses at the pre-revenue stage or just trading; Business Grants of up to £2,000 are for businesses trading under 2.5 years with turnover over £500 a month. The round is open with no closing date and applications are considered on submission. Anyone funded by SWEF before cannot apply again.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £2,000
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Young people aged 18-30 with a UK business, who need the grant financially and can show evidence of significant steps taken to get the business going
  • The fund's aim names young people in Staffordshire or Shropshire, and it is listed on the foundation's Shropshire page too, but the eligibility criteria say applicants must be based in Staffordshire or Stoke-on-Trent
  • If a limited company, the applicant (alone or with a spouse/sibling) must hold at least 50% of shares, and a business partner over 30 may hold no more than 20%
  • Start-Up Grants: pre-revenue or just started trading, could generate revenue within 3 months, potential to be profitable and become the applicant's sole work focus, with at least 3 proof points (e.g. website or logo, business social media, confirmed purchases, client testimonials, market research, photos, business bank account, Companies House registration)
  • Business Grants: sole traders, partnerships, limited companies or CICs limited by shares trading under 2.5 years, turnover over £500 a month, application from a majority shareholder, a business bank account, and able to explain the financial impact
  • For items over £2,000 the grant can be at most 25% of the cost

What it funds

  • Start-Up Grants up to £500 for businesses at the pre-revenue stage, or within a month or two of starting to trade
  • Business Grants up to £2,000 for businesses that have made significant steps
  • Equipment that will help a business achieve increased revenues
  • Equipment that will help a business increase production where there is proven demand
  • Materials/stock
  • Website/booking system build
  • Training
  • Product development

this is not an exhaustive list. Refurbished laptops, tablets or phones may be considered on a match-funded basis if you explain why they will transform the business; IT hardware for start-up grants must be refurbished (cameras can be new). Grants must be spent within one month of receipt.

What it will not fund

  • Salaries
  • Debt repayment
  • Software businesses/app development
  • Rent and utilities
  • Ongoing software subscriptions
  • New computers, phones, tablets (second-hand versions may be considered)
  • Retrospective purchases
  • Dual-use items (e.g. a mobile phone/driving lessons)
  • Applications solely for 'business ideas'
  • Businesses in invasive beauty treatments (Botox, aesthetics, semi-permanent makeup, facial tattoos or dermal fillers)
  • Property development
  • Drugs (including any business connected to tobacco or vaping)
  • Political or religious agendas
  • Gambling
  • Illegal or unregulated activity (such as cryptocurrencies)
  • Finance or trading (anything that would need FCA approval)
  • Anyone who has been funded by SWEF before, even for a different business

How to apply

  1. Choose the stream: Start-Up Grants (up to £500) or Business Grants (up to £2,000), and use its 'Apply Now' online form
  2. Tell us about the business and how a grant would help, with a breakdown of specific costs (avoid general terms like 'marketing') and weblinks or quotes for each item
  3. Initial assessment: the foundation checks the application is complete and eligible
  4. You may be invited to a meeting, usually online, with one of the SWEF team
  5. If awarded, accept the terms and conditions; the grant is paid into your business bank account (payments from the 28th of each month)
  6. Spend the grant within one month and give feedback after 12 months

grantees are expected to attend a SWEF meetup, join the closed SWEF Facebook group and sign up for the newsletter.

the window may close when funds are fully allocated. For help with the form, email programmes@staffordshire.foundation or call 01743 295900.

Have ready

  • A reference: a letter of support from someone who can tell us about your character or abilities and confirm your circumstances (e.g. a tutor, support worker or employer)
  • Weblinks, quotes or invoices for the items requested, with costs listed
  • A recent bank statement for a business bank account, with details matching the application
  • A form of ID

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