GrantRadar

Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (in partnership with SWEF Enterprise Fund)

SWEF Enterprise Fund Start-Up Grant

A grant of up to £500 for young people aged 18-30 living in Northern Ireland, from a low-income household or facing other financial hardship, to invest in a new business that is pre-revenue or turning over less than £500 a month. It is a grant to the individual business owner (paid into a business bank account), not to organisations, run by Community Foundation NI with SWEF Enterprise Fund. Applications are open year-round and assessed monthly; after 6 months successful grantees whose business has progressed can reapply for up to £1,500 more.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £500
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Light
short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

  • Individuals aged 18-30 who live in Northern Ireland and are from a low-income household or facing other financial challenges preventing them from developing their business
  • The applicant must be the majority shareholder/owner (for a limited company, a business partner over 30 may hold no more than 20%)
  • The business must be pre-revenue or turning over less than £500 a month, be looking to generate revenue within 3 months of applying, and have (or be about to open) a business bank account (contact CFNI if you cannot open one)
  • There must be visible steps taken to move the business forward, e.g. a website, leaflets or business cards, social media posts, confirmed purchases, client testimonials, market research, or photos of products, premises or the applicant practising their trade
  • Not for charities or community organisations

What it funds

Investment that will move an early-stage business forward and help it generate revenue within 3 months, for items worth no more than £2,000 in total. Examples (not exhaustive):

  • Equipment that will help the business increase revenue (second-hand items particularly welcome)
  • Materials/stock
  • Prototypes and product development
  • Website/booking system build
  • Formal, visible and preferably accredited courses or training

Goods and services from within the UK are preferred; IT hardware should be refurbished (cameras can be new).

Refurbished laptops, tablets or phones may be considered on a match-funded basis if the applicant explains why the item will transform the business and gives a link to the specific item.

Applications that clearly explain how the grant will transform the business and take it to the next stage are most likely to succeed.

What it will not fund

  • Salaries
  • Debt repayment
  • App or software development costs (apps/software must be ready to launch or already launched)
  • Rent and utilities
  • New computers, phones or tablets
  • Stock for an existing product line
  • Retrospective purchases
  • Dual-use items (such as a mobile phone or driving lessons)
  • Items worth more than £2,000
  • Applications for a business idea alone, with no steps taken yet
  • Businesses offering invasive beauty treatments (Botox, aesthetics, semi-permanent makeup, facial tattoos, dermal fillers)
  • Businesses involved in consultancy or property development
  • Businesses connected to drugs, tobacco or vaping
  • Businesses with political or religious agendas
  • Gambling businesses
  • Illegal or unregulated activity (such as cryptocurrencies)
  • Finance or trading needing FCA approval

How to apply

  1. Check you meet the age, residence, low-income and business criteria on the fund page
  2. Click 'Apply Now' to open the CFNI Fundseeker portal online form (you can 'Save as draft' and return later)
  3. Complete the form and upload the supporting documents at the end using 'Add Document'
  4. CFNI checks the application is complete and eligible and emails you if documents are missing
  5. You may be invited to a short online meeting with a member of CFNI staff and someone from SWEF Enterprise Fund
  6. If awarded, accept the terms and conditions; the grant is paid by BACS into your business bank account a month later
  7. SWEF contacts you 6 and 12 months after the grant to see how the business is progressing; you can join a business forum with other grantees

Applications are compiled at the start of each month; apply before the 28th of a month to be assessed the following month.

After 6 months, successful grantees can reapply for up to £1,500 more if the business has progressed.

Queries to the Grants Team on 028 9024 5927 or applications@communityfoundationni.org.

Have ready

  • Proof of address in Northern Ireland (e.g. bill, letter or driving licence)
  • Proof of identity (e.g. birth certificate, passport or driving licence)
  • Evidence of your current income (e.g. benefit statements, pay slip, accounts)
  • Evidence of your business (e.g. business plan or evidence of trading such as a recent invoice or rent agreement)
  • Copy of a business bank account statement dated within the last 3 months

Grants are only paid into a business bank account matching the business name on the application, never a personal account; if you do not have one yet you must set one up if successful.

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