GrantRadar

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

SWEF Enterprise Fund Business Grant

A grant of up to £2,000 for young people aged 18-30 living in Northern Ireland, from a low-income household or facing other financial hardship, whose business has been trading under 2.5 years and turning over £500+ a month for three consecutive months. 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; grant size reflects the business's monthly profit and opportunity, and funds must be spent within a month.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £2,000
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 a sole trader, limited company or CIC limited by shares trading for less than 2.5 years, turning over £500+ a month for three consecutive months, with a business bank account and a visible presence
  • Applicants working full-time on the business are more likely to succeed; those not yet full-time must show they intend to go full-time as soon as possible
  • Not for charities or community organisations

What it funds

Investment that will take a trading business to the next stage. Examples (not exhaustive):

  • Equipment that will help the business increase revenue (second-hand items particularly welcome)
  • Prototypes and product development costs
  • Website/booking system build
  • Training (formal, visible and preferably accredited)

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.

Match funding is particularly welcome; where the grant goes towards an item, the item may cost up to £10,000 with SWEF paying up to £2,000 and the applicant funding the balance.

Grants must be spent within one month of receipt, and amounts are commensurate with the business's monthly profit and the opportunity.

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
  • Equipment or products for invasive beauty treatments
  • New computers, phones or tablets
  • Subscriptions for basic operational running costs
  • Dual-use items (such as a mobile phone or driving lessons)
  • Retrospective purchases
  • Items costing more than £10,000
  • Applications for a business idea alone
  • 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, and must be spent within one month
  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.

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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