Business finance for established businesses
If you are an established business looking to grow, there may be grants available to help you develop your projects.
If you are at the pre or start up stage, then please visit this page:
- link: Find start-up finance
Invest to grow
This is managed by University of Derby's and can provides loans and grants or a combination to support private sector businesses across the East Midlands, to innovate, grow, and create new jobs or safeguard existing jobs. Funding can cover 30 percent of agreed capital project costs, therefore an award of £15,000 would be for a minimum project cost of £50,000. The maximum award is £250,000. This is a Regional Growth Fund grant, with no closing date.
- email: investtogrow@derby.ac.uk
- website: Invest to grow
SWEF Enterprise Fund
This is a national charity initiative, aimed at enhancing the activities of young business owners, innovators, and entrepreneurs. If you are aged between 18 to 30 years old, from a low income household or facing other challenges preventing you from developing your business, and you live and work Nottinghamshire, then this programme may help you with grant funding up to £2000. You can be at pre-start, start up or established trading stages as long as you have not been trading for over 2 years.
- website: Forever Notts (The Swef Enterprise Fund)
- website: SWEF.UK (national Initiative)
Other useful sources of information
- website: Innovate UK Business Growth
- website: Grants online
- website: Grant Nav - threesixtygiving
- website: Grant finder
- website: Funds online
- website: Business finance support - GOV.UK
- website: Midlands Investment Engine Fund II
- website: British Business Bank – Growth Guarantee Scheme
- website: The FSE Group
- website: First Enterprise
- website: Funding Options
- website: Crowdcube - UK's most rated crowd funding platform
- website: Seedrs - great for start-ups, minimum investments of £10
- website: Kickstarter - great for creative industries, food, music, film, technology
- website: Funding Circle - investments from £60,000 to £1 million
- website: gofundme - great for charities and social enterprises needing support
- website: Crowdfunder – they don’t always charge a fee for using this platform, it depends on the project you're looking to fund.
- website: Maven Capital Partners
- website: UK Business Angels association
- website: Angel investment network
- website: Foresight Nottingham Fund
- website: Green Angel syndicate
- website: Angel Academe
- website: British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association
Page last updated 30 October 2025
