Business development grants 2022 to 2023

East Renfrewshire Small Business Assistance Grants  

These grants are provided as part of our East Renfrewshire Business Support package and open to businesses located and trading in East Renfrewshire.

The Council asks all businesses to adopt Fair Work practices and encourages payment of the Living Wage.

Businesses can apply for one grant per year under the following categories:

SBA Growth Grant Funds (£1,000 to £10,000) 

Funding is available to local businesses located and trading from commercial premises within East Renfrewshire and provides a range of 50% match-funded grants from £1,000 up to £60,000 to support small and medium sized businesses in meeting their business objectives and plans for growth.

Eligible businesses can apply for a grant based on a predicted annual turnover of::

• At least £50,000             £ 1,000 Grant - Open to all businesses
• At least £150,000           £ 5,000 Grant - Open to established businesses trading for over 12 months
• At least £250,000           £10,000 Grant - Open to established businesses trading for over 12 months
• At least £500,000           £50,000 Grant - Open to established businesses trading for over 12 months 
                                              with a workforce of more than 10 employees and who can demonstrate ability
                                              to grow income and workforce by at least 10% within 12 months

Funding can support:

The purchase of new equipment, tooling costs, property extensions or improvements.  It can support exhibiting at home or overseas and developing new products or processes.  It can also be used for marketing and digital activities, innovation or research and IT hardware purchases (excluding laptops, tablets or mobile phones). 

• The purchase of new equipment, tooling costs, property extensions or improvements. These purchases and improvements should demonstrate energy efficiencies and the ability to improve production or facilities or introduce new products or services
• Exhibiting at home or overseas and developing new products or processes.
• Marketing and digital activities, innovation or research and IT hardware purchases (excluding laptops, tablets or mobile phones).

East Renfrewshire Tourism Grant (up to £5,000)

This grant is funded by East Renfrewshire Council to support applications up to a maximum grant of £5,000 with 50% match funding.

It is open to established businesses trading for over 12 months

Funding can support innovative and collaborative tourism activities to increase visitor numbers and tourism revenue to East Renfrewshire. Funds can be used flexibly for marketing and promotional activity between 3 or more tourism businesses within East Renfrewshire.

Get to Zero - Green Jobs Training (Up to £1,000)

This grant is funded by East Renfrewshire Council to support applications up to a maximum grant of £1,000 and 50% match funded.

It is open to established businesses trading for over 12 months with a minimum turnover of £50,000 per annum and looking to upskill the workforces that allows the business to move into installing and servicing new sustainable, heating, lighting and insulation technologies etc.

The grant will be capped at £500 per employee to up skill workforce in green technologies and energy efficiency systems. This includes the installation and maintenance of new solar thermal technologies, rain / grey water systems / energy efficiencies in traditional gas / oil systems etc.

SBA Get to Zero Grant (up to £5000)

Funding is available to local businesses headquartered and trading from commercial premises within East Renfrewshire and provides a 50% match-funded grant of up to £5,000 to contribute towards measures such as:  

• Low energy heating and lighting systems  
• Improved Insulation roof and building  
• Solar / Ground / Air Source Heat or Solar Thermal technology  
• Waste Management / Recycling  
• Equipment that demonstrates a significant energy saving through its installation

This grant is open to established businesses trading for over 12 months who are looking to improve energy efficiencies or purchas more efficient equipment.

Businesses will need to demonstrate either ownership of their premises or permission from landlord to carry out changes to premises

Businesses will need to work with our Business Gateway team to carry out an energy audit and demonstrate savings through these efficiencies. 

Micro Grant Funds for businesses turning over less than £50,000 per annum 

Small businesses can apply for one grant per year under the following categories:

Equipment Grant (Up to £500) 

Towards one piece of equipment / tooling / computer hardware that will enable the business to grow and develop.  Match funding is not required.

E- Commerce Grant (Up to £500)

Towards development of E-Commerce activity that will increase the ability of a micro business to trade better through developing:

• e-selling platforms
• e-booking systems
• e-marketing that drives sales via the E-platform (excludes Facebook advertising)

Standard websites not offering any selling any ability to trade on line will not be eligible. Match funding is not required.

Training Grant (Up to £500)

50% match funded towards CPD / Training for key staff at VQ level 3 or above (or equivalent).  Capped at £100 per staff member and mandatory training requirements will not be eligible.

Health and Wellbeing Grant (Up to £250)

Towards businesses developing a health and wellbeing policy for their workforce. Business must have one or more FTE employees other than business owner. Match funding is not required

Tried and Tested Grant (Up to £250)

Towards ideas testing of products and processes. Outcome must include an options appraisal to provide rationale for going forward. Match funding is not required.

Exclusions

In general, grant funds can't be used towards:

• Equipment / software etc. already purchased. We are unable to approve any grants where the purchased or order has already been made.
• The purchase of any furniture, equipment or consumables needed to run a business
• The purchase of laptops, tablets and mobile phones
• Routine property maintenance
• Development and marketing of information websites and brochures etc, which lack a clear focus on e-commerce development
• Facebook marketing / advertising
• Purchase and installation of off-the-shelf software packages (e.g. Microsoft Office software, standard Sage packages etc.)
• Purchases made via hire purchase, lease or other finance agreement
• Employee wages
• Vehicles
• General purchase of stock
• Business running or monthly costs or routine maintenance
• To qualify for some of the grants, the business must operate from a commercial premise within East Renfrewshire

How do I apply?

Apply online 

Please note:  All requested evidence should be sent separately by email quoting your completed application form reference number within the email header to business@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk. Read our application guidance [523.57KB] for more information. 

What happens next?

All grant applications will be reviewed and assessed for eligibility and relevant evidence requested. We will send you a grant acknowledgement email once we have received all of the requested information on the separate email.

Further or more details may be requested to allow us to assess your application more fully. We may also visit your business or arrange a meeting to discuss your application further. Once all of the information is collated and assessed, a decision is made, usually within 14 days.

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Contact us

For further information please email: business@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk or call 07393 752560