Deadline Date: August 20, 2026
The Forest of Dean District Council offers a Business Start-Up Grant to support new business and social enterprise ideas that contribute to sustainable local economic development and innovation in the Forest of Dean.
The focus areas, include supporting business and social enterprise start-ups, encouraging innovation and growth, promoting low-carbon and sustainable development, enabling research and development activities, supporting clean technology adoption, assisting business premises and equipment investment, and facilitating product and service launches within local communities.
The programme is designed to strengthen local economic resilience by helping new businesses establish themselves in the Forest of Dean district. It supports initiatives that contribute to vibrant towns, villages, and business hubs while aligning with the district’s vision of becoming a low-carbon and innovation-led economy.
Eligible applicants include locally based businesses and constituted social enterprises that are registered after April 2023 and located within the Forest of Dean. Home-based businesses are not eligible, although mobile service businesses operating primarily within the district may apply. Applications may be submitted individually or in partnership.
The grant provides up to £1,000 per application, with funding determined on a case-by-case basis. Applicants are required to demonstrate at least 10 percent match funding from cash or in-kind contributions and must show how additional financial support will be secured to complement the grant.
Applicants must also demonstrate clear business planning, including defined aims and objectives over a three-year period, a 12-month cash flow forecast, evidence of market demand, and a plan for measuring and recording business success and outcomes.
For more information, visit Forest of Dean District Council.
