Stafford Borough Business Growth Grant Programme (UK)

Deadline: 30 November 2025

Stafford Borough Council, through the 2025–26 UK Shared Prosperity Fund, has launched a new fund to support independent micro, small, and medium sized businesses (SMEs).

Funding Information

£200,000 has been allocated to this funding stream.
Matched funded grants at an intervention rate of 80% (from SBC) and 20 % from the SME of the total project costs are available. Grants will range from a minimum of £2,000 to a maximum of £25,000 to support businesses to purchase specific products and services to help them scale up their business.
Your project must be completed within 13 weeks of receiving the Funding Agreement or by 31 March 2026, whichever comes sooner.

Eligible Projects

Examples of eligible projects:
- Website design and digital projects
- Marketing materials, advertising and publicity, social media campaigns
- Specialist advice to help grow the business.
- Professional services support for implementation of new processes and systems e.g. ISO9001
- Capital equipment such as machinery
- Fitting out of new or existing premises e.g. heating, lighting, cabling, telephone systems, furnishings, IT equipment.
- Upskilling of employees for short courses only.
- Funding towards decarbonisation including feasibility studies and consultancy.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicant eligibility:
- Must be an independent profit seeking business based in commercial premises, within the local authority area of Stafford Borough and have been trading for more than 2 years.
- Must not be controlled by a corporate entity
- Privately owned and not a public company (plc)
- An independent business can be defined as;
  - Operates autonomously and is not affiliated with larger corporations or chains
  - Must be currently trading and can provide 2 years of certified or management accounts or for self-employed people 2 years of self-assessment tax returns.
- The applicant also:
  - Must employ less than 250 full-time equivalent persons
  - Must have an annual turnover of less than or equal to £44 million or a balance sheet total of less than or equal to £38million.
  - Must not have received more than £315,000 in public subsidies in the current and previous two financial years (financial year being 1 April to 31 March) including the expected level of grant they are applying for.
  - Must not have already purchased the service/product prior to grant application approval and prior to receiving a fully signed funding agreement from the Borough Council.