Deadline: Ongoing
The SWEF Start-Up Grant offers young entrepreneurs aged 18–30 in Wiltshire and Swindon the opportunity to receive financial support of up to £500 to help launch their early-stage businesses by covering essential start-up costs such as equipment, materials, stock, website creation, product development, or training.
The focus areas of this programme are supporting individuals who are in the early stages of setting up their business, or whose business is currently earning less than £500 per month, providing access to a network of peers for idea-sharing and learning, and prioritising applications from groups that are often underrepresented in business, including people on low incomes, women, migrants, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and people with few or no formal qualifications.
This grant is available to applicants aged 18 to 30 who live in Wiltshire or Swindon, come from low-income households or face other challenges that make it difficult to develop their business, are in the pre-revenue or early start-up stage, or currently earn under £500 per month, and own 100% of the business or are the majority shareholder. While the grant supports many areas of business development, it does not cover applications from businesses trading for more than two years, invasive beauty treatments, salaries or wages, debt repayment, software or app development businesses, rent or utility bills, purchasing stock for existing product lines, ongoing software subscriptions, international travel, or brand new computers, phones, or tablets, although refurbished technology may be considered on a match-fund basis.
As part of the programme, applicants can benefit from joining a peer network, where they can share ideas, experiences, and learn from others who are also in the early stages of their business journey. The foundation has also provided Guidance Notes to assist applicants in preparing strong submissions, and tips are offered to increase the likelihood of a successful application.
For more information, visit Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation.
