April brings a strong mix of fully funded Business Surrey events alongside high‑quality partner sessions designed to support Surrey businesses at every stage of growth. Together with trusted regional and national partners, we’re delivering practical, expert‑led events that focus on the skills, insight and connections businesses need right now.
From marketing and sales planning to funding, scale‑up support, networking and cybersecurity, these bite‑sized sessions and in‑person events offer relevant, actionable learning and valuable opportunities to connect with the wider business community. Many sessions are free to attend and designed to fit around busy schedules, helping Surrey businesses plan with confidence, reach customers more effectively and build resilience for the future.
ScaleUp Britain Surrey
16 April 2026 | 12:00pm – 5.00pm | In person
The ScaleUp Institute with the London Stock Exchange, the University of Surrey and our key partners, are hosting a ScaleUp Britain event.
This will be open to all scaling businesses as well as ecosystem players supporting these businesses.
The event will delve into the funding landscape and options to raise capital in 2026 and beyond; providing insights on new initiatives to tap into private capital and access a broader and deeper investor pool, including institutional capital in an easier, simpler way whilst remaining private, while one’s company grows.
It will be a great opportunity to hear about the various funding and scaleup support initiatives in train, as well as offer excellent opportunities to network with peers.
Join the Surrey Chambers for the Source in Surrey roadshow in Epsom – a new series of free, local events designed to help businesses grow.
Hosted at Epsom Downs Racecourse, Epsom, this morning session will introduce our new AI-powered business matchmaking tool, share practical insights from our guest speaker, and create valuable opportunities to connect with other local businesses.
Join the Surrey Chambers for the Source in Surrey roadshow in Elmbridge – a new series of free, local events designed to help businesses grow.
Hosted at Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, this morning session will introduce our new AI-powered business matchmaking tool, share practical insights from our guest speaker, and create valuable opportunities to connect with other local businesses.
Join Business Surrey experts setting the foundation for effective marketing with a clear, structured schedule. In this session, we’ll help you map out your activity, align your efforts with business goals, and create a realistic plan you can stick to.
What you’ll cover:
Turning goals into actionable marketing activity
Planning campaigns across the year
Building a schedule that works for your time and resources
Bring your marketing to life with content that resonates with our Business Surrey experts. This session focuses on creating a strong content and communications plan that helps you engage your audience and deliver the right message at the right time.
What you’ll cover:
Defining your key messages and tone of voice
Choosing the right content for your audience
Planning and organising your content effectively
Creating consistent, engaging communications across channels
Cyber Resilience Centre – Additional places available for fully funded staff security awareness training
Ensure your staff are fully aware of current and emerging cyber threats
Based on the National Cyber Security Centre’s guidance, security awareness training for small businesses provides employees with a basic yet effective understanding of their cyber environment and the confidence to recognise and report potential security issues.
Employees are the first layer of cyber defence in any business, so it’s essential to ensure they can spot common cyber security issues or risks. The training is aimed at those with little or no technical knowledge and delivered in small, succinct modules supported by real-world examples relevant to the business’s context.
Don’t forget, our events directory is a great way to promote your own business events to a wider audience. If your organisation is hosting or sponsoring a business event in Surrey, you can submit it for inclusion in the directory by completing this simple form.
Free support for Surrey SMEs
All events are fully funded for Surrey businesses and delivered by Business Surrey, a Surrey County Council service offering expert advice to help Surrey businesses thrive. More fully funded sessions coming soon – check our events page for details, and follow us on LinkedInto keep up to date event for you here
Our experts are on hand to provide tailored advice to help your SME grow and succeed. Get in touch with a member of the team via our business support form.
Surrey businesses, exciting news! Our fully funded programme of expert‑led events is underway – covering leadership, product safety, start‑up success and a dedicated sales workshop. All free to attend!
Ask the expert sessions – simplifying product safety
17 March 2026, 10:00am – 11.00pm
23 March 2026, 11:00am – 12.00pm
Are you a small business, charity or work alone? Do you have a product safety question you need answered?
Join one of our ‘Ask the Experts’ sessions and our product safety experts will help unravel what can be complex information and provide you with the answers to your product safety questions.
Whether you are a manufacturer, designer, retailer or distributor, our Product Safety experts will help you ensure you’re business is doing it right.
Leadership & delegation #4 of 5: Communication, influence and feedback
18 March 2026, 2:00pm – 3.30pm
Join Business Surrey for the fourth of five sessions in our Leadership & Delegation series.
In just 90 minutes, you’ll gain practical, actionable tools you can start using the same afternoon. The session is hands‑on, with real examples and simple frameworks owners and managers can implement immediately.
In small organisations, every conversation matters. Leaders often believe they are being clear, while teams (as well as customers and stakeholders) may experience confusion or mixed signals.
This webinar focuses on practical, human communication skills. Participants will explore how influence is built through clarity, calmness and follow-through, and how effective feedback protects standards while strengthening relationships.
The result is better conversations, greater influence, fewer misunderstandings, improved performance, and leadership that feels credible and steady under pressure.
Join us for a dynamic and practical fully funded workshop designed to help small and medium-sized businesses unlock sustainable growth and attract more customers. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your sales strategy or build stronger customer relationships, this session will give you the tools to succeed.
Interested in joining us for this packed day of useful tips and advice?
19 March 2026 | 08:30 am – 12:30 pm | Double Tree by Hilton, Woking | fully funded
Learn how to level up this February and register early to secure your place!
With over 25 years of experience supporting more than 400 scale-up businesses in Surrey and advising FTSE 100 companies, Roya Croudace, Commercial Director, Founder, and Non-Executive Director brings a wealth of knowledge in accelerating growth for SMEs. Her workshops are known for delivering practical, results-driven strategies that help businesses boost revenue, attract and retain customers, and build long-term success.
Start-Up Overview
26 March | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | online | fully funded
Kickstart your self-employment journey with our interactive Start-Up Overview workshop.
In just one hour, you’ll gain valuable insights into the realities of working for yourself, assess your
personal and business readiness, and leave empowered to decide if self-employment is right for you. This virtual session is offered regularly, join us and take the first step toward your business future!
26 March 2026 | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | online | fully funded
For more information and to sign up here
Leadership & delegation #5 of 5: Commercial decision making
26 March | 11:00 am – 12:30 pm | online | fully funded
Join Business Surrey for the final session in our Leadership & Delegation series.
In just 90 minutes, this session gives you practical tools you can put to work the same day. It’s hands‑on, using simple frameworks and real examples owners and managers can apply immediately.
The final webinar brings the whole series together by tackling one of the biggest leadership challenges: knowing what to focus on. With opportunities, problems and priorities all competing for attention, it’s easy to feel stretched thin. When everything feels urgent, nothing truly moves forward.
This session introduces clear, practical methods – like Forcefield Analysis, the Eisenhower Matrix, Scenario Thinking and other decision‑making tools – to help leaders cut through noise, prioritise with confidence and direct effort where it matters most.
The result? Better use of time and resources, stronger commercial discipline, clearer execution, and a calmer, more predictable route to growth.
Don’t forget, our events directory is a great way to promote your own business events to a wider audience. If your organisation is hosting or sponsoring a business event in Surrey, you can submit it for inclusion in the directory by completing this simple form.
Free support for Surrey SMEs
All events are fully funded for Surrey businesses and delivered by Business Surrey, a Surrey County Council service offering expert advice to help Surrey businesses thrive. More fully funded sessions coming soon – check our events page for details, and follow us on LinkedInto keep up to date event for you here
Our experts are on hand to provide tailored advice to help your SME grow and succeed. Get in touch with a member of the team via our business support form.
I’m often asked what funding is available. I share this blog but I often ask my own question back : “do you mean funding or finance?”
There is grant funding around, but realistically not very much, and it’s often focused on projects and specific outcomes rather than covering day to day operational costs. If you’re a business caught in the chicken and egg scenario of investing (aka spending) to grow then it can be a tricky place. I often signpost people to the British Business Bank who offer guidance on what finance options there are as well as managing the Start-Up Loan Scheme for any business in the 1st 3 years of trading. So if you are looking for finance to grow your business they are well worth looking at for advice.
Things are always moving with funded support programmes so keep an eye out for my monthly updates. Good luck, and let me know how you get on!
Renée
Surrey High Street Growth and Innovation Programme
This High Street Programme will support hundreds of small and medium businesses in Surrey’s town and villages throughout Spring 2026. It covers all corners of Surrey with dedicated sessions in 22 locations across all 11 district and boroughs in Surrey.
It offers free, practical and locally tailored support across Surrey high streets including:
Made Smarter South East is a government-funded programme created to drive growth amongst the South East’s manufacturing SMEs and makers. The Made Smarter team will provide advice and support to manufacturers and makers to:
help them switch to advanced and automated technologies
identify the right technologies and tools
and use them to make everyday improvements to your business.
Support elements include:
Match-funding of up to £20,000 (50% is available)
Expert advice, guidance and support
Bespoke digital roadmap for your business
Leadership training
Workforce training
Fully-funded student internship (up to 300 hours).
The programme is open to SME manufacturers and makers based in the South East. In order to be eligible businesses must have fewer than 250 employees and not be part of a wider group, or be funded by Private Equity, with a turnover below £44 million, and not have received state aid of more than £315,000 over the last three years.
This 6 week programme for sole traders and micro businesses, concludes with a plan to support the next year of business growth. It will be delivered entirely online.
What does the course include?
Inclusion in an exclusive, supportive community to ask and answer questions, access experts and teachers, share experiences and network with other small businesses.
Live weekly sessions recorded and available on a private Small Business Britain website available exclusively to course participants.
Weekly worksheets to embed learning outcomes accessible on the private website hub, developed by each week’s expert trainers.
Development of an Action Plan: a twelve-month plan to grow and flourish with support of expert mentors.
1 hour of 1-2-1 and group mentoring over the six weeks from expert mentors around the UK.
The CVC DIF-Allia Accelerator Challenge is open to UK-based impact-driven startups and social enterprises seeking to scale their activities. The six-month programme provides structured support aimed at strengthening commercial development and long-term growth.
Participants receive expert mentorship, coaching and tailored guidance to refine their business models. This includes testing assumptions with users, developing a clear impact narrative and preparing for expansion. The programme concludes with a Pitch Day, where selected ventures present their progress. As part of the initiative, participants can compete for a share of up to £50,000. This financial support is intended to help organisations advance to the next stage of development following completion of the programme.
The challenge is open to startups and social enterprises operating in the UK with a proven concept and evidence of early traction. Applicants are expected to be generating revenue or preparing to raise seed investment. Support provided through the programme can be used to strengthen commercial strategy, validate products or services and build readiness for growth and investment.
IOSH Certificate in Managing Occupational Health and Wellbeing
How good are you at spotting signs of stress in your team?
Build a healthier, happier and more resilient workforce with free accredited training for your business, fully funded by the Department for Work & Pensions.
Study online, in a virtual classroom, or at 12 regional centres to gain your IOSH Certificate in Managing Occupational Health and Wellbeing. There are 5,000 free course places available until 31 March 2026 for qualifying SMES.
Innovate UK has opened the SNPN 5G Assured Integration Competition to support collaborative research and development addressing system level integration challenges in advanced connectivity.
The competition aims to enable UK based components to be combined into complete, secure and operable end-to-end systems suitable for early market evaluation. Work supported includes non-recurring engineering, interoperability testing and verification needed to integrate multi-vendor Core, RAN and supporting hardware or software components.
Projects must integrate UK anchored advanced connectivity components across Core, RAN, hardware or software layers. Engagement with potential end users or adopters is expected to ensure solutions reflect operational needs.
Up to £18.5 million has been allocated for industrial research. Individual projects can request between £2 million and £4 million in grant support, with no single organisation able to claim more than £3 million.
Applications must be collaborative. The lead applicant must be a UK registered organisation and may be a business, academic institution, research and technology organisation, charity, not for profit organisation or public sector body. Partners must also be UK registered and drawn from similar organisation types.
Defra, in collaboration with Innovate UK, is providing support through the Farming Innovation Programme for farmers, growers and foresters in England preparing Full ADOPT Grant submissions. The scheme is intended to improve application quality and encourage wider participation in innovation-related funding.
The support is aimed at individuals interested in on-farm trials or experiments that test new or emerging solutions in agriculture, horticulture or agri-forestry. Funding will be used to engage an external Project Facilitator to assist in developing Full ADOPT Grant applications.
Projects must address a clear challenge or opportunity on-farm or immediately post-farmgate. They should aim to enhance productivity, sustainability or resilience, including support for net zero farming practices. Proposals must also show how findings will be relevant to others in the sector and tested under real-world conditions.
Up to £100,000 has been allocated for the scheme. Grants of £2,500 will be made available to successful applicants. Eligible applicants must be active farming, growing or forestry businesses based in England and able to demonstrate that they are established, including sole traders. Only single applicants may apply.
The Stephen Lloyd Awards support early-stage projects aiming to achieve social or environmental change in the UK.
Successful applicants will receive at least £25,000 in funding, alongside pro bono support from social enterprise mentors. Shortlisted candidates will be awarded up to £2,500 to develop their ideas and may also access expert guidance.
The funding aims to help ideas progress from concept to implementation. UK-registered organisations and charities, are eligible to apply. Proposals should address a problem systemically and can take various forms, including new enterprises, expansions of existing initiatives, lobbying efforts or policy change campaigns.
The Diamond Education Grant offers financial support to women seeking to enter or return to the workforce or transition into growing industries by gaining new skills.
The grant prioritises women facing significant financial need or barriers to employment, with an average award of around £1,000. Funding can be used for course fees or essential materials, such as books or equipment, but not for living expenses. Applications are open to women who are permanent residents in eligible Federation countries, which includes the UK. Preference will be given to applicants aged 30 and over.
Grants are available for courses taking place during the academic year from September 2026 to July 2027. The funding is intended for one year only, with vocational courses receiving priority.
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK Programme
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme is designed to provide high-quality, practical education and business support to leaders of high-growth small businesses and social enterprises across the country.
Participants in the fully funded programme identify and execute the steps necessary to enable them to scale their ventures, create employment and expand to new markets. Each participant develops a business growth plan throughout the course to implement back in their businesses. Eligibility criteria:
Business operating for at least three years
Have between 5 and 50 employees
Business should have turnover of at least 250,000 GBP in the previous financial year
Applicant should not have any recent management education
Applicant should be the primary owner or main decision-maker of the business
Early-stage businesses developing sustainable consumer goods can apply to join the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator, an equity-free programme designed to support innovation addressing environmental challenges.
The accelerator aims to help entrepreneurs develop skills and expand their businesses while improving the climate impact of their products. Each year the programme focuses on different sustainability areas including circular economy, recycling technology and sustainable consumer products.
One of the 2026 challenges is the Consumer Product Programme, which targets startups producing physical business-to-consumer goods. Eligible products must have recently launched or be close to entering the market and demonstrate measurable sustainability improvements. Examples include items made from recycled or upcycled materials, reusable everyday products, eco-friendly gadgets and technology, more sustainable clothing, shoes and accessories, and alternatives to plastic.
Selected participants will take part in a nine-week accelerator that includes workshops, mentoring and access to Amazon’s network. Businesses will receive a £10,000 cash grant, $10,000 in AWS Activate credits and a £1,500 travel grant. Additional support includes a climate impact assessment, guidance on selling through Amazon and an opportunity to present their business to investors during a London Demo Day.
Applicants must be brand owners and operate in the early stages of development. Businesses must also be registered in the United Kingdom, the European Economic Area or Switzerland.
The Invention for Innovation (i4i) THRIVE (Translate Healthcare Research through InnoVation and Entrepreneurship) funding and training programme funds early stage innovations which tackle health inequalities. This is a full researcher-led funding opportunity.
THRIVE supports clinicians and researchers to accelerate the translation of healthcare innovations tackling health inequalities from bench to bed, speed up patient benefit and concurrently expand the entrepreneurial mindset of researchers and clinicians.
THRIVE offers up to £150,000 over 9 months to support the development of a technology-based product or service, and a structured programme of entrepreneurial training, mentoring, peer support and networking. Through the programme the innovators will explore the market for their innovation and identify potential routes for commercialising (spin-out vs licensing) or sustaining their innovation (Intrapreneurship) and leave the programme with a plan to achieve their goals, a network of support and with the skills for the next steps of commercialisation.
The UK Government has opened Round 11 of the Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF), a £288 million capital grant programme supporting the transition to low-carbon heat networks. The scheme funds technologies such as heat pumps, geothermal energy, and waste heat recovery to help reduce carbon emissions from heating systems.
Heat networks supply heat from a central source to multiple buildings, lowering reliance on individual gas boilers. The GHNF provides funding to public, private and third-sector organisations in England involved in developing heating and cooling networks.
Grants can cover up to, but not including, 50% of eligible commercialisation and construction costs, with a maximum of £1 million available for commercialisation support. Individual funding requests may be spread over multiple years.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is inviting applications for its Materials Innovation Partnerships Grant, which supports collaborative research between academic institutions and businesses. The grant is intended to advance materials research with potential for industrial use.
EPSRC has allocated up to £7.5 million for a minimum of four projects. Each project can receive £250,000, representing 80% of the full economic cost. The total full economic cost must be at least £312,500.
The initiative focuses on co-created and co-delivered research between industry and academia aimed at translating materials discoveries into practical applications. Projects must be led jointly by a primary academic partner eligible for EPSRC support, such as a UK university or research institute, and a primary business partner. The partners must have an established collaborative relationship of at least one year before applying.
Proposals must address one or more themes from the National Materials Innovation Strategy. These include materials for energy solutions, future healthcare, structural innovations, advanced surface technologies, next generation electronics telecommunications and sensors, and consumer products packaging and specialist polymers.
The business boost grants can help your business with:
Grant support up to £2,000 to help businesses improve their shop fronts or signage
Grant support up to £2,000 to help bring a shop that has been empty for at least 3 months back into commercial use
up to £1,000 to help town or village wide projects to drive new footfall, investment, street-scene improvements or sustainability.
All applications need at least 50% match funding and 2 quotes for each element. Town and village centre independents can also apply for support to help sell online with the digital high street boost and small and medium sized business can get help to invest in energy efficiency projects with the green business boost.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time.
Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme
Eligible adult social care employers in England can claim staff training costs from the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS). The LDSS is available for non-regulated care staff, including deputy and Care Quality Commission-registered managers and agency staff, within the adult social care workforce. Staff taking the training must be in qualifying roles.
Eligible ASC employers can claim funding for certain training courses and qualifications on behalf of eligible care staff. This funding is for eligible courses and qualifications that have been both paid for in financial year 2025 to 2026, as well as those paid for in financial year 2024 to 2025.
Business Support Grants of up to £1,000 for residents and businesses with fewer than 5 employees based in Reigate and Banstead.
Grants can be used to help fund things like marketing, new equipment or training. Please note the grant is NOT available for the development of prototypes or for IT equipment such as laptops, unless you are a brand new start up and do not possess any IT hardware.
The Help to Grow Management Course runs over 12 weeks and includes online and face-to-face sessions, 1-to-1 mentoring and peer networking. Whether you need to identify more efficient ways of working, target new markets, or create a plan to take your business and team to the next level, the Help to Grow Management Course will provide the knowledge and support you need.
To join the Help to Grow Management Course you should:
Work for a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise based in the United Kingdom
Employ between 5 and 249 employees
Be a member of the senior leadership team and have direct reports.
The full course is worth £7,500 but it is 90% government funded so small businesses pay just £750 per person. Our local Business Schools are Kingston University, Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Southampton, University of Brighton and Brunel University of London.
The Workplace Charging Scheme provides support for organisations towards the cost of installing up to 40 electric vehicle chargepoint sockets at their sites.
The scheme covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints (including VAT). This is capped at a maximum of:
£350 per socket
40 sockets across all sites per applicant. For example, if you install at 40 sites, you will have 1 socket per site
The Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund Pilot
The Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund Pilot is a £50 million capital grant programme supporting large-scale research and development projects within the UK life sciences sector. The fund aims to strengthen health resilience, drive innovation and deliver economic benefits through significant investments in research capacity, facilities and technologies.
Projects should demonstrate how they will enhance the UK’s ability to respond to health emergencies and long-term healthcare challenges, for example by expanding or creating R&D capacity, improving manufacturing processes, accelerating clinical research or deploying new technologies.
Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Grants
The FiPL programme provides grants to farmers and land managers in the Surrey Hills for one-off projects to make improvements to the natural environment, climate change mitigation, cultural heritage and public access on their land.
Co-operative and Community Finance offers loans of between £10,000 and £85,000 for new or existing co-operatives across the UK. Loans are to assist with the expansion, setup, or development of a co-operative enterprise.
Loans will only be made to economically viable enterprises that are democratically owned and controlled organisations registered in the UK.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time
Homes England and Octopus Real Estate have launched the second phase of the Greener Homes Alliance. The scheme provides discounted development finance to small and medium-sized (SME) housebuilders. The initiative supports the construction of energy-efficient homes across England.
A total of £150 million is available. Loans range from £2 million to £20 million. Interest rate reductions of up to 2% are available for developers who meet environmental and social criteria. Eligible applicants include SME housebuilders and developers operating in England.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time
If you can’t see something in this month’s round-up that suits your business’s specific needs, check out our Support Directory, or contact our team of experts via our Business Support Form.
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Renée’s round-up of grants and funding – February
Published 11 February 2026
Funding and grants
Lots of new support has been added this month and I’m pleased to announce details of 2 funded programmes that we manage:
The Made Smarter South East team have funding for another year to deliver their programme of support to manufacturers and makers across Surrey and the SE.
We’ve also just launched the Surrey High Street Growth and Innovation Programme for any SME based on a high street across Surrey. This is being delivered by Smarter Society and The Retail Group throughout Spring 2026.
I’m also working on writing some guidelines for applying for grants. The first tip I have to share is to check the small print! What are the eligibility criteria for the grant or programme you’re thinking about applying for? Do you and your project meet those criteria? If you’re not sure reach out and ask … it’s good to clarify and good to build relationships.
Things are always moving with funded support programmes so keep an eye out for my monthly updates. Good luck, and let me know how you get on!
Renée
Surrey High Street Growth and Innovation Programme
This High Street Programme will support hundreds of small and medium businesses in Surrey’s town and villages throughout Spring 2026. It covers all corners of Surrey with dedicated sessions in 22 locations across all 11 district and boroughs in Surrey.
It offers free, practical and locally tailored support across Surrey high streets including:
Made Smarter South East is a government-funded programme created to drive growth amongst the South East’s manufacturing SMEs and makers. The Made Smarter team will provide advice and support to manufacturers and makers to:
help them switch to advanced and automated technologies
identify the right technologies and tools
and use them to make everyday improvements to your business.
Support elements include:
Match-funding of up to £20,000 (50% is available)
Expert advice, guidance and support
Bespoke digital roadmap for your business
Leadership training
Workforce training
Fully-funded student internship (up to 300 hours).
The programme is open to SME manufacturers and makers based in the South East. In order to be eligible businesses must have fewer than 250 employees and not be part of a wider group, or be funded by Private Equity, with a turnover below £44 million, and not have received state aid of more than £315,000 over the last three years.
The creator and owner of the easy family of brands is offering cash prizes totalling £300,000 to three young entrepreneurs in the UK for the third year. Applicant entrepreneurs must be a director of the company and own shares of more than 50% overall. The Awards are open to owners of start ups aged 34 or under, born in 1992 or later.
Businesses must have been registered at UK Companies House in the last five years, registered in 2021 or later, with accounts showing revenues of at least £500,000 per annum for the latest financial year.
Small Business Britain x Adobe Express Marketing School
A free 6-week online programme starting Tuesday 25th February. Discover how Adobe Express helps you and your business stand out by making impactful social media assets, flyers, logos etc.
What the Programme Includes:
Six interactive weekly workshops recorded and available on a private Small Business Britain website available exclusively to course participants led by Adobe experts.
Real-life examples demonstrated on a business from our community.
Fun and quick weekly homework challenges to practice skills, with feedback and community support.
Access to a private LinkedIn group for peer-to-peer advice and expert guidance.
Opportunities to win Adobe Express Premium memberships and exclusive prizes.
A free programme for UK SMEs, including access to a share of the £100,000 Innovation Grant and a visit to an Amazon fulfilment centre. Designed to help businesses adopt technology with confidence, work smarter and grow faster.
The Amazon Innovation Accelerator programme is run by Be the Business, with delivery support from Growth Studio, and funded by Amazon. Programme participants have the opportunity to:
Submit their innovation proposal at the end of the sprint for a chance to win a share of £100,000, helping bring their vision to life.
Spend a day at an Amazon fulfilment centre, exploring cutting-edge robotics and automation and taking part in workshops.
Take part in a six-week innovation sprint.
Join a network of SMEs selected for their innovation potential.
Running successfully since 2014, the Fast Forward 15 Programme has enabled female event professionals to achieve life changing results in both their careers and personal growth. Countless women have realised their potential with promotions, leadership roles and significant progress in their career. It is funded with a small contribution required for course materials.
FF15 runs for 12 months during which, 15 mentees and mentors work together to set and achieve objectives and goals. The programme includes two education days, monthly 1-to-1 mentoring, and concludes with a graduation ceremony to celebrate the cohorts achievements. FF15 has also helped to support a number of entrepreneurial start-ups with female founders.
The eBay Circular Fashion Fund supports startups and small businesses developing solutions that promote a circular approach to fashion. It focuses on work that extends product life, keeps materials in use and reduces waste across the sector.
The programme recognises organisations contributing to changes in how fashion products are designed, used and managed at end of life. Its purpose is to support the development of solutions aligned with circular economy principles within the fashion industry.
Grant funding and non-financial support are available to shortlisted applicants. Eight finalists will each receive a grant of $50,000, alongside access to mentoring and workshops covering product development, marketing and industry partnerships.
Applicants will be shortlisted to 12 businesses incorporated in the USA, Canada or Australia and 12 incorporated in Europe, the UK or Switzerland. All finalists will be invited to pitch online to a global judging panel. One business will be selected as the Global Winner and may receive a $300,000 investment from eBay Ventures.
UK applicants must have trading for between six months and six years and be registered with Companies House, while charities and social enterprises may apply if appropriately registered.
The Armourers & Brasiers Materials Science Venture Prize is offering equity investment of £25,000 to UK-based start-ups working in Materials Science technology.
The award is structured as an equity investment rather than a research grant and is intended to support the commercialisation of a product or technology. Applications are open to all UK-based materials scientists who have a start-up technology. Applicants may be associated with a university department or a private business. The award is aimed at early-stage ventures seeking to commercialise innovative research.
The investment can be used at a very early point in the commercialisation process. Eligible uses include forming a company, developing a prototype to demonstrate proof of concept, undertaking market research or completing other essential start-up activities. The prize may also be used alongside other sources of finance. In addition to the investment, winners gain access to a committee of mentors with experience in seedcorn investment and research commercialisation, as well as professional public relations support.
Eurostars is a funding instrument that supports innovative SMEs and project partners by funding international collaborative R&D and innovation projects. By participating, organisations can access public funding for international collaborative R&D projects in all fields. To have a successful Eurostars application you must:
Define your project idea.
Collaborate internationally, sharing expertise.
Develop products, processes or services that can be easily commercialised.
Your project consortium must have an innovative SME in the leading role, but it can also include other types of organisations like large companies, universities, research organisations and more. To apply, you must meet 7 international eligibility criteria:
The project consortium is led by an innovative SME from a Eurostars country.
The project consortium is composed of at least two entities that are independent of one another.
The project consortium is composed of entities from at least two Eurostars countries with at least one organisation coming from an EU or Horizon Europe Associated Country
The budget of the SMEs from the Eurostars countries (excluding any subcontracting) is 50% or more of the total project cost.
No single participant or country is responsible for more than 70% of the budget of the project.
The Tech Nation Next Wave Competition is a national pitch programme that showcases early-stage UK tech startups, providing them with national exposure, curated access to investors, and the chance to compete for a share of £2 million in investment, while fostering connections that support growth and cross-regional collaboration across the UK tech ecosystem.
The programme has a total investment of £2 million worth of investment available. Six companies will receive investment opportunities of £335,000 each. The competition is open to early-stage, UK-based tech startups, typically at pre-seed or seed stage, with strong growth ambitions. Eligible businesses are SEIS-eligible, operate a tech-led (often SaaS) business model, and are led by founders seeking investment and national scale. It is primarily aimed at B2B companies, although B2B2C businesses may also be eligible where revenue is primarily generated through B2B channels.
This 6 week programme for sole traders and micro businesses, concludes with a plan to support the next year of business growth. It will be delivered entirely online.
What does the course include?
Inclusion in an exclusive, supportive community to ask and answer questions, access experts and teachers, share experiences and network with other small businesses.
Live weekly sessions recorded and available on a private Small Business Britain website available exclusively to course participants.
Weekly worksheets to embed learning outcomes accessible on the private website hub, developed by each week’s expert trainers.
Development of an Action Plan: a twelve-month plan to grow and flourish with support of expert mentors.
1 hour of 1-2-1 and group mentoring over the six weeks from expert mentors around the UK.
IOSH Certificate in Managing Occupational Health and Wellbeing
How good are you at spotting signs of stress in your team?
Build a healthier, happier and more resilient workforce with free accredited training for your business, fully funded by the Department for Work & Pensions.
Study online, in a virtual classroom, or at 12 regional centres to gain your IOSH Certificate in Managing Occupational Health and Wellbeing. There are 5,000 free course places available until 31 March 2026 for qualifying SMES.
The Diamond Education Grant offers financial support to women seeking to enter or return to the workforce or transition into growing industries by gaining new skills.
The grant prioritises women facing significant financial need or barriers to employment, with an average award of around £1,000. Funding can be used for course fees or essential materials, such as books or equipment, but not for living expenses. Applications are open to women who are permanent residents in eligible Federation countries, which includes the UK. Preference will be given to applicants aged 30 and over.
Grants are available for courses taking place during the academic year from September 2026 to July 2027. The funding is intended for one year only, with vocational courses receiving priority.
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK Programme
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme is designed to provide high-quality, practical education and business support to leaders of high-growth small businesses and social enterprises across the country.
Participants in the fully funded programme identify and execute the steps necessary to enable them to scale their ventures, create employment and expand to new markets. Each participant develops a business growth plan throughout the course to implement back in their businesses. Eligibility criteria:
Business operating for at least three years
Have between 5 and 50 employees
Business should have turnover of at least 250,000 GBP in the previous financial year
Applicant should not have any recent management education
Applicant should be the primary owner or main decision-maker of the business
The business boost grants can help your business with:
Grant support up to £2,000 to help businesses improve their shop fronts or signage
Grant support up to £2,000 to help bring a shop that has been empty for at least 3 months back into commercial use
up to £1,000 to help town or village wide projects to drive new footfall, investment, street-scene improvements or sustainability.
All applications need at least 50% match funding and 2 quotes for each element. Town and village centre independents can also apply for support to help sell online with the digital high street boost and small and medium sized business can get help to invest in energy efficiency projects with the green business boost.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time.
Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme
Eligible adult social care employers in England can claim staff training costs from the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS). The LDSS is available for non-regulated care staff, including deputy and Care Quality Commission-registered managers and agency staff, within the adult social care workforce. Staff taking the training must be in qualifying roles.
Eligible ASC employers can claim funding for certain training courses and qualifications on behalf of eligible care staff. This funding is for eligible courses and qualifications that have been both paid for in financial year 2025 to 2026, as well as those paid for in financial year 2024 to 2025.
Business Support Grants of up to £1,000 for residents and businesses with fewer than 5 employees based in Reigate and Banstead.
Grants can be used to help fund things like marketing, new equipment or training. Please note the grant is NOT available for the development of prototypes or for IT equipment such as laptops, unless you are a brand new start up and do not possess any IT hardware.
The Help to Grow: Management Course runs over 12 weeks and includes online and face-to-face sessions, 1-to-1 mentoring and peer networking.
Whether you need to identify more efficient ways of working, target new markets, or create a plan to take your business and team to the next level, the Help to Grow: Management Course will provide the knowledge and support you need. With just one session a week, it is designed to fit around existing work and personal commitments. You will finish the course ready to lead on the delivery of increased profitability, innovation and growth.
To join the Help to Grow: Management Course you should:
Work for a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise based in the United Kingdom
Employ between 5 and 249 employees
Be a member of the senior leadership team and have direct reports.
The 12-week course provides more than 50 hours of learning and 1-2-1 mentoring. The full course is worth £7,500 but it is 90% government funded so small businesses pay just £750 per person. This is paid directly to the business school once registration is completed.
Our local Business Schools are Kingston University, Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Southampton, University of Brighton and Brunel University of London.
Homes England and Octopus Real Estate have launched the second phase of the Greener Homes Alliance. The scheme provides discounted development finance to small and medium-sized (SME) housebuilders. The initiative supports the construction of energy-efficient homes across England.
A total of £150 million is available. Loans range from £2 million to £20 million. Interest rate reductions of up to 2% are available for developers who meet environmental and social criteria. Eligible applicants include SME housebuilders and developers operating in England.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time
Co-operative and Community Finance offers loans of between £10,000 and £85,000 for new or existing co-operatives across the UK. Loans are to assist with the expansion, setup, or development of a co-operative enterprise.
Loans will only be made to economically viable enterprises that are democratically owned and controlled organisations registered in the UK.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time
Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Grants
The FiPL programme provides grants to farmers and land managers in the Surrey Hills for one-off projects to make improvements to the natural environment, climate change mitigation, cultural heritage and public access on their land.
The Workplace Charging Scheme provides support for organisations towards the cost of installing up to 40 electric vehicle chargepoint sockets at their sites.
The scheme covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints (including VAT). This is capped at a maximum of:
£350 per socket
40 sockets across all sites per applicant. For example, if you install at 40 sites, you will have 1 socket per site
The Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund Pilot
The Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund Pilot is a £50 million capital grant programme supporting large-scale research and development projects within the UK life sciences sector. The fund aims to strengthen health resilience, drive innovation and deliver economic benefits through significant investments in research capacity, facilities and technologies.
Projects should demonstrate how they will enhance the UK’s ability to respond to health emergencies and long-term healthcare challenges, for example by expanding or creating R&D capacity, improving manufacturing processes, accelerating clinical research or deploying new technologies.
If you can’t see something in this month’s round-up that suits your business’s specific needs, check out our Support Directory, or contact our team of experts via our Business Support Form.
Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates on funding, business news, events and support for all Surrey businesses.
Events roundup – February 2026
Published 6 February 2026
Events and awards
Surrey businesses, exciting things are coming! Our fully funded programme of high‑impact events is now underway. Dive into expert-led sessions on marketing or start‑up success and a dedicated sales half‑day workshop – all free to attend, with no cost to you.
Start-up overview
Kickstart your self-employment journey with our interactive Start-up overview workshop. In just one hour, you’ll gain valuable insights into the realities of working for yourself, assess your personal and business readiness, and leave empowered to decide if self-employment is right for you.
20 February | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | online | fully funded
Boost your marketing skills with the last in the series of three fully funded online workshops. Together they form a series, if you have missed out on attending our previous sessions, join us for the final session and hear about how to expand your reach and engagement by using smart digital strategies. If you can’t make it, then why not visit our resources page to access our our expert marketing toolkitto help you develop a bespoke plan to achieve your business goals
5 March 2026 | 11:30 am – 12:00 pm | online | fully funded
Discover CRM tools, workflow design, and automation for sustainable growth.
Hear from Dan Chidley, our trusted coach helping people, organisations, communities and good causes through coaching, mentoring, personal and professional development. Accredited Member of the Association for Coaching. Director level marketing and communications professional with 20 years’ experience: in-house, agency and consultancy. Chartered Marketer and Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Accelerate your growth & win more customers
19 March 2026, 8.30am – 12.30 noon
Join us for a dynamic and practical fully funded workshop designed to help small and medium-sized businesses unlock sustainable growth and attract more customers. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your sales strategy or build stronger customer relationships, this session will give you the tools to succeed.
Interested in joining us for this packed day of useful tips and advice?
19 March 2026 | 08:30 am – 12:30 pm | Double Tree by Hilton, Woking | fully funded
With over 25 years of experience supporting more than 400 scale-up businesses in Surrey and advising FTSE 100 companies, Roya Croudace, Commercial Director, Founder, and Non-Executive Director brings a wealth of knowledge in accelerating growth for SMEs. Her workshops are known for delivering practical, results-driven strategies that help businesses boost revenue, attract and retain customers, and build long-term success.
Submit your own event
Don’t forget, our events directory is a great way to promote your own business events to a wider audience. If your organisation is hosting or sponsoring a business event in Surrey, you can submit it for inclusion in the directory by completing this simple form.
Free support for Surrey SMEs
All events are fully funded for Surrey businesses and delivered by Business Surrey, a Surrey County Council service offering expert advice to help Surrey businesses thrive. More fully funded sessions coming soon – check our events page for details, and follow us onLinkedInto keep up to date event for you here
Our experts are on hand to provide tailored advice to help your SME grow and succeed. Get in touch with a member of the team via our business support form.
Unlock new opportunities: Join our fully funded business events
Published 16 January 2026
Events and awards
Surrey businesses, get ready! We’re rolling out a series of high‑impact, fully funded events to help you innovate and grow. Dive into expert-led sessions on marketing and start‑up success and more – all free to attend, with no cost to you.
Start-up overview
Kickstart your self-employment journey with our interactive Start-Up Overview workshop. In just one hour, you’ll gain valuable insights into the realities of working for yourself, assess your personal and business readiness, and leave empowered to decide if self-employment is right for you.
23 January | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | online | fully funded
Boost your marketing skills with our series of fully funded online workshops. Together they form a series, but there’s no obligation to attend all three; just choose the subjects that are most relevant to your own business. Or come along to all three and really reap the benefits!
1. Communicate with confidence
22 January 2026 | 11:30 am – 12:00 pm | online
Learn how to define and express your brand with clarity and impact.
There’s no limit to the number of attendees, just be sure to register early!
2. Build your digital growth engine
12 February 2026 | 11:30 am – 12:00 pm | online
Explore smart digital strategies to expand reach and engagement.
Hear from Dan Chidley, our trusted coach helping people, organisations, communities and good causes through coaching, mentoring, personal and professional development. Accredited Member of the Association for Coaching. Director level marketing and communications professional with 20 years’ experience: in-house, agency and consultancy. Chartered Marketer and Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Happy New Year! I’m not one for new year’s resolutions, to me January feels like the perfect time to be planning and thinking (aka hibernating) ready to get going in the new financial year (aka Spring).
I’ve included funded programmes of support for the first time in the round-up to acknowledge that often funding is given over to developing packages of support rather than just as grants. These can be focused on skills development rather than projects or assets so gives a broader variety of opportunities on offer.
Things are always moving so double check the start and closing dates and keep an eye out for my monthly updates. Good luck, and let me know how you get on!
Renée
Enterprise Nation’s Work Reimagined Webinar Series & Prize Draw
Sign up to Enterprise Nation and Dell’s webinar series and download ‘Getting AI-ready: The small business tech checklist’ to simplify set-up, security and updates.
By signing up, you’ll be automatically entered into a prize draw to win a tech bundle worth over £1,000 including a Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 Laptop, a Dell Pro 14 Portable Monitor and Dell Pro Ear Buds.
Tandridge District Council are offering local businesses the chance to apply for a Business Support Grant of up to £1,000. The grant can be used to buy new equipment, upgrade your shopfront, train your team or add energy-saving features.
Whether you’re a new or established business, you can apply for a one-off grant. To qualify for the grant, applicants must be:
Aged 18 or over.
Running a business based in the Tandridge district.
A new or existing business looking to expand in the area.
Innovate UK is offering up to 60 Women in Innovation Awards to women entrepreneurs within SMEs across the UK. The aims of this competition are to support Women in Innovation Award winners:
Whose innovation is aligned to one of the following three high growth sectors defined in the Government’s Industrial Strategy: Advanced Manufacturing, Digital and Technologies and Life Sciences.
Who have a late stage start-up with ambitions to grow a scalable business which will involve raising considerable investment in the next 12 to 24 months.
The winners will receive a £75,000 grant and bespoke business support.
The goal of the annual Pitch Competition is to showcase Europe’s very best seed and pre-seed startups. 15 of the most innovative early-stage teams from across the continent will join the EU-Startups Summit on May 7-8 in Malta. Each finalist will have three minutes to pitch their idea on the main stage in front of a large audience of investors, media, and start-up enthusiasts and VC judges. Eligibility criteria include:
Already raised between 0 and €750K in venture capital
Based in Europe (EU, UK, Switzerland, Norway)
Pre-seed or seed stage and founded within the last three years
The creator and owner of the easy family of brands is offering cash prizes totalling £300,000 to three young entrepreneurs in the UK for the third year. Applicant entrepreneurs must be a director of the company and own shares of more than 50% overall. The Awards are open to owners of start ups aged 34 or under, born in 1992 or later.
Businesses must have been registered at UK Companies House in the last five years, registered in 2021 or later, with accounts showing revenues of at least £500,000 per annum for the latest financial year.
Small Business Britain x Adobe Express Marketing School
A free 6-week online programme starting Tuesday 25th February. Discover how Adobe Express helps you and your business stand out by making impactful social media assets, flyers, logos etc.
What the Programme Includes:
Six interactive weekly workshops recorded and available on a private Small Business Britain website available exclusively to course participants led by Adobe experts.
Real-life examples demonstrated on a business from our community.
Fun and quick weekly homework challenges to practice skills, with feedback and community support.
Access to a private LinkedIn group for peer-to-peer advice and expert guidance.
Opportunities to win Adobe Express Premium memberships and exclusive prizes.
This 6 week programme for sole traders and micro businesses, concludes with a plan to support the next year of business growth. It will be delivered entirely online.
What does the course include?
Inclusion in an exclusive, supportive community to ask and answer questions, access experts and teachers, share experiences and network with other small businesses.
Live weekly sessions recorded and available on a private Small Business Britain website available exclusively to course participants.
Weekly worksheets to embed learning outcomes accessible on the private website hub, developed by each week’s expert trainers.
Development of an Action Plan: a twelve-month plan to grow and flourish with support of expert mentors.
1 hour of 1-2-1 and group mentoring over the six weeks from expert mentors around the UK.
The Diamond Education Grant offers financial support to women seeking to enter or return to the workforce or transition into growing industries by gaining new skills.
The grant prioritises women facing significant financial need or barriers to employment, with an average award of around £1,000. Funding can be used for course fees or essential materials, such as books or equipment, but not for living expenses. Applications are open to women who are permanent residents in eligible Federation countries, which includes the UK. Preference will be given to applicants aged 30 and over.
Grants are available for courses taking place during the academic year from September 2026 to July 2027. The funding is intended for one year only, with vocational courses receiving priority.
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK Programme
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme is designed to provide high-quality, practical education and business support to leaders of high-growth small businesses and social enterprises across the country.
Participants in the fully funded programme identify and execute the steps necessary to enable them to scale their ventures, create employment and expand to new markets. Each participant develops a business growth plan throughout the course to implement back in their businesses. Eligibility criteria:
Business operating for at least three years
Have between 5 and 50 employees
Business should have turnover of at least 250,000 GBP in the previous financial year
Applicant should not have any recent management education
Applicant should be the primary owner or main decision-maker of the business
The business boost grants can help your business with:
Grant support up to £2,000 to help businesses improve their shop fronts or signage
Grant support up to £2,000 to help bring a shop that has been empty for at least 3 months back into commercial use
up to £1,000 to help town or village wide projects to drive new footfall, investment, street-scene improvements or sustainability.
All applications need at least 50% match funding and 2 quotes for each element. Town and village centre independents can also apply for support to help sell online with the digital high street boost and small and medium sized business can get help to invest in energy efficiency projects with the green business boost.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time.
Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme
Eligible adult social care employers in England can claim staff training costs from the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS). The LDSS is available for non-regulated care staff, including deputy and Care Quality Commission-registered managers and agency staff, within the adult social care workforce. Staff taking the training must be in qualifying roles.
Eligible ASC employers can claim funding for certain training courses and qualifications on behalf of eligible care staff. This funding is for eligible courses and qualifications that have been both paid for in financial year 2025 to 2026, as well as those paid for in financial year 2024 to 2025.
Business Support Grants of up to £1,000 for residents and businesses with fewer than 5 employees based in Reigate and Banstead.
Grants can be used to help fund things like marketing, new equipment or training. Please note the grant is NOT available for the development of prototypes or for IT equipment such as laptops, unless you are a brand new start up and do not possess any IT hardware.
The Help to Grow: Management Course runs over 12 weeks and includes online and face-to-face sessions, 1-to-1 mentoring and peer networking.
Whether you need to identify more efficient ways of working, target new markets, or create a plan to take your business and team to the next level, the Help to Grow: Management Course will provide the knowledge and support you need. With just one session a week, it is designed to fit around existing work and personal commitments. You will finish the course ready to lead on the delivery of increased profitability, innovation and growth.
To join the Help to Grow: Management Course you should:
Work for a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise based in the United Kingdom
Employ between 5 and 249 employees
Be a member of the senior leadership team and have direct reports.
The 12-week course provides more than 50 hours of learning and 1-2-1 mentoring. The full course is worth £7,500 but it is 90% government funded so small businesses pay just £750 per person. This is paid directly to the business school once registration is completed.
Our local Business Schools are Kingston University, Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Southampton, University of Brighton and Brunel University of London.
Homes England and Octopus Real Estate have launched the second phase of the Greener Homes Alliance. The scheme provides discounted development finance to small and medium-sized (SME) housebuilders. The initiative supports the construction of energy-efficient homes across England.
A total of £150 million is available. Loans range from £2 million to £20 million. Interest rate reductions of up to 2% are available for developers who meet environmental and social criteria. Eligible applicants include SME housebuilders and developers operating in England.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time
Co-operative and Community Finance offers loans of between £10,000 and £85,000 for new or existing co-operatives across the UK. Loans are to assist with the expansion, setup, or development of a co-operative enterprise.
Loans will only be made to economically viable enterprises that are democratically owned and controlled organisations registered in the UK.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time
Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Grants
The FiPL programme provides grants to farmers and land managers in the Surrey Hills for one-off projects to make improvements to the natural environment, climate change mitigation, cultural heritage and public access on their land.
The Workplace Charging Scheme provides support for organisations towards the cost of installing up to 40 electric vehicle chargepoint sockets at their sites.
The scheme covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints (including VAT). This is capped at a maximum of:
£350 per socket
40 sockets across all sites per applicant. For example, if you install at 40 sites, you will have 1 socket per site
The Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund Pilot
The Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund Pilot is a £50 million capital grant programme supporting large-scale research and development projects within the UK life sciences sector. The fund aims to strengthen health resilience, drive innovation and deliver economic benefits through significant investments in research capacity, facilities and technologies.
Projects should demonstrate how they will enhance the UK’s ability to respond to health emergencies and long-term healthcare challenges, for example by expanding or creating R&D capacity, improving manufacturing processes, accelerating clinical research or deploying new technologies.
If you can’t see something in this month’s round-up that suits your business’s specific needs, check out our Support Directory, or contact our team of experts via our Business Support Form.
Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates on funding, business news, events and support for all Surrey businesses.
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