Lights, camera, innovation: Surrey firm transforms product development thanks to Made Smarter South East
Published 23 July 2026
Funding and grants, Surrey Success Stories
Removing barriers to growth
Surrey-based specialist film equipment firm Camera Revolution Limited is taking its final step to becoming a fully integrated design, manufacturing and rental business, thanks to support and investment from Made Smarter.
The business operates as a specialist film equipment rental business and emerging manufacturer of proprietary camera support systems, motion control equipment and stabilisation rigs. The company supplies equipment to major film and television productions for globally recognised clients such as Netflix, Amazon MGM, Apple and Disney.
Innovation sits at the heart of Camera Revolution’s business model. The firm has invested heavily in developing an in-house engineering capability, creating a dedicated design and development function using SolidWorks and developing innovative products. The company frequently develops bespoke equipment for specific film productions, often with lead times measured in days rather than weeks. Directors and cinematographers regularly require unique solutions for individual scenes or camera movements, creating pressure to design, manufacture and deliver functional equipment within extremely short timescales.
A key challenge for growth has been the company’s reliance on external CNC machining suppliers for prototype production, limiting the speed at which new products and bespoke solutions can be developed, tested and refined.
Additionally, engineers spend valuable time managing supplier relationships, waiting for parts and dealing with external production schedules. This slows innovation and limits the number of projects that can be progressed simultaneously.
The limitation and reliance on external manufacturers has forced the business to decline opportunities or use costly expedited machining services, significantly reducing profitability.
Supporting the right solution
Thanks to the Made Smarter investment and support, Camera Revolution has been able to invest in a new Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing system. This has enabled the production of high-quality components in-house, delivering durable, accurate and functionally tested parts within days rather than weeks.
Unlike traditional desktop printing technologies, SLS printing produces industrial-grade components suitable for both rapid prototyping and selected end-use applications.
What will the Made Smarter investment and support mean for the business?
By bringing this additive manufacturing functionality in-house, Camera Revolution has reduced prototype iteration times from between two and four weeks to less than 48 hours. This will allow engineers to test and refine concepts rapidly, significantly shortening product development cycles and accelerating the launch of new products.
Thanks to enabling much faster rounds of product development, and bringing components manufacturing in house, the technology significantly helps accelerate innovation within the business.
By removing reliance on external suppliers for early-stage development work, engineering resources can focus on innovation rather than administration and supplier management. This improves productivity, drives efficiency and supports continued growth of the engineering function.
The film production industry is highly time-sensitive. The ability to design and manufacture bespoke equipment in-house within days gives Camera Revolution a significant competitive advantage, enabling the company to respond more effectively to clients’ requirements and secure opportunities that would previously have been unattainable.
The business estimates that the technology could reduce external prototype machining expenditure by at least £40,000 annually while also improving engineering productivity and reducing lost revenue opportunities. Overall annual savings are forecast to be approximately £130,000, with a payback period of around five months.
Rowan Newbitt, Lead Design Engineer at Camera Revolution said: “The Made Smarter grant has been a genuine enabler for us. We’ve spent three years building an engineering department from the ground up, and SLS printer is the piece of the puzzle that completes our ability to design, prototype and deliver in-house. For an industry where a client can call on a Tuesday needing something on set by Thursday, that capability isn’t just useful, it’s the difference between winning the job and turning it down.”
The future
This investment is about more than introducing a new piece of equipment. It represents the final step in Camera Revolution’s evolution into a fully integrated design, manufacturing and rental business.
Camera Revolution continues to develop innovative products for the film industry and intends to launch multiple new proprietary product lines and expand product sales globally. The investment has given the business the agility needed to compete at an international level. Faster development cycles, enhanced innovation capabilities and the ability to respond rapidly to customer requirements strengthens the company’s position with world-leading production companies, unlock new commercial opportunities and support future export growth.
Support for Surrey businesses
Made Smarter is a government-funded programme to help SME manufacturers and makers boost productivity and increase their competitive edge through the adoption of new industrial technologies and tools. Start your own journey to digitisation – register for a free personalised assessment today.
Looking for support to grow your Surrey business? Get in touch via our Business Support Form.
Surrey Farming Innovation Accelerator goes live
Published 16 July 2026
Advice and support, Funding and grants, Innovation
Farmers and growers across Surrey can apply for grants of up to £35,000 plus expert support to innovate their offer as part of a £500,000 package to boost the rural economy.
The Surrey Farming Innovation Accelerator is a Surrey County Council initiative. It’s designed to help eligible businesses drive growth, become more profitable and improve efficiency.
It offers 100% direct funding of between £10,000 and £35,000.
The grant requires no match funding. It supports projects designed to modernise operations, improve productivity, diversify and boost long-term resilience.
Participants will also receive expert support to improve their wider business, including specialist consultancy, courses and peer-to-peer learning.
The six-month programme is open to small and medium enterprises in farming, horticulture (including vineyards and hop growers), forestry, beekeeping and equine businesses. It is part-funded by UK Shared Prosperity Funding.
Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, said: “Surrey’s rural economy contributes a huge amount to our communities and wider economy. But the feedback from farmers and growers is that a lack of funding, time and support is holding them back from adopting the technology that could transform how they work.
“The Surrey Farming Innovation Accelerator will give ambitious eligible businesses the tools they need to modernise, diversify and grow. Over time, this will create new jobs and contribute to the ongoing vitality of our villages and towns.
“I encourage anyone who is eligible to apply – and if it proves to be a success, we hope it will provide a model we can build on in the future.”
Applying to the Farming Innovation Accelerator
The programme is open to Surrey-based Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) whose primary activity involves owning, renting or actively managing agricultural or rural land.
Projects must demonstrate how the proposed digital project will deliver measurable improvements. This includes productivity, efficiency, profitability, resilience, sustainability or business growth.
Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Surrey’s economy. According to a recent University of Surrey report, there are about 500 farms in the county. Together, they contribute around £502 million a year to the local economy. This accounts for 14% of national farming income.
Surrey County Council has provided a range of support to rural business in recent years.
Fourth generation farmer Alec Clouting, of Ivelle Farm in Cranleigh, is one of several rural businesses to benefit from support and funding through a different route. The Surrey Economic Growth Fund helped him to set up a 24/7 meat vending machine at the farm.
He said: “I’m very grateful for the opportunity the Economic Growth Fund has provided me with. And doubled up with the support from the team at Business Surrey, it’s really helped get the project off the ground and build a vision for the future.
“Farming is a very difficult business to navigate with many layers of complexity. And with the recent added pressures of the farm inheritance tax, it’s becoming harder to make small family farms like ours financially viable.
“Many futures have been thrown into uncertainty. So having a futureproof way of selling my produce as profitably as I can will give me the best chance I could wish for!”
Renée’s round-up of grants and funded programmes – July
Published 14 July 2026
Funding and grants
I’m excited to share that the British Business Bank is expanding its geographically-focused initiatives. The South East Investment Fund is designed to support the growth of SMEs in the South East and is on course to be launched in summer 2026.
The South East Investment Fund will offer a range of commercial finance options with loans from £25,000 to £2m and equity investment of up to £5m. The fund will address regional finance gaps outside traditional hotspots by bringing targeted equity and debt finance to growing businesses and supporting innovation clusters. I’ve just signed up to their newsletter to get news of the launch as soon as it is released.
Surrey County Council has also just launched the Farming Innovation Accelerator programme to help Surrey farmers and growers drive growth, become more profitable and improve efficiency. Apply by 16 August 2026 for grants of up to £35,000 and expert support for your business.
Thank you to everyone who attended our webinar last month where we drew on insights we learnt from the funding programmes we delivered in 2025 to share our top tips on writing successful grant applications. We have received some great feedback and you can watch the recording back here.
Things are always moving with grants and funded programmes so keep an eye out for my monthly updates. Good luck, and let me know how you get on! #wonderwall
Renée
Farming Innovation Accelerator
The Surrey Farming Innovation Accelerator is a Surrey County Council initiative designed to help farmers and growers drive growth, become more profitable and improve efficiency. It offers eligible businesses 100% direct funding between £10,000 and £35,000.
The grant, which does not require match funding, will support digital projects designed to modernise operations, improve productivity, diversify and boost long-term resilience. You’ll also receive expert support to improve your wider business, including specialist consultancy, courses and peer-to-peer learning.
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.
Source in Surrey is a UK Government-funded initiative delivered by Surrey Chambers of Commerce. It is dedicated to supporting local businesses to win more customers, connect with each other, access opportunities, and strengthen local supply chains across the county.
An AI-powered platform has been developed to streamline connections between buyers and suppliers, ensuring small and medium-sized businesses benefit more from the spending opportunities provided by the larger organisations in the county. Surrey based SMEs will find sourcing new customers faster and simpler with the use of the new AI business to business matchmaking tool.
Alongside the AI-tool, a programme of roadshows, training, and events bring businesses together in person creating opportunities to learn, network, and build the relationships that power successful local supply chains. Together, this combination of AI and face-to-face engagement will help Surrey businesses be more connected, expand their customer base, and keep business local.
If you’re a UK-registered company seeking between £250K–£1.5m in investment, you may be eligible to apply to pitch at the next S100 Club pitch event in September. The S100 Club is dedicated to showcasing high-tech, high-growth ventures that are pioneering innovation and have strong commercial potential. We welcome applications from startups across sectors such as AI, deep tech, life sciences, advanced engineering, and digital platforms.
The S100 Club has an excellent reputation for successfully pairing dynamic startups with angel investors. Our investor community expects the highest standard of investment opportunities and pitches, and we work hard to maintain that quality. To ensure this, the S100 Club uses a multi-stage selection process for entrepreneurs who wish to pitch:
Application form and one-page summary
Pre-selection meeting with the S100 Club team
Panel assessment
Entrepreneurs must successfully pass all three stages to be invited to pitch at an S100 Club event.
Please note that food, beverage, and clothing companies are not eligible unless there is a clear and substantial technology component integral to the business model.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched the Youth Jobs Grant, a payment for employers that recruit young people aged 18 to 24 who have been claiming Universal Credit and searching for work for six months or more.
The grant is expected to operate over three years and aims to support an estimated 60,000 young people. The policy focus is on young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), with youth unemployment currently running at high levels.
Employers of any size can apply, including sole traders intending to take on staff. To qualify, the claim must relate to a role filled by an eligible young person meeting the age requirement and the Universal Credit job seeking period. The payment is £3,000 per eligible hire and is planned to be made in two instalments: £1,800 paid after six weeks and £1,200 after 18 weeks, when earnings have been verified through HMRC.
Roles supported by the grant must be at least 25 hours per week and expected to last at least four months. The money should be used on costs arising from or associated with employing the eligible young person. Eligible expenditure can include wage costs, national insurance contributions, pension contributions, recruitment and administration costs linked to the hire, training and management costs.
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. So pleased to share that the University of Surrey has just become accredited to deliver this and their first cohort will begin in this Autumn
The FFR Fundraising Accelerator is an 8-week intensive programme of weekly sessions for founders who are raising or planning to raise investment in the next 3 months. It equips startups with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to fundraise successfully through virtual sessions, practical frameworks, and hands-on exercises, alongside access to investors through pitch opportunities and discussions. Upon graduation, founders are invited to join the RAISE CIRCLE for ongoing support.
Eligibility requirements: the programme is for founders who are currently raising, or planning to raise within the next three months. Participating businesses must be investable, with a pitch deck in place and, where eligible, SEIS/EIS advance assurance secured.
Starting in September the Scaleup programme is designed for high-growth UK tech companies ready to tackle the challenges of scaling. Built around the real-life challenges that fast-growth companies face. Over four months, you will explore four key pillars of scaling:
Leadership, people and operational foundations
Scaling commercial performance
Customer value, retention and expansion
Funding Strategy and capital planning.
ou’d benefit most if you:
Run a UK-based tech business
Have raised or are generating £2M+
Employ at least 10 people
Have big ambitions and are ready for rapid growth.
London Stock Exchange Group – Female Founder Showcase
The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) are bringing back their Female Founder Showcase this September – and they want to see more brilliant women-led UK businesses on that stage. If you are tech or tech-enabled business embarking on a Seed or Series A round, this is your opportunity to pitch to a brilliant VC panel and an audience of investors looking for companies like yours on 10 September at the London Stock Exchange.
The second round of the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition has opened to support further investment in the UK heat pump manufacturing supply chain. The initiative aims to strengthen domestic production, support the transition to low carbon heating and contribute to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Up to £90 million has been allocated across the competition, with individual projects able to receive grants of up to £30 million. The funding is intended for capital expenditure linked to large scale manufacturing developments. Support is available for the construction of new factories or the expansion, refurbishment, retooling or reworking of existing sites. Projects must focus on the production of heat pumps or key components, including heat exchangers, compressors, evaporators, control systems and thermal storage.
The competition is open to UK registered manufacturing businesses, as well as industrial and engineering firms investing in production capacity. All supported projects must take place within the UK.
Applicants must be private sector organisations, either applying individually or as part of a consortium led by a private sector business. Projects must demonstrate innovation not yet commercially available in the UK and, where relevant, achieve a seasonal performance factor of at least 3.5 in real-world domestic settings.
Innovate UK (IUK) has opened applications for its Next Wave: Breakthrough Wave 1 Competition, which is intended to support early-stage innovation at the intersection of high-growth Createch and the Industrial Strategy Frontier Industries.
The competition is designed to help projects progress innovations beyond proof of concept, with the aim of reducing investment risk and supporting long-term sector growth. Projects must focus on commercial digital platforms and services operating within one of four frontier industries: video games, advertising and marketing, film and TV or music, performing and visual arts.
Up to £10 million has been allocated for industrial research projects. Each application must have total eligible costs between £100,000 and £500,000.
Applications are open to UK-registered micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs can apply as a single applicant or lead a collaborative project. The call also welcomes cross-sector work that combines one or more of the eligible frontier industries with other creative industries sectors. Design businesses are eligible where the Createch innovation contributes to one of the four frontier industries.
Academic institutions, research and technology organisations (RTOs), charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs) and other organisations that are not profit-driven or commercially focused cannot lead projects. Academic institutions and RTOs are not eligible to apply as sole applicants.
NatWest Bank has opened applications for the next round of the NatWest Accelerator Pitch, a UK-wide competition for business founders seeking to grow their ventures.
Applicants must submit a 60-second video explaining how grant support would help their business develop. Five finalists will be selected to attend a live final.
The next live final is scheduled to take place in Wolverhampton on 10 September 2026. The finalists will each deliver a 10-minute pitch covering their business journey, planned use of the grant and reasons they should be selected. Attendees will also take part in networking activities and may be featured in promotional video and photographic content produced by NatWest and its affiliates.
At each live event, three winners share the £100,000 prize pot through grants of £70,000 for first place, £20,000 for second and £10,000 for third. Winners have three months to spend the grant.
The contest is open to UK-based registered limited companies incorporated within the past five years that generate annual revenue of up to £1 million. Applicants must be aged 18 or over, be a UK resident and be a member of the NatWest Accelerator App Community at the time of application. It is not necessary to be a NatWest Group customer to apply.
The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust has opened a new round of its Emerging Maker Grant, offering support for early-career craftspeople based in the UK.
The grant is intended for makers who identify their practice within the field of craft and can demonstrate a strong foundation and clear commitment to developing their skills.
Emerging Maker Grants provide between £3,000 and £10,000 for essential skills training. Applicants must be UK-based and considered to be at an early stage of professional practice. The award is designed for individuals who are still building expertise and progressing towards the next stage of their career. The support can be used towards training and education. Eligible activity may include traditional college courses, vocational one-to-one training with a master craftsperson or a bespoke package of short courses.
Emerge-AI is an accelerator programme run by CoSTAR National Lab designed to help early-stage creative tech startups & SMEs working with AI take their prototype to initial validation.
As part of the CoSTAR AI for Creativity initiative the programme gives access to world-class expertise, infrastructure, and industry connections.
The programme offers a tailored three month package of support including eight workshops with masterclasses, two mentor sessions, enhanced access to Cloud credits and £5,000 to cover costs.
Foundervine, in collaboration with Lloyds, is running the Breakthrough accelerator for 25 disabled entrepreneurs seeking to grow their businesses.
The eight-week accelerator will be delivered through a mix of virtual and in-person sessions from late September 2026. It is designed to provide expert-led support, one-to-one mentoring, business development guidance and tailored advice on finance. The cohort will also take part in interactive masterclasses and join a peer network of founders with lived experience.
Participants will have access to a £21,000 grant funding pot alongside support intended to help develop and grow their ventures. The offer includes coaching, sector-specific mentoring and guidance on accessing grants, subsidies and accessible sources of finance. The accelerator concludes with a Showcase Day, where participants can pitch their ventures to investors and other backers.
Applicants must have a UK-registered business that has been operating or trading for at least 18 months and can provide evidence of traction or revenue generation. Eligible businesses must have a turnover or raised investment of at least £70,000 and may operate in any industry. Applicants or team members should identify as disabled or neurodivergent, including physical, sensory, mental health, cognitive, or learning differences, with self-identification accepted.
CoSTAR Screen Lab has launched a call focused on the use of spatialised 3D audio as an interactive layer within virtual production environments.
The call is seeking projects that explore how sound can help performers and audiences navigate, understand and engage with complex digital visual assets. The stated aims include improving accessibility and situational awareness, and developing audio-led guidance and feedback methods for interaction during production and in live or hybrid digital experiences.
Support offered per selected project is valued at over £150,000 and combines facilities access, research expertise and cash awards. Up to two projects will receive up to £35,000 each towards delivery costs. Successful applicants can also access up to two intensive one-week development sprints at CoSTAR Screen Lab, including on-boarding and orientation to required equipment delivered by the technical team. In addition, Screen Lab staff will collaborate during the tenancy and provide up to 10 days of ad-hoc support outside sprint windows across the project duration.
Applications are open to teams across the UK, which may include companies, technologists, researchers and creative practitioners. Applicants must be from, or support, the screen and/or performance sectors. Projects may relate to XR or mixed-reality theatre and dance, virtual stages and LED volumes with live audiences, networked and browser-based performances, game-engine-driven live shows, projection-mapped and spatial computing installations or hybrid physical and virtual audience experiences.
The Garden Industry Manufacturers’ Association (GIMA), in partnership with Glee, has opened its Innovators’ Seed Corn Fund to support new entrants developing products for the UK gardening market.
The annual scheme is intended to help bring innovative, never before seen items to market and to assist inventors and early-stage businesses in navigating the sector.
The scheme is open to inventors, small businesses and start-up businesses in the UK that have not previously exhibited at Glee (billed as the UK’s leading garden retail trade show). Products must be developed to a sufficient stage to be suitable and ready for market.
It offers a combined grant and in-kind support package valued at up to £6,000. Support includes free exhibition space at Glee (September 26), alongside assistance with design, development, consultancy, manufacturing or marketing costs. Successful applicants will also receive a free half-page advert in the GIMA New Product Digest publication, free GIMA membership for 12 months and one year of ACID (Anti Copying In Design) membership. Winning entries are announced at the annual Glee trade show, which attracts garden industry buyers and decision makers.
UK-based organisations can apply for grants through the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Public Engagement Spark Awards 2026A, which support projects designed to engage the public with science, technology and research connected to STFC-funded work.
The awards are intended to back public engagement activities that highlight the achievements and value of STFC-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics research in the UK.
Grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 are available, with projects expected to run for 12 to 36 months.
Each application must include an SME in an STFC funded remit area, included as the project lead, a UK project co-lead or a specialist, to support the accuracy and relevance of scientific content.
Enterprise Nation and EDF Small Business, supported by NatWest and Square, are giving out £25,000 in funding to support five small businesses ready to invest in a greener future. You need to have a physical business premises that you own/rent, employ less than 50 staff and have been trading for at least 12 months.
You need to be able to clearly outline how you’ll use the grant and/or charger to make your business more sustainable. Examples include:
energy efficiency improvements, or upgrades to more efficient equipment
renewable energy installations (solar panels, battery storage for example)
an electric vehicle (EV) charger and management software
Each successful applicant will receive a £5,000 grant. Also on offer are five free dedicated workplace electric vehicle (EV) chargers, including installation, supplied via Pod – you can apply for the grant, the EV charger or both.
Farmers in England can now apply for Window 1 of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI26); a revised approach to agricultural payments designed to support family farms and environmental management. Window 1 is open to small farms (three–50 hectares of agricultural land).
The scheme is backed by £240 million for new agreements, building on more than £560 million already committed. It aims to reward practical actions such as improving soil health, maintaining water quality and creating wildlife habitats. Funding is intended to support farm resilience and food production. The approach also encourages reduced reliance on synthetic fertilisers to lower input costs and improve resilience overall.
Each business will be limited to one agreement, with an annual cap of £100,000 per agreement. The SFI management payment will not apply to new agreements, and most actions will run on three-year terms.
Window 1 is open to small farms and those without an existing Environmental Land Management revenue agreement. This window will remain open for around two months. (A second window opening in September 2026 will allow all farmers and land managers to apply.)
Are you interested in pitching your great, British business to international buyers in the USA, and are you available for an epic in-person event in central London on Tuesday, 8th September?
If you are a businesses in the food & drink, consumer goods or retail sectors this is for you.
You’ll be offered the support you need to be ready to pitch, and will be joined on the day by export experts, there to offer their advice and to help get you match ready for your time to shine.
As well as having the chance to pitch your business across the world, via livestream to buyers specific to your industry niche, you’ll have chance to network with other small business owners, all keen to find exciting, new, global markets for their products and services.
Epic Games is offering financial support through its Epic MegaGrants awards, intended to support and accelerate innovation in real-time 3D creation. The awards are aimed at developers, creators, educators and toolmakers working with Unreal Engine or contributing to the broader 3D ecosystem across games, media, enterprise, education and open-source communities.
Typical grants range from $5,000 to $75,000, with some projects receiving up to $150,000. Support is intended to help teams progress active work and can be used for project costs or team-specific expenses. Eligible costs include continued development and hiring.
Applications are open to a range of creator types and project areas. Game developers are eligible where they are using Unreal Engine or transitioning to UE5 and have a working prototype or demo. Film and media creators can apply for real-time content projects for film, television, animation or live events using Unreal Engine.
Enterprise and industry applicants are eligible for Unreal Engine-based work in sectors including architecture, automotive, manufacturing, simulation, product design, advertising and VR/AR. The awards also cover education and research activity at university level, including curricula, student projects and academic research. Tool and open-source developers can apply for tools that integrate with Unreal Engine or contribute to the wider open-source 3D ecosystem, even where work is not Unreal-specific. Creators using Unreal Editor for Fortnite are also eligible where they are building and publishing in-game experiences.
Digital Catapult has opened applications for its Digital Twin Adoption Accelerator Programme 2026, a nine-month initiative designed to support up to nine partnerships developing proof-of-concept digital twin solutions.
The Accelerator provides up to £100,000 in Innovate UK grant funding per successful project, alongside technical expertise, mentoring and access to specialist facilities. Support is intended to help partnerships develop and refine functional proof-of-concept solutions that address real-world adoption challenges, demonstrate feasibility and business benefits, increase technology readiness and support future deployment.
The call is open to pre-formed partnerships made up of a UK technology SME and an industry organisation seeking to adopt digital twin technologies. Either partner may act as the lead applicant. The SME must work in at least one of six enabling technology areas underpinning digital twins:
Cyber-physical systems
Data services
Security and trustworthiness
Immersive technologies and user experience
Intelligence
Integration and interoperability
Industry adopters must operate in one of the eligible sectors: automotive, agri-tech, maritime, aerospace including space, defence, clean energy, creative industries or life sciences. Proposed projects should focus on adoption challenges within these sectors and include plans to test and validate solutions in real-world environments.
In addition to the grant, participants will receive one-to-one mentoring throughout the nine months, support from Digital Catapult’s innovation and technology teams and input from UK Digital Twin Centre industry partners. Collaborations are also expected to establish pathways for scalability and adoption beyond the proof-of-concept stage.
Scaling Performance of Quantum Computing Hardware: CR&D Competition
Innovate UK has opened a collaborative R&D competition focused on improving the scaling performance and production readiness of quantum computing hardware device technologies.
The call supports industrial research projects addressing system development challenges in quantum hardware and associated software needed for universal fault tolerant quantum computing platforms. Applicants are expected to identify prerequisite capabilities and specifications for such systems, demonstrate the feasibility and performance of their approach for scale, programmability and application runtime and validate technologies, industrial processes and hardware solutions that close identified capability gaps.
Projects should also provide a roadmap setting out how performance and impact will be delivered. Proposals demonstrating commercially viable manufacturing and assembly processes for quantum computing hardware in the UK, and those developed with industrial partners and UK-based full stack quantum computer integrators, are encouraged.
Up to £33 million has been allocated. Each project must request total eligible grant support between £1 million and £3.5 million.
The competition is open to collaborative applications only. The lead organisation must be a UK registered business of any size or a research and technology organisation (RTO). Where an RTO leads, it must work with at least two UK registered businesses of any size. Other eligible collaborators, provided they are UK registered, may include businesses, academic institutions, charities, not for profit organisations, public sector bodies and RTOs.
The Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization has opened applications for its Global Pitch Competition, an annual contest for students with business ideas or ventures.
The competition is aimed at individuals who are actively enrolled as a university or college student. Applicants can enter with an idea to start a business, an existing company with revenue, or an interest in exploring entrepreneurship.
Finalists will compete for more than $20,000 in cash awards. The first-place prize is $8,000, followed by $6,000 for second place, $4,000 for third place and $2,000 for fourth place. A People’s Choice Award, titled Collegiate Entrepreneur of the Year, will also be awarded with a prize of $600. The cash awards are intended to support student entrepreneurs as they develop and communicate their business concepts.
Entries are open to students worldwide, provided they are currently enrolled at their university or college at the time of pitching.
Verizon and Unloc are accepting entries for the Unloc Young Entrepreneurs Challenge, an annual competition intended to identify young talent (aged 16 to 15) across mainland Europe.
The challenge is aimed at entrepreneurs with a technology-led idea for a new business, or those who have already started trading and are seeking support to progress development. The overall winner will receive a £10,000 grant and a mentorship package.
Support for the winning applicant includes being paired with an enterprise mentor who will develop a one-to-one plan focused on the participant’s key priorities. The prize also includes a series of masterclasses delivered by industry experts. In addition to the financial award and business support, the winner will attend the One Young World Global Summit in Tokyo. The summit brings together young leaders from more than 190 countries and over 250 organisations.
Eligible applicants can apply with a pre-start concept that is not yet trading, or with a business that has been trading for no more than three years. Existing businesses must have recorded annual turnover of less than £100,000 in their most recent financial year.
The Varsity Pitch Competition is an early-stage business pitching competition for current students and recent graduates from UK universities, colleges and further education institutions. It provides opportunities for learning, networking and raising the profile of new businesses.
Prizes include a £15,000 cash award for the Varsity Pitch Champion. Two runners-up will receive £2,500 each. Category winners will receive £1,000 each. An audience prize will also be selected on the day.
The cash prizes are intended to support development of winning business ideas. All finalists will receive ongoing support to promote their achievements on websites, CVs and social media.
The competition is open to current UK students and those who graduated in 2023 or later. Categories include Product, Home & Everyday Design; Education, Work & Society; Consumer, Commerce & Experience; Digital, Health & Deeptech; and Climate, Energy & Smart Mobility.
A grant programme has opened to reimburse eligible visa application fees for UK-based scale-ups hiring international specialists and their dependants. The Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-Ups (VFRS4SU) is is intended to reduce costs associated with overseas recruitment in the Clean Energy, Life Sciences and Digital and Technologies sectors.
Eligible businesses can apply for up to £25,000 per year. Reimbursement is capped at £5,000 per international hire and their dependants. Awards are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
The grant supports reimbursement of eligible visa fees incurred on or after 9 June 2026. Businesses must recruit through approved visa routes, including Skilled Worker, Global Talent and Scale Up visas. Applicants are also required to pass due diligence and assurance checks and hold a valid UK bank account for payments.
To be eligible, applicants must be UK-based scale-ups, defined as enterprises with average annualised growth of more than 20% in either employment or turnover over a continuous three-year period, starting from at least 10 employees at the beginning of that period.
The business boost grants can help your business with the following (all applications need at least 50% match funding and 2 quotes for each element):
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.
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.
Businesses across Mole Valley can now benefit from expert guidance provided by IncuHive, fully funded by Mole Valley District Council.
Whether you’re launching your first venture or growing an established company, IncuHive’s team of experienced advisers are on hand to offer practical, tailored support.
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.
Waverley Borough Council fund IncuHive (who are specialists in small business development) to offer free tailored support to all local businesses in the borough of Waverley, including advice onbusiness planning, funding and mentoring. All the Incuhive advisors have started and grown successful businesses, so they can provide expert advice on growing your business, covering areas such as procurement, premises, marketing, finance, bid writing, exports and investment.
Guildford Borough Council fund IncuHive (who are specialists in small business development) to offer free tailored support to all local businesses in the borough of Waverley, including advice onbusiness planning, funding and mentoring. All the Incuhive advisors have started and grown successful businesses, so they can provide expert advice on growing your business, covering areas such as procurement, premises, marketing, finance, bid writing, exports and investment.
Innovate UK has opened an Expression of Interest (EOI) competition for its Innovation Loans, offering repayable finance to support late-stage research and development projects with a clear route to commercialisation.
The finance is described as patient and flexible, aimed at supporting innovation where applicants may struggle to secure suitable lending from commercial providers.
Successful EOI applicants will be invited to submit a full application for an Innovation Loan. At full stage, eligible businesses can apply for between £100,000 and £5 million to support experimental development projects only.
Projects must focus on developing innovative new products, processes, services or business models that are significantly ahead of current offerings, or apply existing solutions in novel ways. Supported activities can include prototyping, demonstrating, piloting, testing and validation. Projects must align with at least one Industrial Strategy Sector: advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative industries, defence, digital and technologies or life sciences.
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.
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.
Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates on funding, business news, events and support for all Surrey businesses.
CoSTAR launches new AI accelerator for creative startups and SMEs in Surrey
Published 24 June 2026
Funding and grants, Innovation
Early-stage startups and small businesses in Surrey’s creative industries are being invited to apply for a new AI accelerator programme launching this summer.
CoSTAR National Lab, based at Royal Holloway, University of London, has opened applications for CoSTAR Emerge-AI. The programme is designed to help businesses working with artificial intelligence take early ideas from prototype stage through to initial validation.
Applications are open from 17 June to 18 August 2026, with workshops taking place between October to December 2026.
What the programme offers
A tailored three-month support package from October to December 2026
Eight expert-led workshops and masterclasses
Two one-to-one mentoring sessions
Access to specialist facilities and industry connections
Cloud credits to support development
Up to £5,000 funding to cover project costs
The accelerator forms part of the wider CoSTAR AI for Creativity initiative, supporting innovation across the creative and technology sectors.
Who should apply
Early-stage startups and SMEs
Businesses developing AI solutions for the creative industries
Companies looking to test and validate new products or services
Businesses interested in applying can join the webinar on 7 July to learn more about the programme and ask questions ahead of submitting an application. Find out more, and register for the webinar.
For information on other sources of funding and grants, read our monthly Funding Roundup or sign up for our newsletter.
Renée’s round-up of grants and funded programmes – June
Published 11 June 2026
Funding and grants
A busy update this month including support for all sectors and for those at all stages of business from pre-start to established phases.
I’m pleased to be able to share that the University of Surrey’s Business School has just become accredited to deliver the government subsidised Help to Grow programme for founders and managers looking to grow their business, its great to have this being delivered within the county (see below for more details).
I can’t though not pass up the opportunity to give a plug for an upcoming webinar we’re delivering on 30 June. Myself and George Harper; our Growth and Innovation Fund Programme Manager are drawing on insights learnt from the funding programmes we delivered in 2025 to share our top tips on writing successful grant applications.
We’ve seen first-hand that many businesses struggle to combine clear data, compelling storytelling, and measurable impact – all essential ingredients for a successful grant application. This practical 1 hr webinar will help you build the confidence and knowledge to approach writing grant applications effectively. Register now to secure your place.
Things are always moving with grants and funded programmes so keep an eye out for my monthly updates. Good luck, and let me know how you get on!
Renée
Made Smarter South East
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.
Source in Surrey is a UK Government-funded initiative delivered by Surrey Chambers of Commerce. It is dedicated to supporting local businesses to win more customers, connect with each other, access opportunities, and strengthen local supply chains across the county.
An AI-powered platform has been developed to streamline connections between buyers and suppliers, ensuring small and medium-sized businesses benefit more from the spending opportunities provided by the larger organisations in the county. Surrey based SMEs will find sourcing new customers faster and simpler with the use of the new AI business to business matchmaking tool.
Alongside the AI-tool, a programme of roadshows, training, and events bring businesses together in person creating opportunities to learn, network, and build the relationships that power successful local supply chains. Together, this combination of AI and face-to-face engagement will help Surrey businesses be more connected, expand their customer base, and keep business local.
Emerge-AI is an accelerator programme run by CoSTAR National Lab designed to help early-stage creative tech startups & SMEs working with AI take their prototype to initial validation.
As part of the CoSTAR AI for Creativity initiative the programme gives access to world-class expertise, infrastructure, and industry connections.
The programme offers a tailored three month package of support including eight workshops with masterclasses, two mentor sessions, enhanced access to Cloud credits and £5,000 to cover costs.
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. So pleased to share that the University of Surrey has just become accredited to deliver this and their first cohort will begin in this Autumn
The AXA Startup Angel Competition is inviting entries from entrepreneurs across the UK seeking support to develop new or early stage businesses. The contest provides financial awards and mentoring to help applicants progress their ideas or existing ventures.
In 2026, six awards are available. Two winners will each receive £25,000 to support their business or concept. In addition, they will be offered mentoring from AXA Startup Angels. Four runners up will receive non-financial support. This includes a 30-minute mentoring session with a representative of The Standard in a relevant business area. They will also be featured in The Standard’s print and online channels.
Applicants must be aged 18 or over and based in the UK. Eligible businesses may be unregistered, actively trading or trading for fewer than 24 months. Businesses must employ fewer than 10 people and present an original concept. The awards are intended to support business development activities, including refining ideas and accessing professional advice.
Small Business Britain is once again highlighting the Nation’s Favourite Businesses, leading up to Small Business Saturday 2026 on 5 December.
For the last fourteen years, the Nation’s Favourite Businesses have not only received exposure on Small Business Saturday’s social media channels and in the local and national press, but also joined the Small Business Saturday team in London at receptions in Downing Street, House of Lords and the Treasury Drum with the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
To apply you will need to tell your business story, outline your challenges, successes and future plans and why they’re special. Businesses will also be asked about how they are sustainable, inclusive and accessible and what part they play in their local communities.
Those selected to take part in the campaign will be spotlighted throughout the Small Business Saturday UK campaign. To showcase the successful businesses Small Business Saturday UK will work with each of them to find appropriate opportunities, this could include:
Social media posts, filmed case studies and press and PR opportunities at national and local level
Visits and interviews as part of the nationwide Tour 2026
An exclusive makeover on Small Business Saturday UK day for select businesses
Arts Council England is inviting applications to its Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) grant for independent creative practitioners.
DYCP aims to create more pathways for individuals from a range of creative practices and backgrounds and to provide time and space for research and development. Applicants can apply for between £2,000 and £12,000 to take a dedicated period of time to focus on their own creative development. Supported activity can last up to one year.
The award supports work across combined arts, dance, digital arts, libraries, literature, music, museums and collections, theatre and visual arts.
Individuals may apply, as well as small groups of practitioners who usually collaborate, such as artists who create work together or writers and their translators. Eligible costs can include building networks, experimenting with new collaborators, international travel to explore other practice or work with mentors, professional development such as training, research and development time and practical steps to support more sustainable work.
Closing date: 2 July 2026 (12:00) Find out more:Homepage
All About Business Entrepreneurs Fund
Reed Recruitment has opened applications for the All About Business Entrepreneurs Fund, aimed at helping young people (aged 18-26) develop and grow small businesses. The fund is designed for entrepreneurs and will provide a mix of grant support, expert mentoring and promotional exposure. The wider aim is to back early-stage founders with established ideas and help them expand their ventures while developing business skills.
Across the UK, Reed plans to support 66 young entrepreneurs over the coming years, reflecting 66 years of company operations. In the first year, the fund will support at least three entrepreneurs, each receiving £20,000.
The money is intended for direct investment in a business to support scaling activity, address operational challenges and support growth. In addition to the grant, recipients will be offered structured support including mentoring from experienced business leaders and a national platform to showcase their business.
The Sales Growth Programme, delivered in partnership with Form, is designed for founders who want to build a structured, repeatable approach to selling. You’ll gain the clarity, confidence and sales rhythm needed to turn your target clients into paying customers.
This programme could help you if you have a product or service in market and are focusing on building consistent, scalable revenue.
Early market traction is exciting. But as you grow, sales get harder. Does this sound familiar?
Women TechEU, a two-year project supported by the European Union, has opened the Eligibility Strand for its latest Call. The project will distribute a total of €12 million in non-diluting finance over its lifetime. The scheme is intended to support women leading deep tech start-ups by providing financial support and business development assistance to help companies develop and grow.
Women TechEU is focused on deep tech, with activity spanning sectors including life sciences, computing, food and agriculture technology, aerospace, energy and clean technology, industrial innovations, telecommunications, new materials and chemistry.
The grant can be used to support business development and growth, including work on a business plan and growth strategy, business model validation, updating a financial plan, certifications and an IP strategy.
Support includes grants of €75,000. Successful applicants also receive a personalised business development programme, which includes mentoring, coaching and training.
The current Women TechEU 2 EIC Call uses a two-stage application process. Applicants must first complete the Eligibility Strand, which checks whether they meet participation requirements. Eligible applicants are then invited to submit a Full Proposal.
There will be weekly cut-offs every Tuesday at 17:00 (Brussels time) until 13 July 2027.
Applications have opened for the 2026 KPMG Black Entrepreneurs’ Awards (BEA), a UK-based award supporting entrepreneurs of Black heritage through cash prizes, professional development and increased visibility. Support includes expert-led skills workshops covering leadership, strategic growth, negotiation and fundraising. Winners will also receive publicity through KPMG’s PR channels.
Four winners will each receive a £25,000 cash prize. The money can be invested into the business or donated to a charity or community project of their choice. Successful applicants will also join a 12-month programme and be matched with a dedicated senior KPMG professional providing mentoring and coaching.
The awards are open to UK-based entrepreneurs from a Black heritage background who are aged 18 or over and resident in the UK. Applicants must own a registered UK company with a viable product or service and the business must have been actively operating for at least three months. Businesses must not be majority owned by a large corporate entity.
CoSTAR Live Lab has launched a call for creative R&D projects focused on the live performance sector, under its Intelligent Venues theme.
Supported work should address technologies, workflows or design approaches that enable venues to sense, adapt and respond in real time, with eligible costs including staff time, hardware and software development, materials, testing, travel and subsistence and third-party sub-contracting of performers or related resources.
Projects selected through the competition can access up to 20 days of on-site development time at CoSTAR Live Lab. This includes technical onboarding and use of R&D facilities such as immersive stages, motion capture, spatial audio and XR environments. Support is also expected from CoSTAR Live Lab technical and research teams, alongside access to industry and academic expertise and an option to participate in a public showcase to present outcomes and commercial potential.
The call will support between two and five projects from a total grant budget of £100,000. Awards are expected to range between £20,000 and £50,000. Applications are invited from consortia led by a UK-based company, including creative technology firms, live events producers, hardware or software developers and performance innovators.
Starting in September the Scaleup programme is designed for high-growth UK tech companies ready to tackle the challenges of scaling. Built around the real-life challenges that fast-growth companies face. Over four months, you will explore four key pillars of scaling:
Leadership, people and operational foundations
Scaling commercial performance
Customer value, retention and expansion
Funding Strategy and capital planning.
You’d benefit most if you:
Run a UK-based tech business
Have raised or are generating £2M+
Employ at least 10 people
Have big ambitions and are ready for rapid growth.
London Stock Exchange Group – Female Founder Showcase
The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) are bringing back their Female Founder Showcase this September – and they want to see more brilliant women-led UK businesses on that stage. If you are tech or tech-enabled business embarking on a Seed or Series A round, this is your opportunity to pitch to a brilliant VC panel and an audience of investors looking for companies like yours on 10 September at the London Stock Exchange.
The second round of the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition has opened to support further investment in the UK heat pump manufacturing supply chain. The initiative aims to strengthen domestic production, support the transition to low carbon heating and contribute to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Up to £90 million has been allocated across the competition, with individual projects able to receive grants of up to £30 million. The funding is intended for capital expenditure linked to large scale manufacturing developments. Support is available for the construction of new factories or the expansion, refurbishment, retooling or reworking of existing sites. Projects must focus on the production of heat pumps or key components, including heat exchangers, compressors, evaporators, control systems and thermal storage.
The competition is open to UK registered manufacturing businesses, as well as industrial and engineering firms investing in production capacity. All supported projects must take place within the UK.
Applicants must be private sector organisations, either applying individually or as part of a consortium led by a private sector business. Projects must demonstrate innovation not yet commercially available in the UK and, where relevant, achieve a seasonal performance factor of at least 3.5 in real-world domestic settings.
The Garden Industry Manufacturers’ Association (GIMA), in partnership with Glee, has opened its Innovators’ Seed Corn Fund to support new entrants developing products for the UK gardening market.
The annual scheme is intended to help bring innovative, never before seen items to market and to assist inventors and early-stage businesses in navigating the sector.
The scheme is open to inventors, small businesses and start-up businesses in the UK that have not previously exhibited at Glee (billed as the UK’s leading garden retail trade show). Products must be developed to a sufficient stage to be suitable and ready for market.
It offers a combined grant and in-kind support package valued at up to £6,000. Support includes free exhibition space at Glee (September 26), alongside assistance with design, development, consultancy, manufacturing or marketing costs. Successful applicants will also receive a free half-page advert in the GIMA New Product Digest publication, free GIMA membership for 12 months and one year of ACID (Anti Copying In Design) membership. Winning entries are announced at the annual Glee trade show, which attracts garden industry buyers and decision makers.
UK-based organisations can apply for grants through the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Public Engagement Spark Awards 2026A, which support projects designed to engage the public with science, technology and research connected to STFC-funded work.
The awards are intended to back public engagement activities that highlight the achievements and value of STFC-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics research in the UK.
Grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 are available, with projects expected to run for 12 to 36 months.
Each application must include an SME in an STFC funded remit area, included as the project lead, a UK project co-lead or a specialist, to support the accuracy and relevance of scientific content.
Verizon and Unloc are accepting entries for the Unloc Young Entrepreneurs Challenge, an annual competition intended to identify young talent (aged 16 to 15) across mainland Europe.
The challenge is aimed at entrepreneurs with a technology-led idea for a new business, or those who have already started trading and are seeking support to progress development. The overall winner will receive a £10,000 grant and a mentorship package.
Support for the winning applicant includes being paired with an enterprise mentor who will develop a one-to-one plan focused on the participant’s key priorities. The prize also includes a series of masterclasses delivered by industry experts. In addition to the financial award and business support, the winner will attend the One Young World Global Summit in Tokyo. The summit brings together young leaders from more than 190 countries and over 250 organisations.
Eligible applicants can apply with a pre-start concept that is not yet trading, or with a business that has been trading for no more than three years. Existing businesses must have recorded annual turnover of less than £100,000 in their most recent financial year.
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: 31 March 2027
Business Advice for Mole Valley Businesses
Businesses across Mole Valley can now benefit from expert guidance provided by IncuHive, fully funded by Mole Valley District Council.
Whether you’re launching your first venture or growing an established company, IncuHive’s team of experienced advisers are on hand to offer practical, tailored support.
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.
Waverley Borough Council fund IncuHive (who are specialists in small business development) to offer free tailored support to all local businesses in the borough of Waverley, including advice onbusiness planning, funding and mentoring. All the Incuhive advisors have started and grown successful businesses, so they can provide expert advice on growing your business, covering areas such as procurement, premises, marketing, finance, bid writing, exports and investment.
Guildford Borough Council fund IncuHive (who are specialists in small business development) to offer free tailored support to all local businesses in the borough of Waverley, including advice onbusiness planning, funding and mentoring. All the Incuhive advisors have started and grown successful businesses, so they can provide expert advice on growing your business, covering areas such as procurement, premises, marketing, finance, bid writing, exports and investment.
Innovate UK has opened an Expression of Interest (EOI) competition for its Innovation Loans, offering repayable finance to support late-stage research and development projects with a clear route to commercialisation.
The finance is described as patient and flexible, aimed at supporting innovation where applicants may struggle to secure suitable lending from commercial providers.
Successful EOI applicants will be invited to submit a full application for an Innovation Loan. At full stage, eligible businesses can apply for between £100,000 and £5 million to support experimental development projects only.
Projects must focus on developing innovative new products, processes, services or business models that are significantly ahead of current offerings, or apply existing solutions in novel ways. Supported activities can include prototyping, demonstrating, piloting, testing and validation. Projects must align with at least one Industrial Strategy Sector: advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative industries, defence, digital and technologies or life sciences.
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.
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.
Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates on funding, business news, events and support for all Surrey businesses.
Helping high street businesses diversify income streams and reach new customers
Published 26 May 2026
Funding and grants, Surrey Success Stories
The Surrey High Street Growth and Innovation Programme was a county-wide initiative funded by the Surrey Economic Growth Fund to support independent businesses across the whole of Surrey.
The programme was designed to strengthen independent high street and town centre businesses by offering free, practical, and locally tailored support across Surrey high streets.
Smarter Society and The Retail Group were commissioned to deliver the programme in spring 2026. The programme’s package of targeted support included:
In-person business engagement
Free practical workshops
Business toolkits and resources
Tailored support
Whilst in operation, the programme supported more than 440 high street-based business across the county. The package of support provided has helped to equip the Surrey business owners who took part with the tools to adapt to an ever-evolving environment. One such business is the Leatherhead Theatre. Manager Ruth Price took part in the programme and tells us about her experience.
Leatherhead Theatre – exploring new opportunities for growth
Ruth describes her experience of the programme:“Running the Leatherhead Theatre means balancing tradition with the need to stay visible and relevant in a very competitive environment. As a long established venue, we face ongoing challenges around raising our profile, diversifying income, and continuing to attract and engage audiences in new ways.
“I attended a local workshop followed by a one to one mentoring session to step back from day to day operations and explore new opportunities for growth. The support helped me think practically about how we promote the theatre and make better use of what we already have.
“The session focused on increasing visibility and clearly communicating the full range of everything the theatre offers, rather than relying too heavily on a single income stream. We looked at ways to improve signage and messaging, promote our strengths more consistently, explore pop up and multi use opportunities within the space, and lean more into our identity as an independent charity to strengthen connections with customers and the local community.
“I found the experience genuinely great. The workshop was accessible because it was local, and it was incredibly valuable to be able to step away from my role for a short period without disrupting the theatre’s operation. The marketing elements in particular were very insightful and immediately relevant. I also really valued the opportunity to network with other businesses – this has already resulted in a new partnership that I wouldn’t otherwise have made.
“The one-to-one mentoring session was especially helpful because it provided tailored, practical advice that I can realistically implement. It helped prioritise actions and turn ideas into clear next steps. I found the experience extremely positive and was very impressed with both the way the session was delivered and the impact it has had.”
The Surrey Economic Growth Fund
To date almost £2 million has been awarded to dozens of recipients across the county via the Surrey Economic Growth Fund. This funding has helped to unlock significant match funding and private investment, growing Surrey’s economy by £9 million.
Any Surrey business looking for funding or help to grow can receive fully-funded support from Business Surrey. Get in touch to find out more via our Contact us form.
Meat vending machine coming to Surrey farm thanks to Economic Growth Fund
Published 15 May 2026
Funding and grants, Innovation, Surrey Success Stories
A Surrey farmer is bringing consumers closer to his produce – by setting up a meat vending machine at Ivelle Farm in Cranleigh. It’s been made possible thanks to funding from the Surrey Economic Growth Fund.
A decade ago, Alec Clouting spotted an unusual idea at a farming event – vending machines selling local produce. He realised it could be a way to diversify his family’s business and give the community direct access to farm-fresh meat. But with limited funds, the idea had to be put on hold.
But Alec can now make his dream a reality with help from the Economic Growth Fund. The grant has helped to buy a shipping container, commercial freezer and vending machine. This allows him to sell frozen beef, lamb and pork, seven days a week.
Are you a Surrey farmer or rural business looking for support to diversify? Or have an idea that will help your enterprise grow? Get in touch with our team of experts via our Business Support Form.
Bringing consumers closer to produce
Most meat from Ivelle Farm is sold wholesale to livestock markets and then re-sold to supermarkets. But selling the meat direct to consumers gives the farmers more control – and more of the profits.
What’s more, it keeps people connected with food producers. Alec says: “I am a big believer of people being in touch with where their food comes from, for the local community to be able to come to the farm where it comes from and get it direct.”
Alec is the fourth generation of farmers at Ivelle Farm. His father is currently at the helm. But he’s been working at other farms while looking for a way back into the family firm.
He explains: “We’re finding there’s a lot of financial challenges with farming. It is a small farm and this will give me an opportunity to come back, have a place in the business and viably sell our produce direct to the consumer. It wouldn’t be happening without the funding.”
And the impact extends beyond one family’s enterprise. The initiative supports a local butcher and abattoir, creating a network of rural businesses working together.
He says: “The benefits go further than just us, and it is about supporting other local businesses.”
Alec’s vision doesn’t stop at meat. He said: “I am excited to adapt the farm to what the community consumes and what is in demand in the local area. Down the line I would like to expand so people can come and get all their basics.”
As a proof of concept, the model could be replicated across other farms through a franchise approach, offering a blueprint for agricultural diversification in an era of farming uncertainty.
Alec said:“I’m very grateful for the opportunity the Economic Growth Fund has provided me with. And doubled up with the support from the team at Business Surrey, it’s really helped get the project off the ground and build a vision for the future.
“Farming is a very difficult business to navigate with many layers of complexity. And with the recent added pressures of the farm inheritance tax, it’s becoming harder to make small family farms like ours financially viable.
“Many futures have been thrown into uncertainty. So having a futureproof way of selling my produce as profitably as I can will give me the best chance I could wish for!”
Are you a Surrey farmer or rural business looking for support to diversify? Or have an idea that will help your enterprise grow? Get in touch with our team of experts via our Business Support Form.
Renée’s round-up of grants and funding – May
Published 14 May 2026
Funding and grants
Lots of programmes and grants to add to the blog this month for a variety of sectors and businesses. If you have just started out in business I just wanted to bring your attention to the changes in eligibility for the Start Up Loan Scheme that that has been refreshed from 6th April. The eligibility criteria has now been extended to include businesses that have been trading for up to 60 months.
A Start Up Loan is a government-backed personal loan available to individuals looking to start or grow a business in the UK. In addition to finance, successful applicants receive 12 months of free mentoring and exclusive business offers to help them succeed. The loan is unsecured, so there’s no need to put forward any assets or guarantors to support an application.
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
Made Smarter South East
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.
An accelerator sponsored by Barclays, to support 60 women-led businesses per quarter, who are proactively trying to raise capital.
The FFR Fundraising Accelerator is an 8-week intensive programme of weekly sessions for founders who are raising or planning to raise investment in the next 3 months. It equips startups with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to fundraise successfully through virtual sessions, practical frameworks, and hands-on exercises, alongside access to investors through pitch opportunities and discussions. Upon graduation, founders are invited to join the RAISE CIRCLE for ongoing support.
Eligibility requirements: the programme is for founders who are currently raising, or planning to raise within the next three months. Participating businesses must be investable, with a pitch deck in place and, where eligible, SEIS/EIS advance assurance secured.
The programme is designed to help scale and grow Black-owned businesses through television advertising. Successful applicants will receive a package centred on Channel 4 airtime and related marketing support.
Up to four Black-owned businesses will be supported, each receiving £200,000 worth of advertising spend on Channel 4. The offer also includes the creation of a bespoke TV commercial produced by Quiet Storm, alongside six months of marketing and business mentorship.
Applicants must be Black-owned businesses based in the UK that are ready to scale using TV advertising and business support. The business must have an established product or service that has been live in market for at least six months at the time of application. The business must be new to TV advertising and able to provide proof of business registration, such as a company number. Applicants must be aged 18 or over. Businesses are also required to demonstrate the operational capacity to scale in response to increased demand generated by television advertising.
The UK Games Fund (UKGF) has opened its Starter Fund, offering grants of up to £20,000 to support UK games developers at the start of their professional journey. Grants are aimed at supporting own-IP game development and helping applicants build stronger commercial readiness, market understanding and audience development.
The Starter Fund includes tailored support delivered through the Fresh Start and Head Start pathways, with a stated route into the UKGF Prototype Fund for teams that progress.
Eligible applicants include new games studios, UK university graduate companies and solo developers working with UK-based contractors. Applicants must be at a very early stage of building a studio, have hands-on development capability and be seeking to strengthen the commercial aspects of their business. To apply, organisations must be wholly UK-based companies registered at Companies House with UK-resident directors. The application requires a clear game idea, an emerging plan for commercial success and a defined market opportunity.
The grant is intended to meet labour costs relating to the supported project. Applicants are expected to have begun early concept or pre-production work and to be ready to start supported development in summer 2026.
Sky and civil rights organisation BEO are supporting Black entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. F100 provides investment and access to supply chains, backed up by expert business advice, coaching and mentoring. The aim is to break down the barriers faced by Black entrepreneurs who have innovative ideas that are disrupting their industry and who want to take their business to the next level.
F100 provides an opportunity for participants to pitch for funding of up to £15,000.
The most innovative businesses applying will also be offered a free Sky Business broadband and phone package for 12 months. Additionally, they will take part in a tailored 10-week programme to help them scale their operations through a series of workshops, mentorship, supply chain support and investment readiness support.
UK-based Black entrepreneurs with scalable businesses and an existing MVP (minimum viable product) are eligible to apply. Applicants must be over 18 years old. At least one founder of the business must be of Black African, Black Caribbean, Black British and/or Mixed-race descent.
Closing date: 2 June 2026 – the scheme may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received. Find out more:F100 Growth Fund – BEO
Female Founder Accelerator
Are you a female founder leading a tech business that’s ready to grow? The Female Founder Accelerator is designed by Barclays Eagle Labs and AccelerateHER to support 100 female founders like you, who are beyond idea stage and poised for growth. The aim is to bring more women into entrepreneurship and level the playing field.
Over nine weeks of masterclasses, you’ll learn about marketing strategies, sales and negotiation, financial management and building a team. Plus, you’ll get access to one-to-one mentoring, accountability groups, in-person community networking and the ability to connect with a community of like-minded female founders.
Innovate UK and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have reopened the Farming Innovation Investor Partnership Competition to support the commercialisation of innovations in agriculture.
The competition is linked to Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme and is intended to help solutions, technologies, systems or approaches reach market readiness. Supported projects are expected to improve productivity, profitability, sustainability and resilience, and contribute towards net zero emissions by 2050.
Defra has allocated up to £5 million for grant support for experimental development projects only. Each application must propose total eligible project costs between £750,000 and £3 million.
Proposals must address challenges or opportunities in at least one of these subsectors: livestock, plants, novel food production systems or the bioeconomy and agroforestry. The call is open to single applicants only. Lead applicants must be UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprises carrying out project work in the UK. Applicants must also be seeking private financing of at least twice the value of the grant requested.
The AXA Startup Angel Competition is inviting entries from entrepreneurs across the UK seeking support to develop new or early stage businesses. The contest provides financial awards and mentoring to help applicants progress their ideas or existing ventures.
In 2026, six awards are available. Two winners will each receive £25,000 to support their business or concept. In addition, they will be offered mentoring from AXA Startup Angels. Four runners up will receive non-financial support. This includes a 30-minute mentoring session with a representative of The Standard in a relevant business area. They will also be featured in The Standard’s print and online channels.
Applicants must be aged 18 or over and based in the UK. Eligible businesses may be unregistered, actively trading or trading for fewer than 24 months. Businesses must employ fewer than 10 people and present an original concept. The awards are intended to support business development activities, including refining ideas and accessing professional advice.
The Heat Pump Ready Innovation Funding Competition is offering grant support for applied research and development projects focused on advancing heat pump technologies. The initiative aims to address barriers to uptake, including the capital cost of hardware, in-property changes, space requirements and installation time from accepted quote.
Up to £20 million is available, with individual awards ranging from £200,000 to £2 million. Funding is intended for the design, build and testing of electrically driven heat pump systems and components that use ambient heat from air, ground or water to provide heating and hot water in domestic buildings.
Applicants must be private sector organisations, either applying individually or as part of a consortium led by a private sector business. Projects must demonstrate innovation not yet commercially available in the UK and, where relevant, achieve a seasonal performance factor of at least 3.5 in real-world domestic settings.
The second round of the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition has opened to support further investment in the UK heat pump manufacturing supply chain. The initiative aims to strengthen domestic production, support the transition to low carbon heating and contribute to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Up to £90 million has been allocated across the competition, with individual projects able to receive grants of up to £30 million. The funding is intended for capital expenditure linked to large scale manufacturing developments. Support is available for the construction of new factories or the expansion, refurbishment, retooling or reworking of existing sites. Projects must focus on the production of heat pumps or key components, including heat exchangers, compressors, evaporators, control systems and thermal storage.
The competition is open to UK registered manufacturing businesses, as well as industrial and engineering firms investing in production capacity. All supported projects must take place within the UK.
Applicants must be private sector organisations, either applying individually or as part of a consortium led by a private sector business. Projects must demonstrate innovation not yet commercially available in the UK and, where relevant, achieve a seasonal performance factor of at least 3.5 in real-world domestic settings.
Starting in September the Scaleup programme is designed for high-growth UK tech companies ready to tackle the challenges of scaling. Built around the real-life challenges that fast-growth companies face. Over four months, you will explore four key pillars of scaling:
Leadership, people and operational foundations
Scaling commercial performance
Customer value, retention and expansion
Funding Strategy and capital planning.
You’d benefit most if you:
Run a UK-based tech business
Have raised or are generating £2M+
Employ at least 10 people
Have big ambitions and are ready for rapid growth.
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: 31 March 2027
Business Advice for Mole Valley Businesses
Businesses across Mole Valley can now benefit from expert guidance provided by IncuHive, fully funded by Mole Valley District Council.
Whether you’re launching your first venture or growing an established company, IncuHive’s team of experienced advisers are on hand to offer practical, tailored support.
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.
Waverley Borough Council fund IncuHive (who are specialists in small business development) to offer free tailored support to all local businesses in the borough of Waverley, including advice onbusiness planning, funding and mentoring. All the Incuhive advisors have started and grown successful businesses, so they can provide expert advice on growing your business, covering areas such as procurement, premises, marketing, finance, bid writing, exports and investment.
Guildford Borough Council fund IncuHive (who are specialists in small business development) to offer free tailored support to all local businesses in the borough of Waverley, including advice onbusiness planning, funding and mentoring. All the Incuhive advisors have started and grown successful businesses, so they can provide expert advice on growing your business, covering areas such as procurement, premises, marketing, finance, bid writing, exports and investment.
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.
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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Surrey Venture Studio’s first incubation programme gets off to flying start
Published 12 May 2026
Advice and support, Funding and grants, Innovation, Surrey Success Stories
Surrey Venture Studio (SVS) is preparing to launch its first six‑month incubation programme, supporting early‑stage founders across Surrey to turn raw ideas and early‑stage concepts into customer‑ready businesses. The incubation accelerator is aimed at pre‑start‑ups who have completed SVS’s business ideation workshops and offers tailored support based on each entrepreneur’s stage of development.
One of the founders joining the inaugural cohort is Natalie Foo, creator of InchStone, a voice‑first app designed to support families raising children with developmental differences.
Meeting a need discovered from personal experience
InchStone was shaped by personal experience. Natalie explains, “I built it because I’m a parent in this community and the gap was too obvious to ignore.”
“The app organises your spoken observations into records ready for therapy, funding applications, and official assessments.”
Natalie first engaged with SVS through its intensive two‑day workshops, which focus on validating ideas before founders rush into building products.
As SVS Manager Odysseas Bassioukas, puts it, “SVS is a venture builder where people are coming to us to build from the idea to a company.”
“The workshops were intense but incredibly helpful,” Natalie says. “They helped me hone in on my idea and start making a plan. The focus on customer development really stood out; SVS puts that the right way around.”
The incubation programme will provide expert mentorship, peer support and hot‑desking facilities, alongside access to professional services such as legal advice, to help founders protect their intellectual property. For Natalie, the timing feels right. “It feels like the right moment to find out what’s actually working,” she says, as she prepares to pilot InchStone and connect with Surrey’s wider business network.
What is Surrey Venture Studio?
This is an exciting new pre-accelerator programme to help innovators, academics and entrepreneurs across Surrey explore whether turning an idea into a business is the right path to follow.
Opportunity to progress to a six-month accelerator
Up to £25,000 catalyst grant funding, for successful six-month accelerator participant
Spaces on the workshop are limited and will be offered to applicants whose ideas are at the right stage of development and show strong potential for innovation and commercialisation.
At the end of the two-day workshop, participants will be invited to pitch their ideas ‘Dragon’s Den’-style. The successful applicants will secure a coveted place on the six-month accelerator programme and take a step closer to securing £25k in grant funding to launch their business!
Grant helps Surrey artist Kathy Kyle take wearable art from home studio to the high street
Published 8 May 2026
Funding and grants, Surrey Success Stories
When artist Kathy Kyle painted a piece of gift wrap for her child’s birthday, she had no idea it would grow into a business built on wearable art and silk. A friend looked at her hand-painted paper and said: “I could imagine that on silk and wearing it. Could you make that for me?”
That moment of recognition planted the seed for Kathy Kyle Studio – a brand built around ethical, sustainable wearable art and luxury stationery, each piece hand-painted, sustainably printed and entirely human-made. Now, with the support of matched funding through the Surrey Economic Growth Fund, Kathy is taking her business to the high street – with space in a shop on Dorking’s historic West Street.
Kathy spent nearly 25 years working as a communications and marketing director for global consultancies and agencies in Washington D.C. before making the leap to follow her creative calling.
“I decided to follow my dreams and become an artist,” she says. “I did that only a year ago and it’s been incredible how fulfilling it’s been.”
The business grew organically from her art practice – a stained shirt rescued with hand-painted designs; scarves commissioned by friends; gift wrap that became fabric.
“I don’t want to overproduce,” she says. “I wanted to create wearable art that adds value to people’s lives. For me it is about purpose and intention – how can I create something beautiful that endures?”
Growing the business from idea to High Street
What followed was a rapid series of milestones: a launch at a Soho gallery; a debut at Top Drawer trade fair, which brought her first stockists; scarves shown at London Fashion Week through her Buy Women Built network; and a pitch at the Great British Pitch exploring international trade. Yet without external funding, scaling remained out of reach at this early stage.
“We needed this seed to help us grow,” she explains. “I was just using my savings and earnings. We needed to expand and diversify our approach.”
As one of nearly 30 local Surrey businesses to receive grant funding through the Surrey Economic Growth Fund, Kathy describes the award as transformational. The investment is enabling her to expand her core pure silk accessories range – with luxury scarves and wraps – as well as extending her stationery line into interiors, including wallpaper, cushions, linens, and bespoke fabric and commissions.
“People have said to me, I really want to see your art on cushions, fabric, or wallpaper,” she says. “I can now do those things.”
The new studio space is in Sandrock House on Dorking’s West Street – an award-winning interiors shop, and a fitting home for a brand that believes in collaboration and community.
“The world of retail is changing,” Kathy says. “It helps everyone to collaborate to be successful. Lift each other up.”
It’s a philosophy that runs through everything she does, including her commitment to making every piece ethically and as sustainably as possible, and by hand without AI. “I have taken great care to collaborate with suppliers who share our values and I think you can see this ethos in the quality and craftsmanship of our products.”
“I am thrilled to receive this boost to the business,” says Kathy. “I am looking forward to not only bringing our vision to market, but doing it in online and offline: in real life, in my community, and in a shop.”
The Surrey Economic Growth Fund
To date almost £2 million has been awarded to dozens of recipients across the county via the Surrey Economic Growth Fund. This funding has helped to unlock significant match funding and private investment, growing Surrey’s economy by £9 million.
Any Surrey business looking for funding or help to grow can receive fully-funded support from Business Surrey. Get in touch to find out more via our Contact us form.
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