Roll Up Roll Up!  You’ll see in this line up of grants and funding available that there are a fair few competitions, where your business can win a prize … so what’s the difference between a grant and a prize? 

It seems to me that corporate philanthropy is a way for an organisation (or collaboration) to enhance their brand.  Traditional grant giving programmes therefore give way to campaigns, competitions and programmes that support their brand and enhance it. 

But whichever prize or grant you apply for the devil is in the details.  Like we don’t just have one CV these days, there isn’t just one grant application that you can copy and paste into a new application form.  Check the eligibility criteria, check the ‘prize’ is one that supports your goals and then commit to writing (or producing) a bespoke application. Good Luck!

Rural England Prosperity Fund 2025

Farmers in Tandridge, Guildford and Waverley can secure a six-figure cash injection as part of wider efforts to boost growth in the county.  Surrey County Council is offering capital grants of up to £120,000 to support innovative ideas to drive diversification in agriculture and generate new income streams while increasing the long-term sustainability of their estates.

Ideas could include establishing farm shops, developing agritourism, generating sustainable energy or cultivating new crops and livestock.

Closing date: 30 June 2025

Apply here: Economic Growth Fund application form – Business Surrey

Reigate & Banstead Thriving Communities Match Fund

Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) organisations whose projects help communities in Reigate & Banstead to thrive can now apply for grants between £2,000 and £10,000 from a pot of £50,000.

If you work with local organisations whose projects help our communities to thrive, please encourage them to check the fund criteria and apply if they are eligible.

Closing date: 23 June 2025

Apply here: Thriving Communities Match Fund | Funding for local voluntary and community organisations | Reigate and Banstead

Small Biz 100

This isn’t exactly a funding pot but an opportunity for promotion.  Small Business Saturday is always the first Saturday in December.  It’s been running for 12 years and is an opportunity to rally behind the small businesses we all love and wat to support.

#smallbiz100 highlights 100 small businesses, one a day for 100 days leading up to Small Business Saturday 2025!  In the past the 100 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 with Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Closing Date: 30 June 2025

Apply Here: Small Business Saturday UK | Another year making a Big Difference!

Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Competition – Innovate UK

Innovate UK has opened a new round of its Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Competition (AKT4) offering support for projects aimed at addressing drug and alcohol addiction. The initiative will fund short, targeted collaborations between eligible research institutions and business partners.

Each project can receive a grant of up to £35,000 to support interventions that develop or evaluate innovation with potential impact on treatment, recovery, harm reduction or prevention for those affected by addiction.

Closing Date: 11am 2 July 2025

Apply here: Competition overview – Accelerated Knowledge Transfer 4 (AKT4) Addiction – Innovation Funding Service

AXA StartUp Angel Competition 

The AXA Startup Angel Competition has been created to support entrepreneurs hoping to realise their business ambitions. The contest offers a variety of prizes to would-be businesses from across the UK to help them through the next phase of their startup journey. 

There are six opportunities to win in 2025. Two winners will receive the top prize of £25,000 to fund their business idea. These winners will also be awarded mentoring from the AXA Startup Angels and business insurance for a year. 

There are also four runners-up prizes featuring over £18,000 of media, mentoring and exposure.  Each runner-up will receive a profile on their business in The Standard, mentoring with a member of The Standard team, plus VIP access to SME XPO 2026. 

Closing Date: 6 July 2025 (23:59 hrs) 

Apply here: Startup Angel 

Santander X UK Awards

The Santander X UK Awards is Santander’s flagship entrepreneurship pitching competition. The competition has evolved to supporting 3 categories: university entrepreneurs, start-ups and a new SME category added for 2025.

Their aim is to award equity-free funding with prizes of between £10-30,000 and support for ambitious UK founders to take their ventures to the next level.

Closing Date: 16 July at 23.59

Apply here: Santander X UK Awards

Adobe Express £1,000 Grant

From now until August, 2 business owners a month will win £1,000 and mentoring from Adobe Express and Enterprise Nation. 

All you have to do is share a creation you have made by using the templates in Adobe Express.  It could be a social post, flyer or logo for your brand, upload it and complete the application for to be in with a chance of winning. 

Closing date: until August 2025 

Apply here:  Adobe Express Brand Builder | Win £1,000 for your marketing strategy 

Future Leaders Fellowships 

Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF) support talented people in universities, businesses, and other research and innovation environments.  

They also allow universities, research institutes, independent research organisations and businesses to develop their most talented early career researchers and innovators or to attract new people to their organisations. 

The aim of this competition is to: 

• Support ambitious research and innovation to tackle difficult and novel challenges. 

• Support excellence in innovation, across interdisciplinary boundaries and sectors. 

• Develop, retain, and attract the next wave of research and innovation leaders. 

Working with a host organisation a Future Leaders Fellow will receive at least four years of funding to pursue an ambitious programme of innovation.  

Applications will open on 23 June 2025 and close on 5 November 2025 at 11am. 

More information can be accessed at the IUK website. 

RTO Catapult Grant Scheme – Innovate UK 

Launched in April this is an easy to access, easy to administer grant from Innovate UK for £15,000.  Apply quickly as the pot ran out by September last year when launched at a similar time.  Could be used for product testing, development work or if you need technical expertise to facilitate feasibility. 

Closing date: when the £ is all allocated 

Apply here: Exploit innovation – Innovate UK Business Growth 

The UK Games Fund Content Fund 

The fund offers financial support to UK-based independent studios developing commercial games-for-entertainment. Backed by the UK Government, the initiative aims to help companies scale up, attract investment and generate employment in the creative industries. 

Grants will range from £50,000 to £150,000.  The funding can be used to cover staff and contractor costs directly involved in hands-on development activity. 

The scheme targets established games studios operating in the UK.  Applicants must be able to demonstrate how the funding would provide clear additionality to their business growth plans and facilitate further investment. 

Closing date: expressions of interest can be made at any time 

Apply here: Home – Content Fund 

Greener Homes Alliance Development Loans 

Homes England and Octopus Real Estate have launched the second phase of the Greener Homes Alliance, providing 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 meeting environmental and social criteria.  Eligible applicants include SME housebuilders and developers operating in England. 

Closing date: Applications can be made at any time 

Apply here: Greener Homes Alliance | Octopus Capital 

Co-operative Enterprise Loans 

Co-operative and Community Finance is offering loans of between £10,000 and £85,000 for new or existing co-operatives across the UK 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 

Apply here: Co-op Loan Fund – Unique lending: to co-ops, from co-ops 

Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Grants 

The Farming in Protected Landscapes (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.   

Closing date: March 2026 

Apply here: Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes FiPL 

The Workplace Charging Scheme 

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), capped at a maximum of: 

• £350 per socket 

• 40 sockets across all sites per applicant – for instance, if you want to install them at 40 sites, you will have 1 socket available per site 

All chargepoints must be installed by an OZEV authorised installer. 

Closing Date: 31^st March 2026 

Apply here: Before you start – 

Good Luck and let me know how you get on! 

Renée 

Further business support in Surrey

If there isn’t anything in this month’s roundup 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.

Lots of information about grants and funding passes through my inbox and this is an opportunity for me to share that with you.  This month the funds range from hyper-local to national with some for general small businesses or with a sector focus. 

I’ve shared an overview but also links for you to double check the eligibility and requirements of each individual grant.  Note the closing dates and times, as some are very specific! 

RTO Catapult Grant Scheme – Innovate UK 

Launched in April this is an easy to access, easy to administer grant from Innovate UK for £15,000.  Apply quickly as the pot ran out by September last year when launched at a similar time.  Could be used for product testing, development work or if you need technical expertise to facilitate feasibility. 

Closing date: when the £ is all allocated 

Apply here: Exploit innovation – Innovate UK Business Growth 

Reigate & Banstead Thriving Communities Match Fund 

Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) organisations whose projects help communities in Reigate & Banstead to thrive can now apply for grants between £2,000 and £10,000 from a pot of £50,000. 

If you work with local organisations whose projects help our communities to thrive, please encourage them to check the fund criteria and apply if they are eligible. 

Closing date: 23 June 2025 

Apply here: Thriving Communities Match Fund | Funding for local voluntary and community organisations | Reigate and Banstead 

The Surrey Economic Growth Fund

This is funding to drive growth across Surrey. The Surrey Economic Growth Fund has been created by pooling a range of public and investment streams, such as UK Shared Prosperity Funding from government, into one Economic Growth Fund.

The Fund is administered by Surrey County Council and is now open for applications across three funding streams: Business Growth Grants, Future Surrey Fund, and Innovation Spaces Fund. The Council is seeking bold, innovative ideas that will drive sustainable economic growth across the county and align with Surrey’s strategic priorities.

Closing date: the current round of applications is open until 31 May 2025. Other rounds may follow.

Start your application for funding from the Surrey Economic Growth Fund here.

Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Competition – Innovate UK 

Innovate UK has opened a new round of its Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Competition (AKT4) offering support for projects aimed at addressing drug and alcohol addiction. The initiative will fund short, targeted collaborations between eligible research institutions and business partners. 

Each project can receive a grant of up to £35,000 to support interventions that develop or evaluate innovation with potential impact on treatment, recovery, harm reduction or prevention for those affected by addiction. 

Closing Date: 11am 2 July 2025 

Apply here: Competition overview – Accelerated Knowledge Transfer 4 (AKT4) Addiction – Innovation Fun

Adobe Express £1,000 Grant

From now until August, 2 business owners a month will win £1,000 and mentoring from Adobe Express and Enterprise Nation. 

All you have to do is share a creation you have made by using the templates in Adobe Express.  It could be a social post, flyer or logo for your brand, upload it and complete the application for to be in with a chance of winning. 

Closing date: until August 2025 

Apply here:  Adobe Express Brand Builder | Win £1,000 for your marketing strategy 

AXA StartUp Angel Competition 

The AXA Startup Angel Competition has been created to support entrepreneurs hoping to realise their business ambitions. The contest offers a variety of prizes to would-be businesses from across the UK to help them through the next phase of their startup journey. 

There are six opportunities to win in 2025. Two winners will receive the top prize of £25,000 to fund their business idea. These winners will also be awarded mentoring from the AXA Startup Angels and business insurance for a year. 

There are also four runners-up prizes featuring over £18,000 of media, mentoring and exposure.  Each runner-up will receive a profile on their business in The Standard, mentoring with a member of The Standard team, plus VIP access to SME XPO 2026. 

Closing Date: 6 July 2025 (23:59 hrs) 

Apply here: Startup Angel 

NatWest Accelerator Pitch Competition 

NatWest has announced a £1 million competition to support small business growth in the UK. The NatWest Accelerator Pitch invites entrepreneurs to submit a 60-second video outlining how financial support would aid their expansion.  

Selected entrants will compete in live events, starting with a final in Manchester in July, followed by a London event later in 2025. Five finalists at each event will deliver a 10-minute pitch to a panel of industry experts, who will assess their business models, growth strategies and the potential impact of the prize money. 

The competition is open to UK businesses with up to £1 million revenue, registered in the UK and trading for between one to five years.  

Closing date: For Manchester, the closing date for entries is 5pm 25 May 2025.   

For London, entries are coming soon 

Apply here: Natwest Accelerator Pitch 

Future Leaders Fellowships 

Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF) support talented people in universities, businesses, and other research and innovation environments.  

They also allow universities, research institutes, independent research organisations and businesses to develop their most talented early career researchers and innovators or to attract new people to their organisations. 

The aim of this competition is to: 

• Support ambitious research and innovation to tackle difficult and novel challenges. 

• Support excellence in innovation, across interdisciplinary boundaries and sectors. 

• Develop, retain, and attract the next wave of research and innovation leaders. 

Working with a host organisation a Future Leaders Fellow will receive at least four years of funding to pursue an ambitious programme of innovation.  

Applications will open on 23 June 2025 and close on 5 November 2025 at 11am. 

More information can be accessed at the IUK website. 

The UK Games Fund Content Fund 

The fund offers financial support to UK-based independent studios developing commercial games-for-entertainment. Backed by the UK Government, the initiative aims to help companies scale up, attract investment and generate employment in the creative industries. 

Grants will range from £50,000 to £150,000.  The funding can be used to cover staff and contractor costs directly involved in hands-on development activity. 

The scheme targets established games studios operating in the UK.  Applicants must be able to demonstrate how the funding would provide clear additionality to their business growth plans and facilitate further investment. 

Closing date: expressions of interest can be made at any time 

Apply here: Home – Content Fund 

Greener Homes Alliance Development Loans 

Homes England and Octopus Real Estate have launched the second phase of the Greener Homes Alliance, providing 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 meeting environmental and social criteria.  Eligible applicants include SME housebuilders and developers operating in England. 

Closing date: Applications can be made at any time 

Apply here: Greener Homes Alliance | Octopus Capital 

Co-operative Enterprise Loans 

Co-operative and Community Finance is offering loans of between £10,000 and £85,000 for new or existing co-operatives across the UK 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 

Apply here: Co-op Loan Fund – Unique lending: to co-ops, from co-ops 

Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Grants 

The Farming in Protected Landscapes (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.   

Closing date: March 2026 

Apply here: Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes FiPL 

The Workplace Charging Scheme 

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), capped at a maximum of: 

• £350 per socket 

• 40 sockets across all sites per applicant – for instance, if you want to install them at 40 sites, you will have 1 socket available per site 

All chargepoints must be installed by an OZEV authorised installer. 

Closing Date: 31^st March 2026 

Apply here: Before you start – 

That’s all for this month. Good Luck and let me know how you get on! 

Renée 

Business support in Surrey

If you can’t see anything in this month’s roundup that suits your 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.

Welcome to the first of Renée’s Grants and Funding Roundups. Each month the Business Surrey team receives a wealth of information about new grants and funding.

We want to share these with you in the most helpful way, so Enterprise Mentor, Renée will collate and summarise them into a monthly roundup. Check back regularly (or sign up to our monthly newsletter) to be kept informed of both national and local grants and funding that could benefit your business.

For each item, Renée has shared an overview but also links for you to double check the eligibility and requirements of each individual grant.  Note the closing dates and times, as some are very specific! 

The Surrey Economic Growth Fund

This is funding to drive growth across Surrey. The Surrey Economic Growth Fund has been created by pooling a range of public and investment streams, such as UK Shared Prosperity Funding from government, into one Economic Growth Fund.

The Fund is administered by Surrey County Council and is now open for applications across three funding streams: Business Growth Grants, Future Surrey Fund, and Innovation Spaces Fund. The Council is seeking bold, innovative ideas that will drive sustainable economic growth across the county and align with Surrey’s strategic priorities.

Closing date: the current round of applications is open until 31 May 2025. Other rounds may follow.

Start your application for funding from the Surrey Economic Growth Fund here.

Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) grants 

The Farming in Protected Landscapes (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.   

Closing date : has been extended but to be confirmed 

Apply here for a Farming in Protected Landscapes grant.

B Corp: Creating Positive Impacts through Business Competition 

Channel 4, in partnership with B Lab UK, has launched a competition to support B Corporations (businesses that are certified for their social impact) by providing winners with commercial airtime.  The initiative aims to help businesses highlight their social and environmental impact to a wider audience. 

Up to five B Corps will each receive £100,000 worth of advertising spend on Channel 4.  The funding is intended to assist businesses in showcasing their purpose-driven work while reaching new customers. 

Closing date: 11 April 2025 

Apply here to enter the Channel 4 B Corp initiative.

F100 Growth Fund 

Through the F100 Growth Fund, Sky and BEO are supporting Black entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.  The most innovative businesses applying will be able to pitch for funding up to £15,000 and 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. 

Closing Date : 14 April 2025 (24:00 hours). 

Applications are made online at the programme website.

The Elevator of Dreams Campaign 

The Elevator of Dreams campaign allows individuals to submit a short pitch via a video doorbell outside the Founders Room at the Virgin Hotels London in Shoreditch.  Selected pitches will receive feedback from Richard Branson and Simon Squibb, with insights shared through their social media channels. Available prizes include:  

• One pitch will be selected every week to win £1,000 that will be supplied by HelpBnk. 

• At the Judges’ discretion, one pitch during the campaign duration may be chosen to receive the following prizes instead of the £1,000: 

• Entrepreneurs Getaway (includes a one-night stay at Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch in a standard room, no blackout dates). 

• Virgin StartUp mentor access (30 minutes of mentoring with Simon Squibb, date and time TBD). 

Closing Date: 17 April 2025 (subject to extension beyond this closing date) 

All submissions must be made through the Ring doorbell at the Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch.  More information is available at the Elevator Of Dreams website.

Innovate UK – BridgeAI Competition 

Innovate UK’s BridgeAI competition is for grants between £25,000 – £50,000 for innovation projects that address a business challenge or opportunity within one of their challenge holder organisations: 

The Bicycle Association,  United Living,  Sustrans and Lichfields 

The winning projects will be used to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) driven proof concepts.  More details can be found in the Innovate UK competition brief.  

Closing Date : 23 April 2025 at 11am 

Apply on the Innovation Funding Service (gov) website.

UK Games Fund – Transfuzer 

Tranzfuser is intended to support new UK games graduates, taking ideas from concept and prototyping through to publishing.  

Teams will have the opportunity to pitch from the UK Games Fund for up to £25,000 of grant support for the commercial development of their game. All teams will receive £7,500 prize during the course of the competition. 

Tranzfuser is specifically aimed at teams who wish to explore the possibility of establishing an indie development business. Teams must have between three and six members.  Applicants may be skilled developers, but need support in the business development side of setting up a studio.  

Closing Date: 28 April at 12 noon. 

Apply on the Tranzfuser website.

AXA StartUp Angel Competition 

The AXA Startup Angel Competition has been created to support entrepreneurs hoping to realise their business ambitions. The contest offers a variety of prizes to would-be businesses from across the UK to help them through the next phase of their startup journey. 

There are six opportunities to win in 2025. Two winners will receive the top prize of £25,000 to fund their business idea. These winners will also be awarded mentoring from the AXA Startup Angels and business insurance for a year. 

There are also four runners-up prizes featuring over £18,000 of media, mentoring and exposure.  Each runner-up will receive a profile on their business in The Standard, mentoring with a member of The Standard team, plus VIP access to SME XPO 2026. 

Closing Date : 6 July 2025 (23:59 hrs) 

Apply on the Axa Startup Angel webpage.

Future Leaders Fellowships 

Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF) support talented people in universities, businesses, and other research and innovation environments.  They also allow universities, research institutes, independent research organisations and businesses to develop their most talented early career researchers and innovators or to attract new people to their organisations. 

The aim of this competition is to: 

• Support ambitious research and innovation to tackle difficult and novel challenges. 

• Support excellence in innovation, across interdisciplinary boundaries and sectors. 

• Develop, retain, and attract the next wave of research and innovation leaders. 

Working with a host organisation a Future Leaders Fellow will receive at least four years’ of funding to pursue an ambitious programme of innovation.  

Applications will open on 23 June 2025 and close on 5 November 2025 at 11am. 

More information can be accessed at the IUK website. 

The Workplace Charging Scheme 

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), capped at a maximum of: 

• £350 per socket 

• 40 sockets across all sites per applicant – for instance, if you want to install them at 40 sites, you will have 1 socket available per site 

All chargepoints must be installed by an OZEV authorised installer. 

Closing Date: 31^st March 2026 

Apply here for a Workplace Charging Scheme Voucher.

Business support in Surrey

If you can’t see anything in this roundup that suits your 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.