Business Finance – Grants

Author: Carolyn Clayton

When it comes to obtaining a Business grant there are many places that you can turn to such as Regional Development Agencies, local authorities and the European Union however the most common way is through the Government. Whoever you apply to for a business grant your application will always be considered by the European Commission; they will inspect your application closely before coming to a decision as to whether you are eligible for a business grant.

The one thing that grant bodies want to see are specific targets and results from your business that are often compatible with the targets and results that they have. Another aspect is that you will have to stick to the terms and conditions of the business grant. By sticking to the terms and conditions it means that if you are successful in claiming the grant you will not have to pay it back; however if you use the grant for a purpose that wasn’t stated in your application and that has no value to helping the development of your business you will be made to repay the grant in full.

Remember this sum of money only covers part of the cost involved in your proposed business idea. The rest of the money that is needed will have to be put forwards by your business. One of the terms and conditions states that you have to have your half of the money ready before the grant is awarded so that if you are successful your proposed business idea can come into effect straight away.

One of the other conditions that surrounds this sum of money is that the business idea should not have already been started. The work must be ready to be started when the money is granted. Other factors that may affect whether or not you are awarded a business grant include the following:

• Location – depending on your location within the UK depends on how many grants are available. Some areas have more grants available than others. Areas that have high social deprivation and high unemployment levels will be more likely to have more grants available this is because the grants will help businesses to improve the economy and could introduce more jobs to the area.

• Size of your business – business grants may only be available to businesses of a certain size. This is usually determined and measured by either the turnover of a business or the number of employees that a business has. Many grants are often limited to small or medium sized businesses, which is usually less then 250 employees

• Industry Sector – grants are often limited and subject to restrictions in certain sectors, which are defined by the European Commission

• The purpose of the grant – they are awarded to aid business development through things such as purchasing machinery and improving offices. The purpose of the grant is to make your business grow and to improve it for the benefit of the geographical area.

Whatever you wish to apply for a grant for you should keep in mind the fact that grants are in high competition and due to the fact there are only a limited number available you need to ensure that the get your application right first time around. You need to ensure that you have everything covered in your application, especially aspects such as what you want the grant for, how it will benefit that area and how you are going to help find it.

About Author

Helen is the web master of Angel Start-ups, specialists in Business Grants and all aspects of Business Finance.

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