Backing businesses that do good — with money, and more.
We give grants to small businesses, social enterprises and community projects across the UK that create real environmental or social impact — and we back them with hands-on support from the CM Beyer team.
Why we exist
Good business shouldn’t have to choose between purpose and survival.
The Beyer Foundation was set up by CM Beyer to put real money — and real expertise — behind the people building businesses that make their communities and the planet better off. Grants are unrestricted within your project, fast to apply for, and come with optional mentoring from our team.
- Money where it’s scarce. We fund the gap that traditional finance and big-grant bureaucracy leave behind.
- More than a cheque. Grantees get hands-on help with strategy, marketing and operations from CM Beyer.
- Light-touch, honest. A short application, a clear answer, and no jargon — we respect your time.
Grant programmes
Four ways we back good work.
Each programme has its own focus and grant ceiling. Not sure which fits? Apply anyway — we’ll point you to the right one.
Green Shoots
For small businesses cutting their environmental footprint — energy, waste, packaging, greener operations.
Apply for Green Shoots →Skills & Futures
Funding training, apprenticeships and access to skills for people who would not otherwise get the chance.
Apply for Skills & Futures →Community Enterprise
Backing social enterprises and community-led projects that create lasting local benefit.
Apply for Community Enterprise →Bright Ideas
Fast micro-grants for early-stage ideas with a clear social or environmental purpose.
Apply for Bright Ideas →Not sure which fits?
Find your grant in under a minute.
What’s your project mainly about?
Who’s behind it?
Roughly how much would help?
How it works
From idea to funded in four steps.
Apply
Tell us about your project in a five-minute form. No 40-page bid documents.
We review
A real person reads every application. We’ll come back to you within four weeks.
Decision & funding
If it’s a yes, funds are released quickly with a simple, plain-English agreement.
Ongoing support
Optional mentoring from the CM Beyer team to help your project go further.
What we look for
Four things that make an application shine.
You don’t need a polished pitch or a fundraising background. You need a genuinely good idea and a clear sense of how a grant helps. Here’s what catches our eye.
Clear, tangible impact
A real environmental or social benefit you can point to — not vague good intentions.
A real plan
Not a 40-page strategy — just evidence you’ve thought through how the money turns into results.
Honesty about the money
Tell us what the grant pays for — and what it doesn’t. We value candour over a glossy ask.
People who’ll deliver
Behind every grant is a person or team we believe can make it happen. Show us that’s you.
The kind of work we love to back
A few projects we’d be thrilled to fund.
A village bakery switching to energy-efficient ovens and plastic-free, compostable packaging.
A community group running free coding and employability workshops for out-of-work young people.
A social enterprise turning surplus supermarket food into affordable, healthy meals for local families.
Illustrative examples of the kind of project our programmes are made for — your idea doesn’t have to look like these.
Who we fund
Could this be you?
We’re a good fit if you’re…
- A UK small business, social enterprise, charity or community group
- Running a project with a clear environmental or social benefit
- Able to show how the grant would be spent
- Early-stage or established — both are welcome
We’re probably not right for…
- Personal fundraising or individual hardship grants
- Projects with no measurable social or environmental purpose
- Political campaigning or activities that exclude people
Start your application
Tell us what you’d do with it.
It takes about five minutes. You don’t need polished documents — just tell us, in your own words, what you’re trying to do and how a grant would help.
- A real person reads every application
- A clear answer within four weeks
- Your details are never sold or shared
Questions
Good to know
Is The Beyer Foundation a registered charity?
The Foundation is the grant-giving initiative of CM Beyer Limited. It is ESG-adjacent — funded by the business to support good work — rather than a registered charity. That means less bureaucracy for you, and a faster route from application to funding.
What can the grant be spent on?
Anything that genuinely advances the project you describe — equipment, materials, people’s time, training, or getting an idea off the ground. We’ll agree the scope with you in a short, plain-English letter.
How long does a decision take?
We aim to give every applicant a clear answer within four weeks. If we need more information, we’ll ask — we won’t leave you guessing.
Can I apply for more than one programme?
Apply to the one that fits best. If your project spans more than one, just tell us in the form and we’ll work out the right home for it.
What’s the catch?
There isn’t one. We ask that you let us share what you achieved (so we can tell the story and fund more good work), and we offer — never require — mentoring from the CM Beyer team.
