Grant Programmes
Four programmes, each with its own focus and ceiling. Not sure which fits? Apply anyway — we’ll point you to the right one.
At a glance
How the four programmes compare.
| Programme | Focus | Max grant | Best for | Interest payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Shoots | Environment | £5,000 | Businesses cutting their environmental footprint | On decision |
| Skills & Futures | People | £7,500 | Training, apprenticeships, access to skills | On decision |
| Community Enterprise | Community | £10,000 | Social enterprises and community projects | On decision |
| Bright Ideas | Innovation | £3,000 | Early-stage ideas with social/environmental purpose | On decision |
Green Shoots
Green Shoots supports UK small businesses actively reducing their environmental footprint — switching to cleaner energy, eliminating plastic packaging, reducing waste, improving energy efficiency, or introducing sustainable supply chains.
Best for businesses with a specific, bounded environmental project in mind. You do not need to be starting from zero — many of our strongest applicants are already committed to sustainability and have one concrete next step they have not been able to fund.
Examples: A bakery switching to energy-efficient ovens and plastic-free packaging; a small manufacturer transitioning to a sustainable supplier; a retailer installing LED lighting and insulation.
What it funds
- Energy efficiency equipment and measures
- Switching to renewable energy sources
- Sustainable packaging or materials
- Waste reduction equipment or systems
- Greener supply chain development
- Environmental certifications and assessments
What it doesn’t fund
- General business costs without an environmental angle
- Marketing campaigns about sustainability (without the underlying change)
- Projects without a measurable environmental improvement
Eligibility criteria
- UK-based small business (any legal structure)
- Project has a clear, measurable environmental benefit
- Grant would be spent on the project within 12 months
- Applicant can provide a brief completion report
Skills & Futures
Skills & Futures backs UK small businesses, social enterprises and community groups funding skills development for people who would not otherwise have access — apprenticeships, vocational training, digital skills workshops, or structured routes into employment.
For organisations creating a structured skills pathway — not general staff development, but initiatives that open doors for people who face barriers to employment or progression.
Examples: A community group running coding workshops for unemployed young people; a social enterprise training women returning to work in digital skills; a construction firm running a structured apprenticeship for care-leavers.
What it funds
- Apprenticeship and traineeship programme costs
- Training materials, tools and equipment
- Facilitator and workshop delivery costs
- Qualification fees and accreditation costs
- Venue and delivery costs for community-based training
- Online learning platform access or creation
What it doesn’t fund
- Internal staff training with no community or social benefit
- CPD courses for existing employees only
- Academic fees for individual courses
Eligibility criteria
- UK-based organisation (any legal structure)
- Initiative benefits people facing barriers to employment
- Clear description of how skills are developed
- Grant spent within 12 months of award
Community Enterprise
Community Enterprise is our largest programme, backing social enterprises and community-led organisations that create lasting, measurable benefit for local communities. Projects that go beyond the individual — where the beneficiaries are a neighbourhood, an overlooked group, or a community asset that would otherwise disappear.
Best suited to established social enterprises or community groups with a track record of delivery, or early-stage organisations with a compelling model and clear community need.
Examples: A social enterprise turning surplus food into affordable healthy meals; a community group running a skills exchange and tool library; an organisation creating accessible green space for a neighbourhood with none.
What it funds
- Core project delivery costs
- Staff time allocated to the funded project
- Equipment and materials for community benefit
- Venue and operational costs
- Community engagement and outreach
- Impact measurement and reporting
What it doesn’t fund
- Political campaigning or advocacy
- Activities that exclude specific groups
- Projects with no identifiable community beneficiary
Eligibility criteria
- UK-based social enterprise, charity or community group
- Project creates lasting benefit for an identifiable community
- Organisation has some track record or credible model
- Grant covers a specific project, not general operating costs
Bright Ideas
Bright Ideas is our micro-grant programme for early-stage ideas with a clear social or environmental purpose. For people who have a genuinely good idea and need a relatively small amount of capital to get it off the ground — to test it, build the first version, or demonstrate that it works.
If you are at an early stage — pre-revenue, prototype phase, or just launching — and your project has a defined social or environmental benefit. Designed for the moment when a small amount of money would make a disproportionate difference.
Examples: A founder building a free app to connect elderly people with local volunteers; a student building a tool to help food banks manage inventory; a community organiser piloting a repair café to reduce electrical waste.
What it funds
- Materials and tools to build a prototype
- First operational costs to test a concept
- Costs to run an initial pilot or event
- Website or platform build for a social project
- Design, branding or communications for launch
What it doesn’t fund
- Projects already well-funded or revenue-generating
- Ideas without a defined social or environmental purpose
- General business start-up costs unrelated to the social/environmental angle
Eligibility criteria
- UK-based individual, group or early-stage organisation
- Idea has a clear social or environmental purpose
- Applicant can describe what the grant would specifically produce
- Brief completion report required on project finish
Not sure which programme fits?
Apply to the one that looks closest and we’ll match you, or get in touch first.
