Business & Employment Funding Info Summer 2025

Here is a collection of funding rounds from local and national organisations focusing on business and employment themes aimed at helping charities continue their work.

Opportunity 1: Business Loans from KCC

The Kent and Medway Small Business Boost scheme from Kent County Council (KCC) offers interest-free-loans to businesses in Kent and Medway to help them grow and create new jobs.

Managed by the Kent and Medway Business Fund (KMBF), the Small Business Boost offers loans to develop new or expand existing products, services or processes.

Open to various start-ups and not-for-profit groups, the organisers say the loan can also be used create jobs, drive growth, and improve productivity.

The organisers do stress the first stage of their process is their pre-application form, aimed at collecting information so that they can advise interested parties on the eligibility of their group and investment proposal.

The scheme is especially interested in hearing from small and medium-sized businesses (SME) in Kent and Medway, who are start-ups or in the early stages of growth.

For more information and how to apply, visit the KMBF website.

Opportunity 2: Kent Community Foundation - Kent Social Enterprise Loan Fund

The Kent Social Enterprise Loan Fund (KSELF) offers Kent’s charities and social enterprises unsecured loans through the Kent Community Foundation (KCF)

The Foundation can also offer investment readiness and business support through KCF’s dedicated Investment Fund Manager throughout the whole process.

The aim of the Fund is to spread the culture of social enterprise and break down the barriers which prevent enterprising social businesses from accessing finance.

This is a Continuous Rolling Programme, which means there is no deadline and applications can be submitted at any time.

For more information and how to apply, visit the KCF website.

Opportunity 3: Funding Finder from UKRI

The UK Research and Innovation organisation (UKRI) invest in research and innovation to enrich lives, drive economic growth, and create jobs and high-quality public services in the UK.

Sponsored by the Government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), they offer interested groups the chance to compete for Government-backed funding to:

• Research and develop a process, product or service
• Test your innovation ideas
• Collaborate with other organisations

The UKRI can offer funding to researchers. businesses. universities, NHS bodies, charities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other institutions.

Interested groups can search current funding opportunities from across UKRI, research councils and Innovate UK at the UKRI funding platform.

Opportunity 4: Funding Programme from Samuel Wilson's Loan Trust

The Samuel Wilson’s Loan Trust (SWLT) is a charitable organisation offering business loans to young people aged 18-39.

Operated by The City of London Corporation (CLC) the loan would support the establishment and development of new businesses for those facing challenges such as ill-health, disability, financial hardship, or other disadvantages.

The Trust advise to qualify for a loan applicants must:

• Be between the age of 18 and 39 inclusive
• Have recently set up (no longer than 36 months) or be about to set up a business
• Trade in Greater London, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, East Sussex or West Sussex

The Trust specify that their loans are not for any business whose primary trade is the manufacture or sale of alcohol, and that a guarantor may be required.

To apply, interested parties are asked to submit a robust business plan with a detailed and realistic financial forecast as a part of their application; more information is available from Trust at SWLT.enquiries@cityoflondon.gov.uk.

Further details and how to apply are available at CLC’s dedicated website.

Opportunity 5: Social and Community Capital Loans from Royal Bank of Scotland

Various types of loans are available from Royal Bank of Scotland to business, charities and social enterprises in the UK who do not qualify for mainstream loans.

The Funders advise all organisations must be able to demonstrate how they help:

• People in employment/education
• The most disadvantaged, or
• Community regeneration.

A range of costs are supported, such as expansion of networks or supply chains, or help with business and digital skills

There are four loan types:

• Property Purchase Loan: to renovate or purchase a property
• Flexible Growth Funding: to grow and increase the organisation's impact
• Working Capital Loan: to cover overheads and smooth out cashflow
• Bridging Loan: to pay VAT or cover overheads before grant funding starts

More information and how to apply can be found at the RBS website.

At the time of writing, there were no deadlines and applications for funding are taken on a rolling basis.

Whilst every effort has been made to provide up-to-date information, due to the varying nature and progress of public policies and other related activity, MVA do advise that some of the details below may have changed since the time of its issue and ask that readers please check with each organisation’s website for the latest news.