Funding schemes available to eligible businesses based in Stafford Borough or those looking to relocate into the area are listed below.
Whatever your plans (e.g. adapting premises, purchasing capital equipment, up-skilling your staff, undertaking product innovation or introducing more efficient manufacturing techniques) the Business Growth Team is here to help you every step of the way.
For further information simply complete our enquiry form providing us with information about your business expansion plans.
Alternatively feel free to contact us direct on 01785 61900 asking for Mary Timmis or email economy@staffordbc.gov.uk.
Green Solutions Funded by BEAS
A programme to help businesses reduce energy costs and drive growth by providing free energy assessments and 50% match-funded grants of up to £100,000 for SMEs.
Examples of what grants have supported before include lighting (LED, controls, sensors), refrigeration, recycling and waste (compactors, balers and crushers), heating (replacement boilers, burners, heat pumps) etc.
The Green Loan Scheme featured below can be used in conjunction with this grant.
Green Loan Scheme
For businesses based in Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire who wish to spread the cost of implementing energy efficient measures to their premises.
A Green Loan of 100% (ranging from £5,000 - £200,000) interest free is available to eligible businesses who have had or are undergoing an energy assessment.
Green Loan Scheme (sben.co.uk)
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure grants for businesses, workplaces and landlords
The government offers grants to support the installation of electric vehicle charge points via the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).
- Electric vehicle infrastructure grant for staff and fleets - for SMEs grants of up to £15,000 per site are available towards the costs of installing chargepoints, associated infrastructure and preparing parking spaces for future installations. The grant is based on £350 per charge point socket installed and up to £500 per parking space enabled with supporting infrastructure.
- Electric vehicle chargepoint and infrastructure grants for landlords - provides grants of up to £350 per socket for 100 grants for commercial properties and 200 grants for residential properties.
- Workplace charging scheme - provides up to 75% of the total costs of purchasing and installing EV chargepoints capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.
The closing date for all grants is 31 March 2026.
Michelin Development Fund
Unsecured loans and business expertise for businesses based in the north part of Stafford Borough who can demonstrate potential to create jobs.
Michelin Development Business Loan Scheme - Michelin Development (michelindevelopment.co.uk)
Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Business Loan Fund
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent businesses that have been turned down by other lenders can apply to the Stoke-on-Trent Business Loan Fund, supporting businesses to grow through affordable, unsecured loans from £10,000 to £50,000
BCRS Business Loans work in partnership with Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council to deliver the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Business Loan Fund.
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Business Loan Fund - BCRS Business Loans (bcrs.org.uk)
Staffordshire Get Started and Grow
A referral for free of charge professional services for new business up to five years in business covering, website support, branding and logos, social media support, accountancy support, HR support and legal support.
Get Started and Grow - Staffordshire County Council (staffordshire.gov.uk)
Achieve and Grow
Designed specifically for business over five years with more than two employees who wish to take the next step of growth. Achieve and Grow provides fully funded limited hours of support as follows:
- Up to four hours of digital marketing consultation/support on a range of topics from social media to SEO
- Up to five hours of support in areas such as contracts of employment, recruitment processes or HR policies
- Up to four hours of support in areas such as updates and improvements to a current website and general marketing
For further information contact Chloe.Kelly@staffordshire.gov.uk
Staffordshire Start Up Loan
For brand-new businesses or businesses less than five years old, interest-free loans are available between £3,000 to £5,000.
The Staffordshire Start Up Loan can be used for most purposes to allow a business to fund those key purchases to get the business off the ground.
0% Start-up loans - Staffordshire County Council (staffordshire.gov.uk)
British Business Bank Start Up Loan
A 6% fixed interest rate loan of up to £25,000 to help start up or grow a business. This is aimed at those experiencing difficulty in obtaining funding from more traditional sources.
Loans repayments are between one and five years.
All start up loan recipients will be offered up to 12 months free business mentoring.
Government Loans UK - Start Up Loans - British Business Bank (british-business-bank.co.uk)
Made Smarter Funding and Support
For manufacturing businesses looking to accelerate growth, support is available including advice and workshops as well as grants of up to £20,000 for the purchase of hardware and software?
UK manufacturing help to adopt digital tech - Made Smarter (madesmarter.uk)
Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF)
MEIF has been designed to provide greater support to the region's smaller businesses, accelerate economic growth and promote job creation in line with the Government's Midlands Engine Strategy.
Through MEIF businesses can have access to:
- £30million of small (SME) business loans ranging from £25,000 to £150,000 available including for start-up firms
- £90million of debt finance available from £100,000 to £1.5million
- Equity funding up to £2 million - closes 31 December 2023 for new opportunities, however approved/successful businesses will continue to be managed
- Proof of Concept early stage equity finance of up to £750,000
Midlands Engine Investment Fund (meif.co.uk)
Horizon Europe Funding
To help UK businesses develop ideas, innovations and further their research to power commercial opportunities and growth.
The fund aims to help equip businesses to turn ideas, early-stage developments, new research, and all forms of innovation into tangible opportunities to grow their business.
Average grants are £530,000 and are open to businesses of all types and sizes needing financial support in these areas.
Horizon Europe - Innovate UK Business Connect (iuk-business-connect.org.uk)
King's Trust
Helps support young people (18 to 30 years old) to start their own business.
Applicants who are on the Trust’s ‘Enterprise Programme’, can apply for a ‘Test My Business Idea’ grant of up to £500 to help try a new business idea, via market research.
Other grants are available through the Trust as well as loans.
King's Trust (kingstrust.org.uk)
SWEF Enterprise Fund
Grants of up to £2,000 for young people in Staffordshire who need support with business start-up costs (pre start up and those trading under 2 years) that they would otherwise not be able to afford, and particularly those who are not in education, employment, or training.
Applicants need to be between the age of 18-30.
BCRS Business Loans
For bank marginal declines, small business loans are available through BCRS, ranging between £10,000 to £150,000 on 5 year terms with no early repayment fees.
A 12 month trade history is required to apply.
Business loans from £10,000- £150,000 - BCRS Business Loans (bcrs.org.uk)
Funding for Social Ventures Available Through UnLtd
Funding and support are available to help businesses who are delivering a social venture to get started or grow.
Depending on the stage of your development you can apply for one of the following:
Starting up - You have an idea or have started to make a difference to people's lives, your community, or have ambitions to create change at a national level. Up to £8,000
Scaling up - You are already running a social venture that is making a positive difference, and you have compelling evidence of your impact. Up to £18,000
Application windows vary.
Social Entrepreneurs Awards from UnLtd (unltd.org.uk)
Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants
Grants ranging between £1,000 and £100,000 are available to individual artists and practitioners, community and cultural organisations, museums and libraries.
Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants | Arts Council England (artscouncil.org.uk)
The Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme
Funding is available to farmers and land managers within an AONB, National Park in England or the Broads.
Whilst this is not an agri-environment scheme, it can help fund projects that:
- Support nature recovery
- Mitigate the impacts of climate change
- Provide opportunities for people to discover enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage
- Project of improve the quality and character of the landscape or place
This is a competitive programme which will now run until March 2026. Applications will close sooner if all funding is allocated.
Get funding for farming in protected landscapes - GOV.UK (gov.uk)
Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2025
Farmers across England can apply for grants between £1,000 and £25,000 to invest in machinery that improves farm productivity.
- Productivity
- Slurry Management
- Animal Health and Welfare
This is a competitive process with applications closing 10 July 2025.
Apply for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2025 - GOV.UK (gov.uk)
Contact Us
For further information on how we can help.
Mary Timmis
Growth and Investment Officer
01785 619000