Fly High Start-Up & Enterprise grant

New business start-up grant scheme funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

As part of our Fly High Start-Up & Enterprise project, we are offering start-up grants to help new businesses located within Stoke-on-Trent to start up, flourish and grow.

The Fly High Start-Up & Enterprise project is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and offers a number of solutions to help potential entrepreneurs and businesses to start up, grow, and deliver economic investment in the city.

The grants are open to Stoke-on-Trent residents wishing to start up a new business or new, start-up businesses that have been trading for less than 12 months. If you are thinking of starting a business or have started a business within the last 12 months and are looking to take the next step then consider applying for our Fly High Start-Up grant. 

Grants starting at a minimum of £500 up to £3,000 are available which must be matched by 50 per cent of your own private funding or other equity funds. The funding can be used for both capital and revenue projects. 

The purpose of the grant is to help with business start-up and growth and therefore will not help with the general running costs of the business.

Examples of eligible expenditure include:

  • ICT equipment
  • Web development
  • New technology to support product and process development and innovation
  • Marketing/branding
  • Office equipment

Examples of ineligible expenditure include:

  • Purchase of land and property
  • Purchase of commercial vehicles
  • Stock
  • Employee wages
  • Rent and business rates for premises
  • Insurance costs
  • Utility and fuel bills

Only one grant per applicant can be awarded and the project must be delivered within Stoke-on-Trent . 

Businesses can be from any sector but to be eligible they must be an SME with between 1 and 249 employees and an annual turnover of less than £42 million.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is administering this programme and will guide eligible businesses through the application process, advising on programme delivery and UKSPF compliance.

For further information on the Fly High Start-Up grants please contact the Business Growth Team on 01782 238091 or email business.growth@stoke.gov.uk