Grants and funding open to any business in Cumbria

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Only for Cumbria 8

Walney Extension Skills Fund: £10k-£100k for STEM and skills projects on the Cumbria and Lancashire coastaward £10,000–£100,000 · closes 24 Mar 2027 · with Walney Extension Community Fund: The Skills Fund (STEM and skills projects, £10k-£100k)
Open Space scratch night micro-commissionsmax award £500 · with Theatre by the Lake (Keswick): Open Space scratch night micro-commissions (£500, Cumbrian Creatives)
Training Grantsaward £300 · with Kendal BID: grants (shop front, environmental, training, events, public safety, general)
Westmorland and Furness Greening Businesses Scheme round 3: free carbon footprint assessment for SMEs (closes 25 Oct 2026)non-cash support · closes 25 Oct 2026 · Westmorland and Furness · with Westmorland and Furness Council: Greening Businesses Scheme round 3 (free carbon footprint assessment)
Business & IP Centre Cumbria1:1 support sessions with a Business Information Officer · with Business & IP Centre Cumbria (British Library BIPC, Carlisle Library)
Cumbria Acceleratornon-cash support · with Enterprising Cumbria: Cumbria Accelerator (free 1-2-1 business growth support)
Cumbria Connect to Work ProgrammePersonalised, fully-funded employment support for individuals; employer connection to local talent and support networks. · with Enterprising Cumbria: business support programmes
Net zero and decarbonisation supportTechnical and project advice on clean energy and decarbonisation, facilitation and funding of carbon audits (listed as a past activity), promotion of green finance and grant opportunities, help with grant applications, workshops on specific issues. · with Enterprising Cumbria: Net zero and decarbonisation support (funded carbon audits)

Open across the North West 18

Access Funding Scheme for High-end TV Deaf, Disabled & Neurodivergent Crew 2026 - 2027free training (ScreenSkills funded) · closes 16 Nov 2026 · with ScreenSkills training and opportunities (ScreenSkills-funded courses)
IBIC biotech knowledge exchange grants: up to £60k for north-west business-university projects (next deadline 10 Dec)max award £60,000 · closes 10 Dec 2026 · with IBIC: knowledge exchange grants with north-west biotech businesses
Awards for Young Writers 2027award £150–£500 · closes 15 Mar 2027 · with New Writing North: Northern Writers' Awards (all awards and submission windows)
DSW Ventures Seed Investmentaward £100,000–£1,000,000 · open all year · with DSW Ventures (Daresbury-linked seed VC)
Equity Finance, Up to £5 million (North West)max award £5,000,000 · open all year · with Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (British Business Bank)
GC Angelsaward £25,000–£2,000,000 · open all year · with GC Angels
Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II - Debt Finance (North West)award £100,000–£2,000,000 · open all year · with FW Capital
Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II - Smaller Loansaward £25,000–£100,000 · open all year · with Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (British Business Bank)
PXN Venturesmax award £5,000,000 · open all year · with PXN Ventures (NPIF II North West equity)
Smaller Loans - North West (Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Cumbria)award £25,000–£100,000 · open all year · with Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (British Business Bank)
Regional Growth Fundmax award £150,000 · with Key Fund: social investment funds for the North (incl. Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund)
Creative Incubatornon-cash support · with English National Opera x RNCM: Creative Incubator (North West artists)
Help to Grow: Managementaward £750 · with Help to Grow: Management (LCR business schools)
Manchester Met Knowledge Transfer Partnershipsaward £23,000–£55,000 · with Manchester Met Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Support and investor introductions for female foundersnon-cash support · with Fund Her North: support and investor introductions for female founders
AI Adoption Readinessnon-cash support · with Edge Hill AI Adoption Readiness (PIC SME Hub)
AI Workforce Model for SMEsnon-cash support · with Manchester Digital: AIMS - AI Workforce Model for SMEs (free AI and automation upskilling)
Getting young people into the industrynon-cash support · with Film Hub North (BFI Film Audience Network)

UK-wide 117

Water Efficiency Lab 2: £150,000 to £1.5m for water-saving innovationmax award £150,000 · closes 20 Oct 2026 · with Ofwat Innovation Fund - Water Efficiency Lab 2
Sustainable Darkroom Futures Residency: £3,400 grant and six-month mentored residency for UK artistsaward £3,400 · closes 23 Oct 2026 · with Sustainable Darkroom Futures Residency
Pathways to Work Innovation Fundcloses 26 Oct 2026 · with Action Together: find funding
iX Challenge: Alternative leak repair materials and methods for canal leakage and seepage repairscloses 27 Oct 2026 · with Innovate UK Business Connect (opportunities incl. ICURe)
iX Challenge: Identifying leaks and seepage in canal infrastructurecloses 27 Oct 2026 · with Innovate UK Business Connect (opportunities incl. ICURe)
CfI: Innovation in play to improve child outcomesaward £200,000–£500,000 · total pot £3m · closes 28 Oct 2026 · with UK Research and Innovation funding finder
Windrush Day Grant Scheme 2027: £5,000 to £25,000 for projects celebrating the Windrush generationaward £5,000–£25,000 · closes 29 Oct 2026 · with Windrush Day Grant Scheme (MHCLG, run by Near Neighbours)
BBC Children's Northern Star Project: about £17,000 to develop a children's drama idea (closes 30 Oct)max award £17,000 · closes 30 Oct 2026 · with BBC Children's (Salford) with DR, NPO, NRK and VRT: The Northern Star Project development opportunity
eBay Grants Support Business Growth and Young Talentaward £1,000–£10,000 · closes 30 Oct 2026 · with eBay UK Up & Running Grants
eBay Up & Running Grants: £10,000 for young eBay sellers and youth employersmax award £10,000 · closes 30 Oct 2026 · with eBay UK Up & Running Grants (Young Entrepreneur Edition)
Funding competition Future Leaders Fellowships: Round 11, business and non-academicaward £100,000–£3,000,000 · total pot £110m · closes 4 Nov 2026 · with Innovate UK (Innovation Funding Service)
Simply Businessaward £10,000–£25,000 · closes 12 Nov 2026 · with Action Together: find funding
BFI Skills Fund pilot call: up to £150,000 for a technical and craft skills framework in screenmax award £150,000 · closes 24 Nov 2026 · with BFI National Lottery Skills Fund: Pilot Projects (Call 1)
Funding to Support Black and Mixed Black Heritage Researchers Across the UKaward £13,000–£48,000 · closes 27 Nov 2026 · with Action Together: find funding
UnLtd Awards: up to £18,000 plus support for social entrepreneursmax award £18,000 · closes 30 Nov 2026 · with UnLtd Awards (Starting Up, Scaling Up, Community Climate Action)
Horizon Europe 2026-27: Horizontal Actions - Bridging Actionscloses 18 Mar 2027 · with Innovate UK Business Connect – Opportunities (Robotics & AI)
Workplace Charging Schemecloses 31 Mar 2027 · with GOV.UK Find a Grant
Ada Ventures: £250k to £1m pre-seed for overlooked foundersaward £250,000–£1,000,000 · open all year · with Ada Ventures (pre-seed)
AMSCI Recycled Fund: debt finance, typically £1m to £2m, for established English manufacturing SMEsaward £1,000,000–£2,000,000 · open all year · with AMSCI Recycled Fund (Frontier Development Capital)
Ascension: £150k to £850k pre-seed and seed investmentaward £150,000–£850,000 · open all year · with Ascension (pre-seed and seed)
Bank Referral Schemenon-cash support · open all year · with Bank Referral Scheme (designated finance platforms)
BGF Growth Stage Investment — BGFopen all year · with BGF (Business Growth Fund)
Black Artists Grant — Creative Debutsaward £500 · open all year · with Creative Debuts
British Business Bank Start-up Loansaward £500–£25,000 · open all year · with Start Up Loans
ENABLE Guarantees Programmeopen all year · with ENABLE Guarantees programme (delivery partner lenders)
European Space Agency Open Call For Proposals: Proof-of-concept Studies and Pilot Projectsopen all year · with Innovate UK Business Connect (opportunities incl. ICURe)
Export finance and insurance productsnon-cash support · open all year · with UK Export Finance - Export Finance Manager
Funding opportunity: Knowledge Transfer Partnershipaward £35,000–£50,000 · open all year · with Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Future Fund: Breakthroughopen all year · with Future Fund: Breakthrough
Gay Investor Network: pitch to the UK's LGBTQ+ angel investor syndicateopen all year · with Gay Investor Network (GIN)
Green Asset Financeaward from £5,000 · open all year · with Barclays Green Loans for Business
Green Commercial Mortgageopen all year · with Barclays Green Loans for Business
Green Loans for Businessaward from £25,001 · open all year · with Barclays Green Loans for Business
Green Pension Loans (SIPP & SSAS)open all year · with Barclays Green Loans for Business
Growth Capital — YFM Equity Partnersaward £3,000,000–£15,000,000 · open all year · with YFM Equity Partners
Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS)award £1,000–£2,000,000 · open all year · with British Business Bank Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS)
Handelsbanken UK Sustainable LoansLower interest rates · open all year · with Handelsbanken UK Sustainable Loans (lower rate for climate purposes)
HSBC UK AI & Productivity Financing Initiative£5bn · open all year · with HSBC UK AI & Productivity Financing Initiative
HSBC UK Business Impact Initiativeaward from £300,000 · open all year · with HSBC UK Business Impact Initiative (B Corp fee discount)
Impact X Capital: pre-seed to Series A for under-represented foundersopen all year · with Impact X Capital

Showing 40 of 117. See them all in the finder →

International, open to UK applicants 22

European Space Agency: co-funding for space-enabled smart grid resilience projects (proof-of-concept and pilots)closes 27 Nov 2026 · with European Space Agency: Smart and Resilient Energy Systems
EUREKA Innowwide: up to €60,000 to test a market outside Europenon-cash support · closes 1 Dec 2026 · with EUREKA Innowwide (market feasibility outside Europe)
Women TechEU 2 EIC: €75,000 for women-led deep tech startupscloses 14 Jan 2027 · with Women TechEU
EIC Pre-Accelerator — European Innovation Councilnon-cash support · closes 5 May 2027 · with European Innovation Council (EISMEA)
Emergent Ventures: fellowships and grants for high-impact ideasopen all year · with Emergent Ventures (Mercatus Center)
EWOR Fellowship: up to €500k for ambitious foundersopen all year · with EWOR Fellowship
identity.vc — pre-seed and seed investment for LGBTQ+-led startupsopen all year · with identity.vc
Thiel Fellowship: $250,000 for founders aged 22 or underopen all year · with Thiel Fellowship
United Utilities: submit an innovation ideaReview of submitted ideas by a multidisciplinary United Utilities team, with feedback within two weeks of submission. Possible outcomes include a request for more information, a longer review with experts, or feedback explaining why the idea is not suitable. Pitch videos can be shared with other water companies to find potential partners via Water Innovation 2050. · open all year · with United Utilities: submit an innovation idea (rolling)
EIC Accelerator — European Innovation Councilnon-cash support · with European Innovation Council (EISMEA)

Showing 10 of 22. See them all in the finder →

Questions

How many opportunities are open open to any business in Cumbria?

On 18 October 2026 Bearings lists 165 live opportunities a business based in Cumbria can apply for: 83 grants, loans, investment and prizes, 60 programmes, advice and support, 22 training offers. 8 are only for Cumbria, 18 are open across the North West and 139 are UK-wide or international.

Which funding closes soonest?

Water Efficiency Lab 2: £150,000 to £1.5m for water-saving innovation (closes 20 Oct 2026)
Sustainable Darkroom Futures Residency: £3,400 grant and six-month mentored residency for UK artists (closes 23 Oct 2026)
Pathways to Work Innovation Fund (closes 26 Oct 2026)

How do I hear about new ones?

Other sectors in Cumbria

Any sector in other areas

Bearings is free and independent, and not affiliated with any funder. It checks its sources every day; always check eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the provider's own page before applying. Updated 18 October 2026.

Funding and support open to any business in Cumbria