Do you fit? The ten-minute check before you write a word

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The most expensive mistake in funding is not a weak answer. It is a strong application to a fund you could never get: the wrong region, the wrong kind of applicant, a minimum three times your project, or "support" that was never cash. This check takes ten minutes and the funder's own page.

Ten conditions can rule you out before anyone reads for quality: place, who submits, size, cash or support, scope, stage, who you are, kind of money, timing and the form.
Every one is printed on the funder's page. Read that page, not a summary of it.
Any hard "no" means stop. "Unclear" on a must-have means one email to the funder before you draft.
Based here is not working here. A Liverpool City Region call wanted a base in the region and "a substantial part of its project work" done there.
Support is not cash, and it can still use your subsidy headroom: Innovate UK's FOAK Builder "does not fund projects" and awards its in-kind help as Minimal Financial Assistance.

Ten minutes, ten questions

Eligibility is read before quality. At Innovate UK an out-of-scope application is made ineligible and never reaches assessors, and the Innovation Lead's decision "is final and cannot be questioned"¹. Run the check in the order a funder's clerk does.

The ten-minute fit check

Placeregistered address, and where the work happens, in the funder's words
Who submitslegal form, who must lead, consortium rule
Size and shareminimum, maximum, your ask, your match
Cash or supportgrant, loan, equity, tax relief, or hours
Scope and stagethe scope line you meet, the readiness band you are in
Person, timing, formconditions on you, the close time, the real question set
Decideany hard no: stop. Unclear on a must-have: ask. All yes: write

FIT CHECK   Fund: ______________   Page read on: __________

 #  Rule, in the funder's words                         | Me                  | Yes/No/Unclear
 1  Place: based in ______; work carried out in ______   | address / work:     |
 2  Who submits: legal form ______; lead ______;         | we are a ______     |
    consortium ______ partners from ______               | partners: ______    |
 3  Size: min £______ max £______; match ______%         | ask £____ match £__ |
 4  Cash or support: grant / loan / equity / relief / hours
 5  Scope: the scope line I meet: "______"
 6  Stage: TRL ____ / trading ____ months / revenue £____ | mine: ______
 7  Conditions on the person: ______
 8  What the money wants back: outcomes / repayment / exit / HMRC tests
 9  Timing: closes ______ at ______; register / EOI / adviser first: ______
10  Form: ____ questions, ____ words each, uploads ______

Hard NO anywhere -> stop.  UNCLEAR on a must-have -> ask (email below).  All YES -> write.

The ten traps, in the funder's words

Trap	What the page says	Your check
1. Place	Innovate UK: each organisation must "carry out its project work in the UK" and "spend most of the funding within the UK"². Cheshire East's 2025/26 grant: "Only businesses trading from a property based in the Cheshire East Council boundary can apply"³	Registered address and where the work happens. Both must pass
2. Who submits	UKRI: a project lead must be "a UK-registered business" with a Companies House number⁴. A KTP is submitted by "a UK knowledge base, acting as lead organisation"⁵; in BridgeAI "Academic institutions cannot lead"⁶. Horizon Europe wants three independent legal entities in three countries, one in a Member State⁷. Awards for All takes no "individuals or sole traders"⁸	If a university must lead, find the university before you write
3. Size and match	"Your project's total eligible costs must be between £50,000 and £150,000"². Innovation Loans: "between £100,000 and £5 million"¹⁰. Awards for All £300 to £20,000; Reaching Communities from £20,001¹¹¹². Esmée Fairbairn: nothing under £30,000, no turnover under £100,000¹³. Innovate UK pays small firms up to 70%, medium 60%²; Garfield Weston expects "around 50% of your project funding" secured first¹⁴	Ask inside the band, match evidenced. On £120,000 of costs a small firm finds £36,000, a medium one £48,000
4. Support, not cash	"The FOAK Builder does not fund projects"; its in-kind support "can be up to £315,000"¹⁵. The NatWest Accelerator offers coaches, mentors and co-working, free, and helps you "secure the right funding"; it states no funding of its own¹⁶. GC Business Growth Hub works "at no charge"¹⁷	Hours are not your match, your runway or your salary
5. Scope	UK Games Fund: "Our funding focus is primarily on games for entertainment"; no gambling mechanics¹⁸. BridgeAI will not fund "generic productivity tools, back office automation or routine business process improvement"⁶. Cheshire East paid for equipment, not "Salaries or wage subsidies"³	Quote the scope line you meet. If it takes a paragraph to fit, it does not fit
6. Stage	Competition 2582: "Projects must start at TRL 1, 2 or 3"²; the EIC Accelerator wants "completed all aspects of TRL 5"¹⁹. Innovation Loans are "not for earlier stages of research and development"²⁰. Start Up Loans: "fully trading for less than 5 years"²¹. UK Games Fund: on Companies House "for at least 10 weeks", PAYE in place, fewer than 50 employees¹⁸. PRS Foundation: over 18 months of track record²³	Write your TRL (technology readiness level, 1 to 9), trading months and revenue. Compare them to the band, not your ambition
7. The person	Women in Innovation 2025/26: "a woman founder or co-founder" of a "late stage start-up", three sectors; closed 4 February 2026, no new round listed at 28 October 2026²⁴. King's Trust: "aged 18 to 30 years", not "actively trading for over 1 year"²². Stelios Awards (2026 round): "disabled applicants over the age of 18" owning "at least 50 per cent" of a UK for-profit company whose filed accounts show "a turnover (Revenues) in one year of at least £200,000"²⁵	A hard rule. Check the ownership share and the trading test, not just the headline
8. Kind of money	Innovation Loans are credit-judged: "affordable to your business", "appropriate for debt finance"; 3.7% during the project, 7.4% in repayment²⁶¹⁰. A Start Up Loan is "an unsecured personal loan"²¹. R&D tax relief is a claim on the Company Tax Return, for "companies chargeable to UK Corporation Tax", with first claims notified within six months of the period's end²⁷²⁸. NPIF II equity "up to £5m" wants "growth focused founders who are committed to scaling"²⁹	Ask what it wants back: outcomes, repayment, an exit or HMRC's tests. See non-grant money and investors
9. Timing	Innovate UK closes at "11am UK time"². Arts Council England account validation "can be up to 10 days"³⁰. Reaching Communities: two stages, "around 9 months (40 weeks)"³¹. KTP needs a Knowledge Transfer Adviser first⁵. Innovation Loans paused "until January 2027"¹⁰	Diary the close time and the registration lead time. Confirm it is open today on its own page
10. The form	Innovate UK standard: 10 scored questions, 400 words each³³. Heritage Fund: about 30 questions of 500 words³⁴. Awards for All: three short questions³⁵. Esmée: 300 words across two questions³⁶. Garfield Weston: "a maximum of 10 pages", no appendices¹⁴	Open the real form before you reuse anything. Grant questions maps one to another

Based here is not working here

The 2026 Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone call (run by STFC, up to £55,000, closed 14 May 2026) said "the lead organisation must have a base in the Liverpool City Region" and "must carry out a substantial part of its project work in the Liverpool City Region"; partners "may be located elsewhere in the UK"³⁷. Made Smarter: "a significant portion of your operations must be based in England"³⁸. NPIF II equity: "your headquarters must be based here or in the process of moving here"²⁹. A registered office here with the engineers elsewhere can fail the second test.

Support can still spend your subsidy headroom

Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) "allows public bodies to award up to £315,000 to an enterprise in a 3-year rolling financial period", and FOAK Builder's in-kind support "is awarded as Minimal Financial assistance (MFA)"¹⁵. Hours received this way count towards the same limit as a later MFA grant. Log them with your cash awards; Why applications fail covers the declaration.

In the North West: conditions on local programmes (read 28 October 2026)

Made Smarter (delivered by the Growth Company): manufacturing or engineering SMEs, 249 employees or fewer, turnover under £36 million or balance sheet under £18 million; "Up to 50% match funding (Maximum of £20,000)". A £60,000 project still gets £20,000, a third³⁸.
NPIF II loans: £25,000 to £100,000 (GC Business Finance, River Capital) and £100,000 to £2 million (FW Capital), across the North of England³⁹.
KTP round 4, 19 October 2026 to 27 January 2027 at 11am: the university, college, RTO or Catapult submits; the business needs "two or more full time equivalent employees"; up to 67% grant for an SME. Advisers: Susan Suttle (Liverpool, Manchester, East Lancashire, Salford), Mick Card (Merseyside, West Cheshire, North Wales), Jonathan Abra (Lancashire and Cumbria)⁵⁴⁰.
Cheshire East Business Growth Programme (closed; window 1 August 2025 to 28 February 2026): £5,000 to £25,000 at up to 70%, trading inside the boundary for 12 months or more, equipment not salaries, paid after you have paid³. The £25,000 maximum needed a project of about £35,700 and £10,700 of your own money. Watch for a successor scheme.

The decision rule

Any hard no: stop. Log the fund with the rule it failed, so you do not re-read it next year.
Unclear on a must-have: ask before you write. One question, quoting the line. Innovate UK Business Connect's helpline is 03333 403250⁴¹; the Heritage Fund's Project Enquiry answers "within 10 working days"⁴²; Esmée's expression of interest is the question³²; a KTP starts with the adviser⁵; the UK Games Fund answers help@ukgamesfund.com¹⁸. File the reply.
All yes: write, starting with the questions every grant application asks.

Subject: Eligibility question before applying: [competition name and number]

Dear [team or name],

We are [legal name], a [company limited by shares / CIC / charity], [Companies House
or charity number], based in [town], [area]. We are considering [competition name,
closing date].

Before we draft, one question on eligibility. Your guidance says: "[quote the line]".
Our situation is [one sentence: for example, the lead will be our Warrington office,
but about 40% of the project work will be done by our subcontractor in Leeds].

Does that meet the condition as written? If not, is there a route in this or another
competition that would?

Thank you,
[name, role, phone]

Two mismatches caught in ten minutes

A £46,000 tool and an unclear scope line

A Warrington studio needs £46,000 to finish a testing tool for game developers. The UK Games Fund's focus is "primarily on games for entertainment", it does not fund "dedicated roles in ... testing", and its grant is "no more than 50%" of the remaining prototype budget, so £23,000 at most¹⁸. A tool for developers is an "unclear", and expressions of interest were marked paused at 28 October 2026 (the page's key dates still said open). The studio emails help@ukgamesfund.com before writing a word, searches games and sets an alert.

A £35,000 youth programme and the wrong Lottery door

A Preston CIC limited by shares wants £35,000 for a year of youth sessions. Awards for All accepts a CIC limited by shares that follows "the Regulator of Community Interest Companies' guidance on sharing profits"⁹, so the CIC checks its articles first. Awards for All stops at £20,000, £15,000 short, with a decision in 16 weeks¹¹. Reaching Communities starts at £20,001, but most applications take "around 9 months (40 weeks)" over two stages¹²³¹. The Fund will not take the same project to more than one of its programmes⁸, so the CIC picks one: a smaller £20,000 project now, or the full year through Reaching Communities.

Weak fit-check lines

Who: we're a small company, so we should be fine. Size: they say up to £5 million and we want £60,000. Kind: it's Innovate UK, so it's a grant.

Strong fit-check lines

Who: "UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprises": yes. Size: "between £100,000 and £5 million"; our need £60,000: no, stop. Kind: an Innovation Loan, judged on whether it is "affordable to your business", at 7.4% in repayment, and paused until January 2027¹⁰²⁶.

What to do instead

The mismatch	Look instead at
Wrong place	Your area page: Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Cheshire and Warrington, Lancashire, Cumbria
Wrong kind of applicant	Researchers: research funding, or a KTP via the adviser. Charities and CICs: social economy grants. Sole traders: the freelancers' guide
Ask outside the band	Grants show the amount on the card; try proof of concept or voucher for small tickets
You wanted cash, or another kind of money	Loans, investment, non-grant money, cloud and AI credits; hours live under programmes and advice
Wrong stage, or closed	Early stage and start-up, with How funding really works; coming soon; closing in 30 days; an alert so the next round finds you

Checklist

Registered address and the place the work happens both meet the place rule, quoted
Legal form accepted; lead organisation and consortium rule met
Ask inside the minimum and maximum; match share named and evidenced
Funding type read: grant, loan, equity, tax relief or in-kind
Scope line quoted in the funder's words; nothing needs explaining to fit
TRL, trading months and revenue written down and inside the band
Conditions on the person (age, gender, disability, ownership share, turnover) met
What the money wants back is known: outcomes, repayment, an exit or HMRC's tests
Open today on its own page; close time in the diary; registration, EOI or adviser step started
The real form opened; question count and word limits noted
Subsidy log updated, including in-kind support awarded as MFA
Every "unclear" sent to the funder with the one-question email; reply filed

Questions

How do I know if I am eligible for a grant?

Test each rule on the competition's own page against your facts: legal form, registered address, where the work happens, trading history, cost band and match share. A business can lead UKRI funding only if UK-registered with a Companies House number⁴; the Community Fund lists who it will and will not accept⁹⁸. If a rule is unclear, ask before drafting.

Can I apply for Innovate UK funding if my project is smaller than the minimum?

No. The cost band is a hard rule: competition 2582 requires total eligible costs "between £50,000 and £150,000"², and BridgeAI a grant request "between £100,000 and £200,000"⁶. Find a round whose band fits, or a smaller local scheme.

Does my business have to be based in the North West to use a North West fund?

Often you must be both based and working here. The Liverpool City Region life sciences call wanted a base in the region and "a substantial part of its project work" done there³⁷; Cheshire East required "trading from a property based in the Cheshire East Council boundary"³; NPIF II equity wants your headquarters here or moving here²⁹.

Is an accelerator the same as funding?

No. The NatWest Accelerator provides coaching, mentoring and co-working and helps you "secure the right funding"; it states no funding of its own¹⁶. Innovate UK's FOAK Builder "does not fund projects"; its in-kind support is awarded as Minimal Financial Assistance and counts towards the £315,000 three-year limit¹⁵.

Can a sole trader apply for grants?

Sometimes. Innovate UK's funding rules accept sole traders who can show they are "a legal trading entity", for example with bank statements⁴³; Awards for All takes no "individuals or sole traders"⁸; a Start Up Loan is a personal loan to the owner, not a grant²¹. Check the legal-form line first; the freelancers' guide lists what is open.

Is R&D tax relief something you apply for?

No. It is a claim on your Company Tax Return, open only to "companies chargeable to UK Corporation Tax"²⁷, and a first-time claimant must send HMRC a claim notification within six months of the end of the period of account or the claim is invalid²⁸. There is no assessor; there is a deadline to miss.

Sources

UKRI, "What happens after you have submitted your application", updated 7 May 2026 (scope decisions final). https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/guidance-for-applicants/general-guidance/what-happens-after-you-have-submitted-your-application/ ↩
Innovation Funding Service, competition 2582, Efficient, Structured and Controllable AI Systems: cost band, funding rates, UK work rule, TRL 1 to 3, 4% stated chance, closes 18 November 2026 11:00am. Read 28 October 2026. https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2582/overview/9fdb47a5-011c-4c47-ac5e-c426e295fe89 ↩↩↩↩↩↩
Cheshire East Council, Grant Scheme for the Cheshire East Business Growth Programme (UK Shared Prosperity Fund transition year), July 2025: eligibility, £5,000 to £25,000 at up to 70%, window 1 August 2025 to 28 February 2026. https://moderngov.cheshireeast.gov.uk/documents/s126367/Appendix%20A%20-%20The%20Growth%20Grant%20Programme%20Scheme%20Policy%202025%20002.pdf ↩↩↩↩
UKRI, "Check if you are eligible for research and innovation funding", updated 22 September 2026. https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/before-you-apply/check-if-you-are-eligible-for-research-and-innovation-funding/ ↩↩
Innovation Funding Service, competition 2605, Knowledge Transfer Partnership 2026-2027 Round 4: knowledge base leads, business conditions, KTA support, 67% and 50% grant shares, opens 19 October 2026, closes 27 January 2027 11:00am. https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2605/overview/4b82d27a-2794-457c-8dc7-7ec4f6911c84 ↩↩↩↩
Innovation Funding Service, competition 2599, BridgeAI Deployment Catalyst: AI for Operational Systems: lead and consortium rules, out-of-scope list, closes 8 December 2026 11:00am. https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2599/overview/1931f35c-87fe-4b6a-a718-a61a2d00e86a ↩↩↩
European Commission, Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027, General Annexes (29 September 2026): "three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country", "at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State". https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/wp-call/2026-2027/wp-15-general-annexes_horizon-2026-2027_en.pdf ↩
The National Lottery Community Fund, Awards for All England, "Who cannot apply". https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/funding-programmes/national-lottery-awards-for-all-england/who-cannot-apply ↩↩↩↩
The National Lottery Community Fund, Awards for All England, "Who can apply". https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/funding-programmes/national-lottery-awards-for-all-england/who-can-apply ↩↩
Innovation Funding Service, competition 2505, Innovation Loans Expression of Interest: £100,000 to £5 million, late-stage R&D only, 3.7% and 7.4%, six sectors, finance-elsewhere test, paused from 11am 9 October 2026 until January 2027. https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2505/overview/8ef63f10-ea07-4ffd-9812-e944542751b6 ↩↩↩↩
The National Lottery Community Fund, National Lottery Awards for All England: £300 to £20,000, decision in 16 weeks. https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/funding-programmes/national-lottery-awards-for-all-england ↩↩
The National Lottery Community Fund, Reaching Communities England: £20,001 to £1,000,000, decision in 40 weeks. https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/funding-programmes/reaching-communities-england ↩↩
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Apply for funding (minimum £30,000; turnover under £100,000 excluded), and Pre-application Q&A, April 2024 (fewer than three trustees excluded). https://esmeefairbairn.org.uk/apply-for-funding/ and https://esmeefairbairn.org.uk/documents/192/Pre-application_QA-April2024.pdf ↩
Garfield Weston Foundation, Application guidelines, April 2026: 50% secured first; proposal of at most 10 pages, no appendices. https://garfieldweston.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Application-guidelines.pdf ↩↩
Innovation Funding Service, competition 2600, FOAK Builder: Programme Entry Expression of Interest: in-kind support up to £315,000 awarded as Minimal Financial Assistance, closes 5 November 2026 11:00am. https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2600/overview/0c422454-a8af-4c24-a74a-565426f42395 ↩↩↩
NatWest, NatWest Accelerator (read 28 October 2026): coaching, mentoring, co-working, free to join; Manchester hub. https://www.natwest.com/business/business-services/entrepreneur-accelerator.html ↩↩
GC Business Growth Hub, home page (read 28 October 2026): "at no charge"; Greater Manchester; Spark to Scale and ASCEND thresholds. https://www.businessgrowthhub.com/ ↩
UK Games Fund, Prototype Fund (read 28 October 2026): games for entertainment, no gambling mechanics, 50% rule, maximum £100,000, company age and size, expressions of interest paused. https://ukgamesfund.com/prototype-fund/ ↩↩↩↩
European Innovation Council, EIC Accelerator Guide for Applicants v6.0, 19 November 2025: TRL 5 completed; grant only for UK applicants. https://eic.ec.europa.eu/document/download/9d96fbf3-4d85-4ad0-9483-c77ce348111d_en?filename=EIC+Accelerator+guide+for+applicants_WP26.pdf ↩
UKRI, Innovation loans: check if you're eligible for funding, updated 12 May 2025. https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/guidance-for-applicants/guidance-for-specific-funds/innovation-loans/check-if-youre-eligible-for-funding/ ↩
GOV.UK, Apply for a Start Up Loan: 18 or over, UK resident, trading under 5 years, £500 to £25,000 at 7.5%, "an unsecured personal loan", credit check. https://www.gov.uk/apply-start-up-loan ↩↩↩
GOV.UK, Enterprise programme for young people (The King's Trust), updated 20 June 2025: aged 18 to 30, not trading over 1 year, grant up to £5,000 and loan £500 to £25,000. https://www.gov.uk/princes-trust-enterprise-programme ↩
PRS Foundation, FAQs and tips: track record over 18 months; once per calendar year. https://prsfoundation.com/funding-support/faqs-and-tips/ ↩
UKRI, Women in Innovation Awards 2025 to 2026 (opened 26 November 2025, closed 4 February 2026 11:00am): eligibility and sectors. No 2026/27 round was listed on the Innovation Funding Service at 28 October 2026. https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/women-in-innovation-awards-2025-to-2026/ ↩
Leonard Cheshire, How to apply for the Stelios Awards for Disabled Entrepreneurs (2026 round, deadline 30 April): eligibility and prizes. https://www.leonardcheshire.org/get-support/working/disabled-entrepreneurs/how-apply-stelios-awards ↩
UKRI, Innovation loans: how we assess your application, updated 7 May 2026: quality threshold, then credit evaluation. https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/guidance-for-applicants/guidance-for-specific-funds/innovation-loans/how-we-assess-your-application/ ↩↩
GOV.UK, Corporation Tax: Research and Development (R&D) Relief, updated 8 May 2024. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/corporation-tax-research-and-development-rd-relief ↩↩
GOV.UK, Tell HMRC that you're planning to claim Research and Development (R&D) tax relief, updated 31 October 2024: claim notification within 6 months of the end of the period of account. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tell-hmrc-that-youre-planning-to-claim-research-and-development-rd-tax-relief ↩↩
PXN Ventures (Praetura), NPIF II North West equity (figures "True as of June 30th 2026"): up to £5m; headquarters in the North West or moving here. https://www.pxnventures.co.uk/npif/ ↩↩↩
Arts Council England, presentation to Community Works, May 2026, slide "How to apply on our Grant Management System" (account validation "can be up to 10 days"); ACE's own guidance is at artscouncil.org.uk/grants-system-guidance. https://www.communityworks.org.uk/app/uploads/2026/05/Arts-Council-England.pdf ↩
The National Lottery Community Fund, Reaching Communities England, "How to apply": two stages, up to 3 months then up to 6 months, "around 9 months (40 weeks)". https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/funding-programmes/reaching-communities-england/how-to-apply ↩↩
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Grant guidance, 21 July 2026: expression of interest answered within four to six weeks; full process up to six months. https://esmeefairbairn.org.uk/documents/370/Grant_Guidance_21July2026.docx ↩
Innovation Funding Service, competition 2595, Investor Partnerships: Battery Innovation Programme (the standard Innovate UK question set: 10 scored questions, 400 words each). https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2595/overview/f2b849f6-0fb3-4012-be1b-a41813c93085 ↩
The National Lottery Heritage Fund, grants £10,000 to £250,000, application questions. https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/funding/national-lottery-grants-heritage-10k-250k/application-questions-0 ↩
The National Lottery Community Fund, Awards for All England application preview (three questions with word limits). https://account.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/Preview/Application/af61159b-b8a7-49f1-ae06-44785abb0202 ↩
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Expression of Interest guidance and sample form, April 2026: 300 words across two questions. https://esmeefairbairn.org.uk/documents/350/Grant_sample_Expression_of_Interest-April2026_MNsZbpB.docx ↩
Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone grant call 2026 (STFC, part of UKRI), call text as published by Bionow: base and substantial project work in the city region, up to £55,000, match funded, closed 14 May 2026. https://bionow.co.uk/news/liverpool-city-region-life-sciences-innovation-zone-grant-call-2026-open-until-14th-may ↩↩
Made Smarter, North West (read 28 October 2026): eligibility; "Up to 50% match funding (Maximum of £20,000)"; delivered by the Growth Company. https://www.madesmarter.uk/adoption/in-my-region/north-west/ ↩↩
Growth Platform, Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II launch, 21 March 2024: £660m across the North of England; loan and equity tiers and managers. https://growthplatform.org/?p=23965 ↩
Innovate UK Business Connect, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (read 28 October 2026): North West advisers; round 4 dates. https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/programme/knowledge-transfer-partnerships/ ↩
UKRI, Innovate UK: support for you and your application, 16 June 2026 (helpline 03333 403250). https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/guidance-for-applicants/general-guidance/support-for-you-and-your-application/ ↩
The National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Lottery Grants for Heritage £10,000 to £250,000, updated 17 September 2026: who can apply; Project Enquiry within 10 working days; eight-week decision. https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/funding/national-lottery-grants-heritage-10k-250k ↩
UKRI, Innovate UK funding rules, updated 12 May 2026: Companies House number; sole traders must show trading activity. https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/guidance-for-applicants/general-guidance/funding-rules/ ↩

Written for businesses, founders and researchers in the North West of England and checked against the sources listed above on 28 October 2026. Funders change their rules, so always read the current call before you apply. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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