Finance
Money money money - it can be daunting trying to fund your business. Let us take the edge off for you with funding tools to suit all.
Get in touch
Get in touch to find out more about our business support offering.
ESSEX FUNDING FINDER
Find funding that’s right for you
The Essex Funding Finder helps organisations easily discover grants, funding, awards, and growth opportunities. Built for start-ups, small businesses, charities, and social enterprises, it allows you to filter by sector or business type and set up email alerts for new opportunities.
Skills & Innovation Capital Fund
Transform your skills training for the future
The Skills and Innovation Fund is offering £900,000 of capital funding to help post-16 training providers transform learning. Through investment industry-standard equipment, digital and AI-powered technology, and employer-focused training environments, providers can help meet industry needs and create a skilled,future-ready workforce.
Innovation grant mentoring
Help securing funding
The Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme provides fully funded support to help micro, small, and medium‑sized businesses build the skills needed to secure innovation grant funding. Get ahead of the game with funding webinars, workshops, and tailored 1:1 mentoring in early‑stage concept development, market research, proposal development, innovation planning, and bid‑writing coaching.
Essex Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service (ealts)
Fund apprenticeships for your business
Check out the Essex Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service (EALTS) to connect with organisations donating their unused levy funds to help businesses like yours cover apprenticeship training costs. EALTS makes levy transfers simple and efficient, so you can unlock new opportunities for growing your workforce.
ESSEX FINANCE FINDER
Find the right finance, faster
The Essex Finance Finder, powered by Swoop, helps Essex businesses discover funding and savings opportunities in one place. From loans and equity to grants and cost-saving options, it matches you with solutions tailored to your business - quickly and simply. With one easy registration and access to expert support, you canmove from search to application with confidence.
FInance readiness programme
Build stronger financial foundations
The Finance Readiness Programme is a practical, hands-on support programme designed to help Essex businesses become investment ready and financially resilient. Recieve support to understand funding and investment options available, strengthen your business plans, build confidence engaging with lenders and investors, and more.
Stories of progress
Don't just take our word for it, hear from the local individuals who are scaling faster and thinking bigger.
“The Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme didn’t just help us write a stronger grant application, it changed how we tell KIGO’s story. That is the kind of support every early-stage founder needs and almost none can find.”
Innovation Grant Mentoring
“The support was incredibly helpful. I was able to step back, really look at where the business was going, and understand the financial side more clearly. It also made me realise the true value of what I was delivering - something I hadn’t fully recognised before.”
Ambitious Essex
“The Essex Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service has been invaluable in helping us enable apprenticeship employers to secure funding quickly and easily, ensuring smaller employers and apprentices have the same opportunities as other learners.”
Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service
“The team have been very supportive throughout the process and guided us through each step. Every question was answered in detail, and we would highly recommend the service to other businesses.”
Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service
“It’s a valuable way to invest in our team and support business growth. The process was straightforward, and the support helped us up skill our team without the usual financial pressures. We’d highly recommend it to others looking to develop their workforce.”
Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service
“Pitching to companies was the best, from a commercial and learning perspective. Secondly the other cohort members, I feel I've met like minded people going through or have been through similar challenges.”
Grow Essex Global
“My experience with the Essex Growth Agency through Ambitious Women in Essex has been transformational for my business. May it continue as an incubator of talent, driving growth and prosperity across the county.”
Ambitious Women in Essex
"From start to finish, the process was seamless. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, guiding me through every step. I felt valued as a customer, and the results were fantastic. Thank you for a wonderful experience!"
Ambitious Women in Essex