SWEF Business Grants
SWEF offers business grants of up to £2,000 for young entrepreneurs aged between 18 – 30 and living in Norfolk, to set up or grow their business.
SWEF offers two types of grants:
Start-Up Grant
Grants of up to £500 for Norfolk-based young entrepreneurs to launch their business. Funding can support initial costs such as essential equipment, materials, stock, website building, product development and training.
Please note this grant is only available to those in the pre-revenue or very early stages of their business, turning over less than £500 per month. Successful grantees can reapply for additional funds if the business has progressed.
Business Grant
Grants of up to £2,000 for Norfolk-based young entrepreneurs with established businesses that have been trading for less than two years and are turning over more than £500 per month, to help transform their business.
What the Fund can support
Here are some examples of what the grant can be used for:
- Training
- Product development
- Equipment that will help a business increase production and/or diversify revenue
- Materials/stock for a new product line
- Prototypes
- One-off costs such as a building a website or booking system
What the Fund cannot support
- Salaries
- Rent and utility bills
- Purchasing stock for an existing product line
- Debt repayment or retrospective payments
- App development or software development costs
- Ongoing software subscriptions
- Applications solely for business ideas
- New computers, phones, or tablets
- Businesses in the following areas: invasive beauty treatments (such as botox, aesthetics, semi permanent makeup, facial tattoos, dermal fillers), property development, tobacco/vaping, political or religious agendas, gambling, illegal or unregulated activity, and finance or trading.
What else do I need to know?
Who can apply?
Applicants must be:
- Between the age of 18-30
- Currently living in Norfolk
- From a low-income household or facing other barriers stopping them from developing their business
- Running their own business which has been trading for no more than two years
- Able to demonstrate that they have already taken steps to get the business off the ground, even at a very early stage
- A majority shareholder in the business, or all shareholders are aged 18-30
How do I apply?
To apply for a grant please read the full guidance document linked below and complete the online application form, which can be found at the bottom of this page.
Your application must also include contact details of a referrer who can confirm your character and business potential, such as a tutor, employer, or support worker. Please ensure you fully answer all questions on the application form, as incomplete applications will not progress to the next stage.
What happens next?
You may then be invited to an online meeting with a staff member from SWEF, where you can explain more about your business. SWEF aims to confirm outcomes within six weeks of this meeting.
Successful applicants will be asked to accept the grant’s terms and conditions. The grant will then be paid, usually one month after this, into your business bank account. Grantees will be invited to join a business forum with other grant recipients to share their ideas and experiences, and will be asked to provide feedback to SWEF and NCF. Please note, grants must be spent within one month of the grant award.
Call for Applications
Open
Maximum Grant
£2,000
Deadline
11 December 2025 – 12:00pm
Who can apply?
Individuals aged between 18 and 30 years of age living in Norfolk.
Eligible Area
Breckland, Broadland, Great Yarmouth, King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, North Norfolk, Norwich, and South Norfolk
Find Out More & Apply
Interested? Talk to Gemma
