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 2.5 years, and have a monthly turnover of more than £500, 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 building a website or booking system
In 2025, we awarded grants for product testing, equipment costs, website redesign, training courses, and marketing.
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 (or 2.5 years for Business Grants)
- Able to demonstrate that they have already taken steps to get the business off the ground, even at a very early stage
- Your business should be set up as a sole trader or private company/Community Interest Company limited by shares. If a limited company, the applicant (either on their own or with a spouse/sibling) must be the majority shareholder. The majority shareholders must be aged 18-30. A business partner over the age of 30 may not hold more than 20% of shares.
How do I apply?
To apply for a Start-Up Grant or a Business Grant, please complete an online application at the bottom of this page. Please ensure that your business and request meets the eligibility criteria before applying.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, though the Fund may close from time to time when existing funds have been fully allocated.
Once you submit your application, Norfolk Community Foundation will check that you meet the eligibility criteria. During this process, we may contact you for additional information and will also request a reference from your independent referrer.
Your application will then be reviewed by SWEF Enterprise, and you may then be invited to a 15-minute online meeting with a SWEF team member to discuss your business and how the grant would help. You will usually receive a grant decision within six weeks after the meeting has taken place.
Call for Applications
Open
Maximum Grant
£2,000
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
