Sunderland Business Support Fund

NBSL, in partnership with Sunderland City Council, have launched the new Sunderland Business Support Fund (SBSF) thanks to funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

This Grant programme will help local growing businesses to access high quality external expertise to deliver business improvement projects.

Grant Offer

SBSF will provide up to 40% funding for projects that cost between £3,000 and £6,000 (VAT costs cannot be funded).

Eligibility Criteria

Business must:

• Be based in Sunderland i.e. the business pays its business rates to Sunderland City Council.
• Be trading i.e. making sales.
• Be an SME – employing fewer than 250 staff.
• Be planning to grow i.e. creating new jobs or safeguarding existing jobs.
• Not have received more than £315,000 of combined State Aid under the Minimum Financial Assistance (MFA), Services of Public Economic Interest Assistance (SPEIA) or Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) allowances since the 1st of April 2022.

Projects must:

• Support business growth i.e. create and/or safeguard jobs.
• Take no longer than 3 months to complete.
• Be completed, and the Grant claimed, by February 2025 at the very latest

How to apply

Visit Sunderland Business Support Fund Overview for further information.

Applications will be assessed for eligibility from the 3 June but businesses can apply now to be among the first to take advantage of the new offer.

For eligibility queries please email fundingsupport@nbsl.org.uk.

Business Improvement Projects eligible for a Grant

Listed below are the main types of consultancy, design or development projects that can be funded. If you have a project in mind that's not on the list contact the team at fundingsupport@nbsl.org.uk who will try to help. 

• Business growth planning
• Strategy Development
• Change Management
• Business Expansion
• Planning Product development / diversification
• Developing Quality Management
• Systems Process improvement systems
• Financial restructuring
• Marketing planning
• Web design / development
• Accessing new markets
• Succession planning HR Strategy planning and development
• Design costs for marketing
• Video production
• Development of Animations.

This Grant cannot fund capital or small equipment purchases. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.