Community Foundation NI: The SWEF Enterprise Grants
Community Foundation for Northern Ireland
Open (ongoing)
Aged 26 - 59 years
social enterprise
Trading
Young people (13-25)
Antrim & Newtownabbey
Ards & North Down
Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon
Belfast City
Causeway Coast and Glens
Derry City and Strabane
Fermanagh and Omagh
Lisburn and Castlereagh
Mid and East Antrim
Mid Ulster
Newry, Mourne and Down
Northern Ireland
Small (up to £10,000)
Overview
SWEF exists to support those who cannot afford to invest in their own business or raise money externally.
The SWEF Business Grant:
- Applications can be for grants up to the value of £2,000.
- Grants must be spent within one month of receipt of funds.
- Grant amounts are commensurate with the monthly profit of the business and the business opportunity.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply, you need to:
- Be between the ages of 18-30
- Live in Northern Ireland
- Applications must come from a majority shareholder
- Be from a low-income household or facing other financial challenges preventing you from developing your business
Business Criteria
- Applications that involve ‘match funding’ are particularly welcome.
- Applications can only come from businesses that have a business bank account.
- Applicants who are working full-time on their business are more likely to be successful with their grant application. If an applicant is not yet full-time, they will need to prove that they intend to go full time as soon as possible.
- Applications can only be from sole traders/limited companies/CICs limited by shares that have been trading less than 2 years.
- Applications that clearly explain how a grant will transform a business and take it to the next stage are the most likely to be successful.
- If an applicant intends to use a SWEF grant towards the cost of an item that is greater than £2,000, the SWEF grant needs to form 25% or more of the cost.
How you can use the grant:
(This is not an exhaustive list)
- Equipment that will help a business achieve increased revenues. Applications that involve the purchase of second hand items are particularly welcome
- Materials/stock
- Prototypes and product development costs
- Website/booking system build
- Training
- Goods and services provided within the UK are preferred.
NB on a match funded basis, SWEF will consider applications for refurbished technology. However, in order to be successful, the applicant will need to explain why the laptop, tablet or phone will transform their business.