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SWEF Fund: Grants for young people running new businesses or start-ups

  • Date published: 14/05/25

Foundation Scotland is working in partnership with SWEF to award grants of up to £2,000 for young people in Scotland who are launching a new business or running a new business that is within its first two years of trading.

Foundation Scotland is working in partnership with SWEF to award grants of up to £2,000 for young people in Scotland who are launching a new business or running a new business that is within its first two years of trading. It supports applicants with business costs that they would otherwise be unable to afford and that will help the business make a transformational change or take take a significant step forward in its development. This is not a loan scheme and recipients do not need to pay the grant back.

Depending on the current stage of your business you can apply for a Start-Up Grant of up to £500 or a Business Grant of up to £2,000.

Start-Up Grants 

  • Pre-revenue businesses or businesses turning over less than £500 per month.
  • Applicants must be between the age of 18-30 and living in Scotland.
  • Applications can only come from businesses that have (or will have) a business bank account.
  • Applications must come from a majority shareholder.

Applications can be for grants up to the value of £500.

To find out more about the Start-Up Grants, full eligibility criteria, what the grant can be spent on and how to apply, please click here

Business Grants 

  • Businesses turning over more than £500 per month that have been trading for less than 2 years.
  • Applicants must be between the age of 18-30 and living in Scotland.
  • Applications can only come from businesses that have a business bank account.
  • Applications must come from a majority shareholder.

To find out more about the Business Grants, full eligibility criteria, what the grant can be spent on and how to apply, please click here.

Contact information

Fund Contact

Conor Cross - Philanthropy Manager