There are a number of different organisations that can offer both grant finding advice and financial assistance to both businesses and community groups.

Help for businesses:-

The Economic Regeneration Unit itself does not offer any direct grants to businesses but we do work in partnership with a variety of organisations.


Norfolk and Waveney Enterprise Services (NWES) advise on selected grants available in the area as well as provide assistance from eligibility checks through to application completion and liaison with grant providers.

Tel: 0845 60 99 99 991.
Website: www.nwes.org.uk (Opens new window) 

NWES can also offer loans through the NWES Advance scheme. If you have been refused business finance from a bank then you may be eligible to apply for a business loan through the Advance scheme. Loans are based on a relationship basis and they look at the individual and business rather than at your credit score. For more information please see www.nwes.org.uk  or call one of their loan advisors on 0845 491 8735.

NWES can also offer loans through the NWES Advance scheme. NWES Advance is a Business Enterprise Loan Fund available to those who wish to start-up in business or expand an existing business and are unable to access finance elsewhere.

It exists to encourage and promote positive social and economic change, whether this is through the assistance of the creation of new businesses, new jobs or growth, they offer all the advice, support and training necessary to do this.

NWES Advance offers three different types of business loans:-

• Start Up Business Loan from £1,000 - £5,000, available to start up businesses or those trading less than 12 months.
• Business Loan from £5,000 - £25,000, available to start- up and existing businesses.
• Business Development Loan from £25,000 upwards, available to existing businesses only.

For more information please see www.nwes.org.uk (Opens new window) or call one of their loan advisors on 0845 491 8735.


The Prince’s Trust is a UK charity that helps young people between the ages of 14-30 to overcome barriers and into work. They can provide training development programmes, business start-up advice and initial funding. Contact the area office for the East of England on 01473 228844 or refer to their website: www.princes-trust.org.uk (Opens new window) 


Foundation East (previously known as Suffolk Regeneration Trust) is a not for profit organisation that operates across East Anglia. The Foundation lends money to new businesses, existing businesses, charities and social enterprises that cannot get a loan from a bank or need additional funds to match bank lending.

• Loan size normally range from £3,000 to £50,000 (lower amounts can be considered)
• Loan term is from six months to ten years
• For start up businesses Foundation East will lend up to 50% of total amount required
• Interest is charged at commercial rates UP TO 15% (for charities and social enterprises interest is more usually between 10% and 12%)
• There is a one off arrangement fee of 2% (minimum £100) payable at the start of the loan (this can be added to the loan, if required)
• A poor credit history or no credit history at all will not automatically exclude a client from borrowing from Foundation East
• A lack of security is not a barrier to lending although where assets are available and appropriate to secure a loan, Foundation East will do so (the cost of registering security will be passed on to the client)
• Capital repayment holidays may be agreed, where applicable

Tel 01284 757777
Fax 01284 719089

Email info@foundationeast.org  
Web www.foundationeast.org  


The East of England Development Agency has over £12million of targeted financial support annually to help turn innovative ideas into business growth.

Selective Finance for Investment in England is a discretionary scheme designed to support Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) intending to make investments in order to grow. The aim of the scheme is to fund new investment projects which lead to long-term improvements in productivity, skills and employment. Typically a grant could be used to buy or lease a plot of land to enable expansion. Alternatively funding may be used to refurbish a building or invest in new machinery or manufacturing processes to develop new products. Grants will, on average, cover 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the project’s total cost. £10,000 is the minimum grant value available. There is a list of set eligibility criteria as well assessments relating to GVA, skills assessment and job creation.

The Proof of Concept Fund is a grant designed to help entrepreneurs from all backgrounds in the East of England undertake market assessment and test the commercial viability of their business concept. You can apply for the grant if you are an entrepreneur, a small to medium-sized business or working in an academic or research institution, and have developed a concept that now needs funding to test its market potential prior to launch. There is a minimum grant of £5,000 up to £40,000. The funding is divided into four seasonal rounds with the autumn round closing on 19th October 2007.

The grant scheme for Research and Development is designed to help SMEs carry out research and development work on innovative products and processes. There are four tiers of grant available, each supporting a different aspect of research and development including micro, research, development and exceptional development. Grants are available from £20,000 up to £500,000.

For more information on any of the above grant schemes refer to www.eeda.org.uk (Opens new window)  and click on ‘Funding’ or telephone 01223 713900.


Help for Community Groups:-

Waveney District Council offers grant aid support to Community and Voluntary Sector organistions. Generally, the Council will consider applications under the relevant scheme from registered charities, voluntary and community groups together with clubs and societies. . For more information please visit the Community & Voluntary Sector Grants page of this website.

Suffolk ACRE offers community groups and organisations the opportunity of a funding advice service. They have at their disposal a database of charitable trust funding, & commercial companies with charitable funds, who are looking to support projects from local to regionally based community initiatives. They also manage the Local Network Fund and the Funding Information Service. For more information refer to their website www.suffolkacre.org.uk (Opens new window) or tel: 01473 242500.

Waveney Community Forum CVS can search on their ‘Grantfinder’ interactive database for information on over 2000 potential funders. Call 01502 582201 to arrange an appointment with their Development Officer or email c.taylor.c@waveneycf.org.uk  

The Big Lottery - Reaching Communities countrywide programme will provide funding to help improve local communities and the lives of people most in need. Reaching Communities will give grants from £10,000 to £500,000, including a maximum of £50,000 for capital grants.
You can apply to Reaching Communities if you are:

• a registered charity
• a voluntary or community group
• a statutory body, (including schools)
• a charitable or not-for-profit company
• a social enterprise – a business that is chiefly run for social objectives, whose profits are reinvested in the business rather than going to shareholders and owners.

Website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/programmes/index.htm (Opens new window) 
Tel: 08454 10 20 30

Awards for All England is supported by the Arts Council England, the Big Lottery Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Sport England. They award grants of between £300 and £10,000 for people to take part in art, sport, heritage and community activities, and projects that promote education, the environment and health in the local community

Tel: 01223 449009
Website: www.awardsforall.org.uk  (Opens new window)


Suffolk County Council services

Suffolk County Council helped secure an average of £28milion of external funding per annum into the county over the last 3 years. Their website holds a wealth of information on the work that the External Funding Team does as well as links and details on useful publications and funding providers, click on the link below:-

http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/BusinessAndConsumer/
RegenerationAndCommunityDevelopment/Funding/  (Opens new window)