Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (SWEF) Grants

SWEF Grants for Young Entrepreneurs (Hampshire and Isle of Wight)

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (SWEF)

SWEF grants help young people in Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight grow a new business. You can apply for between £500 and £2,000. This is not a loan, so you do not need to pay the grant back. The scheme is for business owners aged 18 to 30 whose UK business has been trading for less than 2.5 years. The funder wants to hear from young people who face barriers to investing in and growing their business, and it will prioritise those applicants. You should use the grant to transform your business and take it to the next stage. Depending on where your business is now, you can apply for a Start-up Grant or a Business Grant. The funder publishes separate criteria documents for each one. You must be a sole trader, a limited company or a CIC limited by shares, and you must be the majority owner. A business partner over 30 may not hold more than 20%. You also need a dedicated business bank account, because grants are only paid into business accounts. Your business should be your sole work focus. The closing date is listed as 31 October 2026, with a temporary closure to update the application process. The funder says the scheme will reopen soon. You apply online and can save your form as you go. The team is happy to help if you have questions or need support with the form. Official source: https://hiwcf.org.uk/swef-enterprise-grants-for-individuals/. Official source: https://hiwcf.org.uk/swef-enterprise-grants-for-individuals/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 28 October 2026.