Startup programmes in the UK

Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)

HM Revenue and Customs, on GOV.UK

• Gives tax reliefs to individual investors who buy new shares in your company, to help it raise money when it starts to trade.
• A company can raise up to £250,000 through SEIS in total. Other small state aid from the previous 3 years counts towards it.
• When the shares are issued the company must have gross assets of £350,000 or less and fewer than 25 full time equivalent employees.

Official page · www.gov.uk

Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)

HM Revenue and Customs, on GOV.UK

• Gives tax reliefs to individual investors who buy new shares in your company.
• Most companies can raise up to £10 million in any 12 months and £24 million in their lifetime, including money from SEIS and other schemes.
• The company must have fewer than 250 full time equivalent employees, and the investment is normally made within 7 years of its first commercial sale.

Good to know: Knowledge intensive companies have higher limits. Check the page for your case.

Official page · www.gov.uk

Start Up Loans

a government backed scheme, on GOV.UK

• An unsecured personal loan of £500 to £25,000 to start or grow a business, at a fixed 7.5% a year, repaid over 1 to 5 years.
• Comes with up to 12 months of free mentoring.
• For people who live in the UK, are 18 or over, and run a business that has been fully trading for less than 5 years.

Official page · www.gov.uk

R&D tax relief: the merged scheme and enhanced R&D intensive support

HM Revenue and Customs, on GOV.UK

• Applies to accounting periods that begin on or after 1 April 2024.
• The R&D expenditure credit under the merged scheme is 20%.
• Enhanced support is for loss making small and medium companies whose R&D is at least 30% of their total spending.

Official page · www.gov.uk

Innovate UK

UK Research and Innovation

• The UK's innovation agency. It provides funding, expert support and connections for businesses.
• Its funding competitions open and close through the year and are listed in the UKRI funding finder.

Good to know: Each competition has its own rules and dates.

Official page · www.ukri.org