The Business Innovation Fund aims to achieve greater progress, and at a faster rate, in delivering economic opportunity across York and North Yorkshire by providing the right conditions to attract new investment and support our businesses to be more innovative, productive and resilient.
Get Exporting
Phase Two of the Get Exporting programme is now open for applications. We are offering funding between £3,000 and £10,000 (with a 25% match from your business) to help York and North Yorkshire businesses grow their export activity.
Grants can be used to attend international trade events, adapt websites or marketing materials for overseas markets, or access export consultancy and legal advice.
You can see the grants awarded in Phase One here.
Export Roadshows across the region
The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire launched a new series of roadshows to get our businesses exporting around the world. Designed to help businesses of all sizes explore international markets, these events brought expert advice, inspiring case studies, and information on grants.
With successful events in Tadcaster, Harrogate, Scarborough, York, Catterick and Skipton, the roadshows have now finished and reached more than 100 businesses.
Get Funded
The £200,000 Get Funded programme will be launching in February 2026. This will help our region’s businesses get access to funding to help them grow, whether that is investment, loans or grants.
Great Ideas
The Great Ideas programme will be launching in January 2026. We are working with experienced suppliers to deliver this work including support and funding.
This £2.5 million programme will help our region’s businesses and entrepreneurs develop innovative ideas, products and processes for an investment-ready stage.
Spin-Out & Start-Up
Sector Activity
After a successful launch and first phase, the Sector Activity programme of the Business Innovation Fund is now complete with all funding allocated.
We will share updates on how this work is progressing, and you can find a list of who was funded by clicking or tapping here.
Prospectus
- Please view the Prospectus for information on the opportunities available within the Business Innovation Fund and how to get involved.
- An indicative £5 million has been made available from September 24 to March 27 to deliver the Business Innovation Fund
- The Fund has been divided into five programmes of activity:
1) Sector Activity programme
2) Spin-Out & Start-Up programme
3) ‘Get Exporting’ programme
4) ‘Great Ideas’ programme
5) ‘Get Funded’ programme
- The different programmes have been designed to target different types of business innovation and to achieve different objectives.
- The prospectus provides further detail on opportunities for: experienced business support and grant providers; existing and new clusters of businesses based in York and North Yorkshire; and individual businesses based in York and North Yorkshire with demonstrable interest in exporting.
How to apply
Information on how to apply can be found in the Prospectus. Please note, the application process differs between programmes. This is outlined in the Prospectus.
Key Outcomes
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Increase Business Innovation – achieve greater progress at a faster rate.
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Support our businesses to be more innovative, productive & resilient.
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Create the right conditions to attract new investment.
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Map the business base of York & North Yorkshire and benchmark/quantify the best ways to target business innovation programmes.
Get in touch
If you have any further questions, please fill in the following form and a member of the team will be in touch.
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