Business Innovation Fund

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 will open soon 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.

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.

Great Ideas and Get Funded

The Great Ideas and Get Funded programmes are now out for procurement. Great Ideas has a £2.5m pot for a single provider to deliver end-to-end business support and grants.

While Get Funded will have a £200,000 pot for a single provider to help businesses get ready for funding. Both programmes will launch in January 2026.

Spin-Out & Start-Up

The Spin-Out and Spin-Out programme is well on its way. We have now commissioned public policy experts SQW to understand the barriers that talent from our three universities face when they try and turn their ideas into a reality. They will develop an overview of the current landscape, leading to an action plan of recommendations for our universities.

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.

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

Increase Business Innovation – achieve greater progress at a faster rate.
Support our businesses to be more innovative, productive & resilient.
Create the right conditions to attract new investment.
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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