Get Exporting

The scheme will only be available to businesses with a trading address in York or North Yorkshire.  Businesses will need to have been customer trading for a minimum of 12 months.   

Businesses must have a demonstrable existing interest in exporting.  For those businesses not already exporting, examples of how this interest might be evidenced include participation in the DBT Export Academy course, meaningful previous engagement with DBT representatives, or completion of initial export research (relevant to the business/sector).  These examples are not exhaustive.   

Applicants who have benefitted from an export grant within the last 18 months are eligible to apply. However their applications must evidence the impact of previous funding and explain how the new project will build on previous activity.  

Project timelines 

There is no set duration for projects; both short-term and medium-term projects are eligible. However, all projects must be complete and expenditure claimed by March 2027.   

Please be aware that any costs incurred/expenditure made before you have been notified of a grant award and signed a grant funding agreement will not be eligible for grant funding.  Signed grant funding agreements are not expected to be in place until the end of November at the earliest.  

In fairness to all applicants, we cannot fast track any applications for an early decision.  Therefore, please select your grant project proposal carefully, ensuring it will not need approval or incur expenditure/need a spend commitment prior to the 1st December at the earliest. 

Eligible activity 

Revenue projects designed to help a business start exporting or diversify/increase its current export activity.  Examples of eligible projects include: 

• Attending trade events and/or purchase of trade stand equipment* 

• Adapting websites and/or marketing materials for audiences abroad 

• Fees for export-related consultancy or legal advice 

• Buying or carrying out market research 

The above list is not exhaustive.   

*Please note any travel costs quoted must be for standard class travel.  For long-haul flights, premium economy class is acceptable. UK travel, e.g. to airports/export conferences etc, is eligible. Applicants should use the most cost-effective method of arriving at their destination. Standard class only is eligible on trains and other forms of public transport. 

Ineligible activity 

• Capital expenditure 

• Routine revenue costs 

• Food/subsistence costs  

• Salary/employment costs 

• Production/operational costs including product development 

• Costs relating to the transport or logistics of exporting goods, eg insurance, warehousing 

• Activities that support general business processes rather than development of international markets 

• Recoverable VAT 

• Projects/purchases that have already taken place 

• Projects that won’t be completed before the end of March 2028 

• Activity not itemised in the project costings of your application and included in the ‘eligible activity’ section of your grant funding agreement 

Please note: If your application is approved and a Grant Funding Agreement is signed, any proposed changes to your project must be submitted to the Combined Authority in writing for approval before any action is taken. 

Funding is awarded based on the information provided in your original application, and grant funds should therefore be used for the purposes outlined within that application. While we recognise that unforeseen circumstances can arise, the Combined Authority must be notified of any proposed amendments and agree to them in advance. Failure to obtain prior approval may affect the eligibility of grant expenditure. 

We will carry out an initial screening of all applications to ensure they meet the applicant and project eligibility criteria given in this guidance.  Applications passing this check will then be passed to an appraisal team who will use Green Book methodology to review the application.  This will include an assessment of: 

• Project deliverability – the ability of applicants to deliver in full within the timeframe specified 

• Impact – the degree to which all outputs and outcomes are likely to be achieved 

• Value for money – the delivery of outputs and outcomes at reasonable cost 

• Experience – demonstrable experience of delivering similar programmes/projects, where appropriate to the programme. 

Applications and appraisers’ assessments will be presented to an independent decision panel of internal and external experts.  The panel’s recommendations will then be forwarded to the CA’s Director of Economy, and the Mayor, for a final decision.   

This section provides specific guidance on questions in the application form. Guidance has not been included for questions that have been deemed to be self-explanatory.

Section 1: Applicant Information 

Section 2: Project Information