ICAEW.com works better with JavaScript enabled.

Business finance and grants

Use our selection of guides, links, books and articles to find more information on sources of business finance.
Contents
Back to top

Latest on business finance and grants

Read our latest features and articles on business finance and grants.
Budget: Key changes impacting business taxation
  • Article
  • 26 Nov 2025
ICAEW’s Tax Faculty provides a summary of some of the changes affecting businesses announced at the Budget, including capital allowances and business rates as well as adjustments to penalty rates for late corporation tax filings and increasing the limits for venture capital reliefs.
Small Business Plan: practical resources for businesses
  • Article
  • 13 Aug 2025
Outside of the plans to tackle late payments, the government’s Small Business Plan outlines a number of support measures for small businesses.
Debt finance education key to boosting SME uptake
  • Article
  • 20 May 2025
ICAEW’s response to the government’s call for evidence on small business access to finance also highlights concerns about cost, time and red tape as stalling uptake of debt finance.
How to raise finance to scale up your business
  • Article
  • 28 Apr 2025
From start-up to scale-up: understanding the expectations of lenders and funders and getting your financial ducks in a row will oil the cogs for raising finance.
ICAEW outlines effective grant management for government entities
  • Article
  • 09 Dec 2024
Grant-paying government entities could save £1.9bn through effective grant management. A new ICAEW helpsheet offers advice on designing a grants assurance framework and highlights some of the main pitfalls to avoid.
What’s next for LEPs and growth hubs?
  • Article
  • 05 Aug 2024
Local enterprise partnerships’ functions were transferred to local authorities in April 2024. What role will they play now?
National Wealth Fund to unlock green and growth investment
  • Article
  • 15 Jul 2024
Fund will bring together UK Infrastructure Bank and the British Business Bank to unlock billions of pounds of investment in the UK’s green and growth industries, government says.
British Business Bank launches Recovery Loan Scheme successor
  • Article
  • 12 Jul 2024
Running until 31 March 2026, the new Growth Guarantee Scheme aims to support small businesses by offering loans of up to £2m, with 70% government-backed guarantees.
Read more

Topics in depth

Hot air balloons
Crowdfunding
  • Hub page
Learn about the benefits and risks of crowdfunding with our selection of guides, reports, articles and books.
Science lab microscopy looking at samples
Grants and local funding
  • Hub page
Selected information resources on grants and business funding in the UK and Europe.
Hands holding plant
Venture capital and business angels
  • Hub page
Learn about financing your business through venture capital and business angels with our selection of guides, links, books and articles.
London skyline
Working capital
  • Hub page
Find out more about the benefits and risks of using your assets to finance your business. Options available include hire purchase, leasing, invoice factoring and discounting, and commercial mortgages.

ICAEW guides and advice

What to know about business and personal taxation
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 2025
ICAEW's Tax Faculty has answered some key questions on issues concerning business and personal taxation.
Financing your start-up
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 2025
When setting up a new business one of the first questions you must answer is ‘Will I need finance to set up my business?’ This might be to fit out a premises, to pay staff while they are training or to buy equipment. Many businesses start off with ‘owners equity’ – money they put into the business to fund the start-up. But when they get the business going they may need finance.
Access to finance special
  • Hub page
  • 2023
ICAEW Insights examines the finance options and support available to businesses, as well as the challenges they face in obtaining it.
ICAEW BAS
  • Promotional material
  • 2020
ICAEW’s Business Advice Service puts small and medium business owners in touch with both ICAEW members or regulated ICAEW member firms who can provide a free initial consultation, without obligation, to discuss any business issues the owners are facing.
Business Finance Guide
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 2016
This independent guide draws on the expertise of partners from across the finance industry and business community to provide information on the financing options that may be available to entrepreneurs, startups and businesses at every stage of development.
Exclusive Special report - Growing your business
  • Report
  • 2014
This report is primarily aimed at smaller businesses seeking to grow and develop and to achieve their full potential through practical guidance and advice.
Exclusive Developing a vision for your business
  • Report
  • 2014
This special report looks at what makes a good vision, the benefits of having one, the role of the FD in the process, leadership, storytelling and the use of visions in medium-sized businesses.
How to find the right professional advice
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 2011
The Business Advice Service connects small and medium businesses with trusted business advisors working in ICAEW regulated-firms.

Webinars

Exclusive Funding for business: get investment ready and explore funding options
  • Webinar
  • 13 Mar 2025
Aimed primarily at manufacturing businesses, this webinar will inform you about available commercial funding and how to get it.
Why are female-led startups so underfunded?
  • Podcast
  • 02 Aug 2024
In this episode of Behind the Numbers, we discuss gender inequality in investment.
Getting SME investment back on track
  • Podcast
  • 28 Apr 2023
In this Insights In Focus episode, we discuss the obstacles and incentives to SME investment.
Exclusive Risk management considerations for SMEs in challenging market conditions
  • Webinar
  • 14 Oct 2022
ICAEW Small and Micro Business Community webinar providing an in-depth overview of the SME market, the current economic conditions and challenges being faced and the specific risks SMEs are facing when starting up.
Exclusive Top tips on growing a business
  • Webinar
  • 21 Sep 2022
Hear from our speakers about the different financing options available as you grow, what investors look for in a business and what should be included in your pitch deck. A ICAEW Small and Micro Business Community webinar.
Tax year end, Bounce Back Loans and cryptocurrency
  • Podcast
  • 23 Jun 2021
ICAEW’s Philippa Kelly and Lindsey Wicks and PwC’s Mike Jervis join host Tom Herbert to discuss the potential moving of tax year end, Bounce Back Loan repayment options, business restructuring and cryptocurrency.
Exclusive Disruptors, innovators, start-ups - exploring roles for accountants
  • Webinar
  • 22 Mar 2021
Considering making a move from a practice or established corporate world into a start-up, or exploring expanding your portfolio into this space? Hear insights and experience from our panel of speakers.
More webinars

External resources - Funding sources

Alternative Business Funding
  • Website
  • Alternative Business Funding
A matchmaking service for small businesses and alternative finance providers.
British Business Bank
  • Website
  • British Business Bank
An economic development bank launched in 2013 to create more effective finance markets for smaller businesses in the UK.
Enterprise Europe Network
  • Website
  • Enterprise Europe Network
The Enterprise Europe Network helps small businesses develop into new markets, source or license new technologies and access EU finance and funding.
European Investment Fund
  • Website
  • European Investment Fund
The European Investment Fund (EIF) is involved in a number of initiatives to promote regional business development.
Finance and support for your business
  • Website
  • GOV.UK
List of publicly-backed finance or business support schemes. With hundreds of schemes available, this is a good starting point to find out which ones you are eligible for and which suit your needs.
Good Finance
  • Website
  • Good Finance
A UK website aimed at charities and social enterprises. It provides information and advice on locating socially responsible sources of finance.
SME Finance Monitor
  • Website
  • BVA BDRC
Provides data on access to finance amongst SMEs.
Start-up loans
  • Website
  • GOV.UK
A government funded scheme to provide loans and mentors for entrepreneurs. As well as start-up finance the scheme offers coaching to applicants to prepare for the pitch for the loan, help prepare a business plan and mentoring for a period after the loan has been received.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

External resources - Associations, reports and guides

Responsible Finance
  • Website
  • Responsible Finance
The trade association for community development finance institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs provide loans and support to individuals and businesses who find it difficult to access finance from the commercial banks.
SME Finance Monitor
  • Website
  • BDRC
Annual large-scale study of UK SMEs and their access to finance. BVA BRDC surveys 5,000 businesses every quarter about past borrowing events and future borrowing intentions.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

Can't find what you're looking for?

The ICAEW Library can give you the right information from trustworthy, professional sources that aren't freely available online. Contact us for expert help with your enquiries and research.

Everything business

Find out about the key benefits available for members in business and the support from ICAEW. We are proud of our some 60,000 members working in and running business all over the world.
Read More
Winding road
Information

Some of the content on this web page was provided by the Chartered Accountants’ Trust for Education and Research, a registered charity, which owns the library and operates it for ICAEW.