NBSL, in partnership with the Sunderland City Council, are delighted to announce the launch of the next phase of the Sunderland Business Support Fund (SBSF) thanks to funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
This Grant programme will help local growing businesses to access high quality external expertise to deliver business improvement projects Grant Offer SBSF will provide up to 40% funding for projects that cost between £3,000 and £6,000 (VAT costs cannot be funded).
Eligibility Criteria:
Business must:
• Be based in Sunderland i.e. the business pays its business rates to Sunderland City Council
• Be Trading i.e. making sales
• Be an SME – employing fewer than 250 staff
• Be planning to grow i.e. creating new jobs or safeguarding existing jobs.
• Not have received more than £315,000 of combined State Aid under the Minimum Financial Assistance (MFA), Services of Public Economic Interest Assistance (SPEIA) or Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) allowances.
(MFA has a financial threshold so no organisation can receive more than £315,000 over the applicable period. The applicable period is:
• The elapsed part of the current financial year (i.e., from 1 April 2025), and
• the two financial years immediately preceding the current financial year)
Projects must:
• Support business growth i.e. create and/or safeguard jobs
• Take no longer than 3 months to complete
• Be completed, and the Grant claimed, by February 2026 at the very latest
For more information about the Sunderland Business Support Fund, please visit: https://growwithnbsl.org.uk/sunderland-business-support-fund-overview/
Delivered by NBSL, this project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides £900 million of funding for local investment in 2025/26. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
