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Business support grant

The South Lanarkshire Business Support Grant (SLBGG) is a competitive, discretionary grant fund targeted at existing full-time businesses based in South Lanarkshire to support their long-term sustainability and growth. The grant fund supports local businesses to implement projects that will create new jobs, increase turnover, and/or help them reduce their energy usage and make progress towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions in a quantifiable manner. 

SLBGG grants will provide 50% of eligible project costs (excluding VAT), up to a maximum grant award of £2,000 to fund specific activities to help businesses recover and grow. The minimum total project cost that will be considered is £4,000.

Businesses can only be approved for one application for this grant from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

Please note that the maximum grant for any application will be no more than 10% of the company's most recent turnover value.

Businesses can apply for grant support towards the following external costs:

  • Capital expenditure
  • Training support
  • Exhibition support

Am I eligible?

If you can answer yes to all of the following statements, you can consider applying:

  • My business is based in South Lanarkshire
     
  • My business is a micro, small, or medium-sized enterprise (up to 250 employees)
     
  • My business has been actively trading for at least 12 months
     
  • My business did not receive approval and financial support from the South Lanarkshire Business Growth Grant from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025
     
  • My business does not operate in the following sectors:
    - gambling/betting establishment
    - drinking place that does not serve food
    - businesses whose main source of income is via “takeaway” food, that is, establishments that primarily provide food to customers for consumption off the premises
    - credit union
     
  • My business turnover is over the VAT threshold or expected to reach a minimum level of £90,000 within 12 months of the date of the application
     
  • My business has not incurred any project-related expenditure or made any confirmed commitments relating to this project/application
     
  • I am not in arrears for either of the following (whatever one is relevant):
    - Non-Domestic Rates for business premises
    - Council Tax for businesses operating from home
     
  • The project detailed in the application will directly contribute to at least one of the following outcomes:
    - Assist your business in working towards net zero in a quantifiable manner
    - Increase turnover by at least 10% in the next 12 months
    - The creation of new jobs for the business

Unfortunately, businesses at the pre-trading or feasibility stage and businesses actively trading for less than one year are ineligible to apply.

Also, the following project types will not be supported:

  • Any project leading to a reduction in jobs
  • Projects funded by Hire Purchase or equivalent finance agreements with repayments over a period of time and no outright ownership until the end of the agreement.
  • Projects paid for in cash or by credit card
  • Projects that are required by law to meet legislative requirements
  • Projects/applications for security systems, CCTV systems or fire alarms

Applicant businesses can be home-based or operate from dedicated commercial premises. If the application is from a home-based business, the applicant must contact their local Planning office to ascertain whether they require planning consent. Some form of written confirmation must accompany this type of application. Home-based businesses can not apply for support with infrastructure improvements.

No indication of prior commitment – to be considered for grant support, no work must start on the project in question, and no expenditure should be incurred until after the applicant company has received a formal decision from the council regarding their grant application. Also, no other form of prior commitment, financial or otherwise (for example, order placed or deposit paid) can be made; any such application will not be supported.

What can I use the grant for?

Applicants can apply for grant funding in support of the following project types:

Capital expenditure

  • New machinery to increase productivity or bring services in-house to improve productivity, efficiency and margin
  • New capital equipment to implement innovative processes, develop new or improved products, goods or services
  • Assistance to implement net-zero plans to reduce carbon emissions. For example, significantly improve the energy efficiency of equipment and demonstrate a significant reduction in the overall energy usage of the business
  • New digital systems to increase productivity or competitiveness
  • General office IT equipment (monitors, hard drives, printers, scanners, laptops, desktops, telephony systems only) for new employees created as part of an eligible project
  • Any non-excluded equipment or machinery (see exclusions below) that will contribute to one of the key objectives of the grant
  • Mobile or hand-held equipment that will benefit business growth in terms of job creation, or that will help overcome a technological barrier, enabling new or existing markets to be fully exploited. This includes certain mobile ICT equipment, such as tablets, where a case can be made that shows the direct benefit to the business
  • Investment in servers or cloud-based systems
  • Vans or pick-ups that have been extensively customised for the business and are used specifically for the sole use of the business - note that the vehicle would need to be kept for at least 3 years, and we will require proof of ownership

Excluded capital expenditure includes:

  • Any consumables relating to the operation of the business, that is, items intended to be used up and replaced regularly
  • Any equipment not purchased outright, for example, hire purchase or under a finance agreement
  • Smartphones
  • Off-the-shelf software packages such as MS Office, and other office equipment
  • Replacement of equipment/items ‘like for like’
  • iIems replaced due to ‘wear and tear’ or those which are faulty
  • Purchase of vehicles – vans, pick-ups (unless it has been extensively customised and used specifically for the sole use of the business)
  • Any equipment directly related to farming or agribusiness

Training support

  • Any external training required to help improve skill levels in business, increasing productivity and efficiency, or
  • Any external training that allows the business to expand or diversify the products or services they provide, for example, training for a new piece of equipment or process that is new to the business
  • Sustainability and Net Zero Training Courses that improve the ability of the business to reduce carbon will also be considered

Exclusions for training support include:

  • Training that has already commenced
  • Training delivered internally by the company’s staff
  • Any training which is a legal requirement (including training required for businesses/operatives to be compliant with relevant health and safety legislation)
  • Exam registration/certification fees
  • Cost of travel to and from the training venue
  • Accommodation and subsistence costs

Exhibition support

  • Attendance at UK or International Trade Exhibitions

Exclusions for exhibition support include:

  • Trade missions that are already funded via other agencies, for example, SDI
  • Staff costs
  • Travel and accommodation costs
  • Subsistence costs (such as food and drink, hospitality)
  • Hire car costs
  • Taxi fares, transfers and parking charges
  • Fuel costs
  • Support is not available if the business has attended the same event previously

Please note that SLBSG funding cannot be used to provide working capital, and certain exclusions apply. Please see the full guidelines.

Applying for a grant

The online grant application form will be issued following a meeting with a Business Adviser from Business Gateway Lanarkshire, so the first step to applying for this grant is to contact Business Gateway Lanarkshire on 01698 520775 or lanarkshire@bgateway.com.

Please read the detailed guidelines first before you proceed. This gives more details on company eligibility, conditions of the grant, and what information and evidence you will need to provide.

If you have any questions, please email business.support@southlanarkshire.gov.uk.