Growth Hub Business Grant FAQs

Any registered business or legally constituted enterprise can apply for funding, including sole traders, Community Interest Companies and social enterprises. Charities undertaking commercial or trading activity can also apply, but will need to demonstrate their growth ambition and how their project will deliver economic impact against the identified outcomes of the scheme. 

 See What will the funded projects need to deliver? for a list of outcomes. 

Your business must...

• have a project and business that is located in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly.
• be able to complete all grant funded activity by 31st December 2025.
  • Application should include key milestones for activity with project able to start as soon as contracted.
• already pay the Real Living Wage or do so by time of your final claim.
• have all permissions/consents already in place or applied for - with a known determination date in the next month at point of application e.g. planning permission. 
  • Priority will be given to those that already have approvals in place.
• have an adequate lease and landlord consent in place at point of submission if applicable - supporting evidence with application is required.
• have an appropriate business bank account.
• have match funding in place/already secured.
• not have started your project in terms of financial or contractual commitments
  • for instance you can obtain planning permission, but you cannot have contracted any builders
• have full Accounts available (including Management Accounts when Full Accounts more than 12 months old)
  • For new businesses where no accounts are available, a full Business Plan will be required.
• Contribute to the Good Growth Principles.

The minimum grant value is £20,000.

There is a maximum grant of £200,000

Businesses are required to provide match funding at a minimum 50% of the total cost of the project. However, higher interventions may be considered in exceptional circumstances, e.g:

• Start-up business in a Distinctive Sector, with a business plan in place to demonstrate growth potential, but has limited initial funds available
• An RD&I project requiring considerable investment by the business in staff costs to deliver the RD&I activity.

Yes, grants require a minimum of 50% match funding that can come from the business/organisation’s own finances or from external sources. 

Higher interventions may be considered in exceptional circumstances e.g.

• start-up business in distinctive sector that has full business plan in place to demonstrate growth potential but has limited initial funds available
• RD&I project which requires considerable investment by the business in staff costs to deliver the RD&I activity.

Any private sector funding such as business loan, director's loan or equity investment.

To use public sector funding, you must check with the funding provider this is allowed under their terms and conditions. We cannot accept match funding from another Cornwall Council grant source.  

The funding is available to all businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly with growth ambitions, but priority will be given to projects from the Distinctive Sectors identified in the Cornwall Good Growth Plan, and the supply chain for those sectors.  Key sectors targeted for investment are:

• Critical Minerals
• Renewable Energy; innovations in floating offshore wind, deep geothermal and biomethane capture
• Space and Aerospace (including Data)
• Marine - including emerging FLOW opportunities and decarbonisation of shipping 

Priority will also be given to the Plan's Core Sectors for projects focussed on improving the quality of year-round employment, wage levels and business performance:

• Agri-food
• Creative and Cultural – focus is on digital and tech
• Visitor Economy

Priority will also be given to those projects that deliver the strongest value for money in terms of the outputs/outcomes or demonstrate innovation.

Priority will be given to those projects that deliver the strongest value for money in terms of outputs and outcomes, or that can demonstrate innovation. 

• Outputs (to be achieved by date of final grant claim)
  • Commercial space completed or improved
  • Low or zero carbon energy infrastructure 

• Outcomes as a result of the support  (to be evidenced within 12 months of final grant claim date and no later than 31/03/27)
  • Creation of new jobs 
  • Safeguarded existing jobs 
  • Improved productivity 
  • Estimated carbon dioxide equivalent reduction 
  • New to market products
  • New to firm technologies or processes
  • New or improved products or services
  • Engagement in new markets 
  • New knowledge transfer activity following support  

Capital and Revenue cost, e.g. equipment, building works, consultancy costs that support the overarching aims of the scheme.

Click here to see examples of projects funded under the previous scheme. 

• New for old or replacement goods and services, i.e. business as usual activity
• Routine repairs, replacements and renewals
• Staff costs
  • For RD&I projects that are driving innovation in the Distinctive Sectors, a higher intervention rate may be considered where the business can demonstrate the level of staff costs needed to deliver the project is unaffordable
• Projects that have already started in terms of financial or contractual commitments
• Other costs listed as ineligible on the Good Growth FAQs

In addition to the items listed above as not eligible, the following costs or activity are not a priority for support:

• Vehicles (e.g. cars, vans etc - including the purchase of electric vehicles)
• The creation or upgrading of visitor bedspace
• Solar installations that are not supported by battery storage - unless it can be demonstrated that all energy produced is used on site, i.e. there is no feed into the grid)

You cannot have made any financial commitment towards your project costs – for instance you can obtain planning permission, but you cannot have contracted any builders or paid any deposits. 

Yes, the applicant will need to be able to cashflow the project as the grant is paid retrospectively.  Multiple or stage payments can be negotiated in some circumstances.

Yes, you can apply for multiple projects under the same grant scheme but they cannot share outcomes or match funding. For instance, you cannot claim the same job creation outcome over two grants. You should also consider timescales and your capacity to deliver more than one project.   

For purchases under £25,000 (ex VAT) with a single supplier you can “direct award” against a provided quote. Over £25,000 with a single supplier there is a more detailed procurement process.

Click here to view the SPF Procurement Guidance.

All projects to be completed by 31 December 2025 and the grant claimed and paid by 31st March 2026.

All applicants should already have or be working towards having an Equality and Diversity and Sustainable Development policy for their business/organisation. If either document is not already in place, you will be required to submit copies as part of the contract conditions on the project, if your application is approved. 

Sample templates for these policies can be downloaded from the Growth Hub Website.

https://www.ciosgrowthhub.com/skills-toolkit/equality-and-diversity

https://www.ciosgrowthhub.com/skills-toolkit/environment-and-sustainability.

Webinars

We are holding regular webinars outlining the key application criteria and offering the opportunity for potential applicants to ask questions, and we would highly recommend you come along.  You can book a place on the webinar and you will be sent a recording even if you are unable to attend. 

Web chat with a Grant Facilitator  

Our Grant Facilitation Team will be available via web chat on this website between 1pm and 4pm from Monday 17 February until Wednesday 26th February to answer specific queries.  If you have a question you'd like to ask, visit this website between the these times and the web chat function will pop up on your screen. 

We will also update these FAQs so it is worth checking back here before submitting your application. 

Applications must be submitted by 5pm, Thursday 27 February 2025 and will be prioritised for appraisal. 

We anticipate projects being approved and contracted from April 2025 onwards. 

This can be requested in the cost section of the application form, with a maximum of one claim per quarter.