Growth Hub Grants Explained: Region-by-Region UK Guide

Growth Hubs are one of the most underused sources of business support in the UK. Every region in England has one, and equivalent services exist in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. They offer grants, mentoring, training, and expert advice — often for free or at heavily subsidised rates. Yet most small businesses have never heard of them.

This guide explains what Growth Hubs are, what they can offer your business, and how to find your regional hub.

What Are Growth Hubs?

Growth Hubs are publicly funded business support services that connect small and medium-sized businesses with grants, advice, and growth opportunities in their region. They were originally established by the UK government as part of the local enterprise partnership (LEP) network, and most are now funded through a combination of local government budgets and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

Each Growth Hub covers a specific geographic area and tailors its services to the local economy. A Growth Hub in a manufacturing-heavy region like the West Midlands will offer different support from one in a service-economy area like London. The key thing to understand: Growth Hub grants are typically smaller (£500 to £25,000), easier to apply for, and less competitive than national schemes like Innovate UK. For many small businesses, they are the most accessible route to grant funding.

What Services Do Growth Hubs Offer?

Grants and Funding

Most Growth Hubs administer grant schemes funded through the UKSPF or local council budgets. These typically cover capital equipment, digital adoption, skills training, energy efficiency improvements, and business growth projects. Grant amounts range from a few hundred pounds up to £25,000, with most requiring some level of match funding (typically 30–50%).

Some Growth Hubs also run grant competitions for specific sectors or themes — for example, a manufacturing digital adoption fund, a green business improvement scheme, or a startup grant competition. These tend to have fixed deadlines and limited budgets, so applying early matters.

Free Business Advice

Every Growth Hub offers one-to-one advisory sessions with experienced business advisors — usually free of charge. These sessions can help with growth planning, accessing finance, exporting, hiring, and navigating regulations. Advisors can also identify grants you might qualify for that you would not find on your own, because they know the local funding landscape intimately.

Training and Workshops

Most Growth Hubs run regular workshops, webinars, and training programmes covering topics like digital marketing, financial management, leadership, and sustainability. Many of these are free or heavily subsidised. Some also offer intensive programmes like Help to Grow: Management, which provides 12 weeks of leadership training with mentoring.

Networking and Signposting

Growth Hubs connect businesses with other support organisations, industry networks, and peer groups. They can refer you to specialist support for exporting (through the Department for Business and Trade), intellectual property (through the Intellectual Property Office), innovation (through Innovate UK EDGE advisors), or sector-specific challenges. Think of them as a front door to the wider business support ecosystem.

Growth Hubs by Region

Here is a breakdown of what is available across the UK. Each Growth Hub operates independently with its own programmes and timelines, so the specific grants and services change regularly. Use the links below to browse grants in each region on Subsidy Scanner, or visit your Growth Hub directly.

North East England

Covers Tees Valley and the wider North East. The region has a strong focus on manufacturing, digital, and clean energy grants. The North East Growth Hub and Tees Valley Combined Authority both run active grant programmes funded through UKSPF, with particular emphasis on decarbonisation and productivity improvements. Browse North East grants.

North West England

Covers Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire & Warrington, Cumbria, and Liverpool City Region. Multiple Growth Hubs operate here — Boost Lancashire, Growth Platform Liverpool, and the Greater Manchester Growth Company are among the most active. There is a strong focus on digital adoption, skills development, and productivity grants across the region. Browse North West grants.

Yorkshire and the Humber

Covers York & North Yorkshire, Hull & East Yorkshire (HEY), South Yorkshire, and Leeds City Region. The region has several active Growth Hubs offering grants for business growth, innovation, and decarbonisation. The HEY Growth Hub and York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub are particularly active with sector-specific support programmes. Browse Yorkshire grants.

East Midlands

Covers D2N2 (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire), Leicester & Leicestershire, SE Midlands, and Greater Lincolnshire. The D2N2 Growth Hub (now part of the East Midlands Combined County Authority) and Leicester & Leicestershire Growth Hub are particularly active with UKSPF-funded grant schemes covering innovation, skills, and business start-up support. Browse East Midlands grants.

West Midlands

Covers the West Midlands Combined Authority area (Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry, the Black Country), plus Stoke & Staffordshire, Worcestershire, and the Marches. The West Midlands Combined Authority runs significant grant programmes for manufacturing, green technology, and digital transformation, including the Made Smarter programme for manufacturing SMEs. Browse West Midlands grants.

East of England

Covers Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, New Anglia (Norfolk and Suffolk), Hertfordshire, and Essex. Grants in this region tend to focus on innovation, R&D, and agri-tech, reflecting the region's economic profile. The New Anglia Growth Hub and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Growth Hub are the most active grant administrators. Browse East of England grants.

London

The London Growth Hub operates across all London boroughs, with support delivered through Grow London Local. While London has less UKSPF funding per capita than other regions, there are still grants available for startups, scale-ups, and specific sectors like creative industries and green technology. The Mayor's programmes also fund skills development and inclusive employment. Browse London grants.

South East England

Covers Kent & Medway, Surrey, Sussex, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Hampshire. Multiple Growth Hubs operate across the region. Enterprise Oxfordshire and the Kent & Medway Growth Hub are among the most active with grant programmes, particularly for innovation and sustainability projects. Browse South East grants.

South West England

Covers the Heart of the South West (Devon, Somerset, Plymouth, Torbay), Cornwall & Isles of Scilly, and the West of England (Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire). Cornwall particularly benefits from additional funding programmes due to its economic status. The West of England Combined Authority runs active grant schemes for green business, skills, and innovation. Browse South West grants.

Scotland

Business support in Scotland is delivered through Business Gateway (for all businesses) and Scottish Enterprise (for growth companies) rather than Growth Hubs. The Find Business Support Scotland portal aggregates all available support into a single searchable directory with over 180 schemes. Scotland has its own funding streams independent of UKSPF. Browse Scotland grants.

Wales

Business Wales operates as the central business support service, offering grants, loans, and advisory services across the country. Programmes include the SME Fund and various sector-specific schemes. The Development Bank of Wales also provides loans and equity alongside grant funding, often as blended finance packages. Browse Wales grants.

Northern Ireland

Invest NI and the NI Business Info portal provide business support services. Northern Ireland has access to some funding streams not available in the rest of the UK, reflecting its unique economic position. Grants cover innovation, export development, skills, and capital investment across a range of sectors. Browse Northern Ireland grants.

How to Access Your Growth Hub

The easiest way to find your Growth Hub is to search for “[your region] Growth Hub” or visit your local council's business support page. Most Growth Hubs have an online enquiry form and a phone helpline. The first step is usually a diagnostic call with a business advisor who assesses your needs and points you to relevant grants and services.

You do not need to have a specific grant in mind — the advisor will help identify what is available for your type of business in your area. Come prepared with basic information about your business (sector, size, location, what you are trying to achieve) and the conversation will be more productive.

Growth Hub services are almost always free for SMEs. The grants they administer do have eligibility criteria and application processes, but these are typically simpler and faster than national schemes. Many Growth Hub grants have a turnaround time of 2 to 4 weeks from application to decision, compared to 8 to 12 weeks for Innovate UK competitions.

Alternatively, Subsidy Scanner monitors over 20 Growth Hubs across the UK and includes their grants in our searchable database. Create a free profile and we will match you with relevant Growth Hub grants in your region automatically.

Growth Hubs represent some of the most accessible funding available to UK small businesses. The grants may be smaller than national schemes, but they are easier to win and can provide a stepping stone to larger funding. If you have not engaged with your local Growth Hub yet, it is worth a call. For practical advice on making a strong application once you have found a grant, see our step-by-step guide to applying for grants.