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Invest to Grow (East Midlands Combined County Authority)

East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA)

Description

Capital grants and loans of £15,000-£250,000 (with the core route aimed at £50,000-£250,000 projects; smaller projects can still be discussed with the Invest to Grow team) for private-sector businesses across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire to fund capital expenditure that will innovate, adapt, grow, or create jobs. Delivered through the East Midlands Combined County Authority's Growth Hub — the successor to the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, which was wound down when national LEP core funding ended in April 2024 — and assessed on factors including job creation, turnover growth, productivity, and sustainability/decarbonisation.

Amount

£15,000-£250,000 in grant and/or loan funding (core route £50,000-£250,000; applicant normally provides a minimum 80% match)

Deadline

Rolling / no fixed deadline

Eligibility summary

  • Available in: England.
  • Applicant must be a registered business.
Notes
Applicants must normally provide a minimum of 80% of total project costs themselves — the Invest to Grow award (grant, loan, or a blend) covers the remainder, with applications featuring a higher loan-to-grant ratio favoured. No arrangement fee, though approved projects may face due-diligence costs payable in advance. Distinct from the East Midlands Chamber's now-defunct ERDF-funded Business Gateway Growth Hub grant (ERDF closed nationally) and from single-district schemes like Derbyshire's Green Entrepreneurs Fund or Nottingham City's UKSPF Business Support Grants, already covered elsewhere in this directory at council level. Re-verified Aug 2026: the programme's own page now describes eligible geography as "the East Midlands and Staffordshire including the A38 corridor areas of Burton on Trent and Uttoxeter" — slightly wider than the core Derby/Derbyshire/Nottingham/Nottinghamshire footprint this entry was originally scoped to; it does not exclude anyone previously eligible. Also excludes B2C-focused, professional services, and retail-sector businesses, and does not fund vehicles, stock, staff costs, or ongoing operating costs.
Requirement
Private-sector SME, large enterprise, sole trader, or partnership with a capital expenditure project based in the East Midlands Combined County Authority area (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, or Nottinghamshire); assets purchased and any staff recruited must also be based in the region.

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How to apply

Register interest with the EMCCA Growth Hub's Invest to Grow team via the online enquiry form; an adviser discusses the project and match-funding position before a formal application is invited.

View official source

Last verified: 23 August 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice.