Scale UK

The UK has world-class ideas, entrepreneurs and research. The UK government wants to create an environment that makes the UK the best place for innovative companies like yours to start, scale and stay as you build your company's long-term future. Read more about the government's ambition and action being taken in the 2026 Entrepreneurship Prospectus.opens assets.publishing.service.gov.uk in a new tab

If you are a UK-headquartered company that is scaling and you are looking to raise finance, attract top talent, expand into global markets or accelerate innovation within your business, there is government support available.

Tailored support to help scale your business

UK government support for scale-ups

Access to finance

Businesses often need external finance to grow. Government complements wider finance markets by providing support where businesses face particular barriers to raising capital, including through loans, grants and equity investment, helping you start and scale your business:

• If you are a smaller business seeking finance to start or grow your company, use the British Business Bank's Finance Finderopens www.british-business-bank.co.uk in a new tab to research and identify finance options.
• The National Wealth Fund invests to drive growth across the UK, strengthen national resilience and accelerate the transition to clean energy by crowding in private finance and deploying debt, guarantees and equity investments. With a minimum ticket size of £25 million, find out if your project might align with their mission and investment principlesopens www.nationalwealthfund.org.uk in a new tab.

Specialist investment routes

• Explore the National Security Strategic Investment Fundopens www.nssif.gov.uk in a new tab, the UK government's investment programme supporting advanced and deep-tech dual-use technologies critical to national security and defence.
• Explore SovereignAIopens www.sovereignai.gov.uk in a new tab, Britain's Sovereign Venture Fund that is dedicated to helping scale British start-ups across the AI ecosystem.
• Coming soon: a webpage dedicated to explaining the British Business Bank's direct investment offer, which provides equity investment to UK scale-ups in the growth-driving Industrial Strategy sectors.
• Explore Innovate UK’s Investor Partnershipsopens iuk-business-connect.org.uk in a new tab to access funding to de-risk the development of emerging technology and accelerate your growth.

Turn ideas into commercial opportunities

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) offers a suite of support, including through Innovate UK, the nation's innovation agency, and provides access to R&D funding, cutting-edge facilities, and technical expertise to support UK research and business innovation.

• At UKRI's Funding Finderopens www.ukri.org in a new tab you can filter by opportunity to find grant funding, loans and fellowships.
• Plan ahead with information about future research and innovation fundingopens www.ukri.org in a new tab opportunities from UKRI.
• For innovation funding and collaboration opportunities, Innovate UK's Business Connectopens iuk-business-connect.org.uk in a new tab connects innovators with a range of business, investor, sector and regional networks.
• Horizon Europe provides innovative UK researchers and businesses with access to funding to develop new products, technologies and services, alongside opportunities to collaborate with partners across Europe and beyond. CheckHorizon Europe eligibility and how to apply.
• Innovate UK's Catapult Network is made up of 9 world-leading technology and innovation centres, with 65 national locations. Find your nearest Catapult and get more informationopens catapult.org.uk in a new tab.
• Access to compute via UKRI's AI Research Resourceopens www.gov.uk in a new tab. Find out more and see if you are eligible for their rapid access route for small amounts of compute accessopens www.gov.uk in a new tab or the gateway route for first-time usersopens www.gov.uk in a new tab.

Connect with exceptional global talent

• Access the world-leading talent your company needs more easily through our specialist visa pathways and reimbursement schemes.
• Explore our Global Talent offer and find information about support available.

Find new customers and get help to sell successfully

Sell to customers in global markets

• Our digital-first offer helps you grow overseas, with guides covering specific overseas markets and practical tips on getting goods to market. If you have a specific query, you can access help through our specialist export supportopens www.gov.uk in a new tab.
• His Majesty's Trade Commissioner teams based in regions all over the world provide export-ready businesses with practical, on-the-ground support to enter new markets. Get in touch with our export support team to understand more about suitable support options based on your exporting needs.
• UK Export Financeopens www.ukexportfinance.gov.uk in a new tab is the UK’s export credit agency. It helps eligible UK businesses to win contracts, fulfil orders, and get paid through financing and insurance solutions.

Sell to the UK government

• Find information on UK public sector procurements and contracts at Find a Tenderopens www.find-tender.service.gov.uk in a new tab
• The Ministry of Defence's Defence Office for Small Business Growthopens www.digital.mod.uk in a new tab and Commercial X programme help small and medium-sized businesses access the defence supply chain, offering guidance on contractsopens www.gov.uk in a new tab for new suppliers including commercial opportunities, funding, and supplier networks.
• The NHS Innovation Serviceopens innovation.nhs.uk in a new tab offers support for healthcare innovators looking to sell to the NHS and the Health Innovation Networkopens thehealthinnovationnetwork.co.uk in a new tab which helps connect health and social care teams with innovators developing scalable solutions.
• Coming Spring 2027: The Innovation Marketplaceopens www.gca.gov.uk in a new tab will provide a more accessible pathway from idea to public sector contract.

Navigate tax and regulation

Tax

• Explore how you can use a venture capital scheme to raise money for your companyopens www.gov.uk in a new tab, including the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS).
• Explore tax and employee share schemesopens www.gov.uk in a new tab to reward your employees, including Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI).
• Find guidance on claiming Research and Development tax reliefopens www.gov.uk in a new tab.

Regulation

• The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO)opens www.gov.uk in a new tab is updating regulation, speeding up approval times and ensuring regulatory bodies work together effectively. Use RIO's Front Door to get help with regulatory barriersopens www.gov.uk in a new tab affecting your innovative science and technology business.
• For financial services firms that are dual-regulated or Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) solo-regulated, find out how the FCA and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) Scale-up Unit can help navigate the regulatory landscapeopens www.fca.org.uk in a new tab.

Wider support

• Check if your manufacturing site can reduce electricity costs through the British Industrial Competitiveness Schemeopens www.gov.uk in a new tab.
• Develop your skills with Business Academy's expert-led training. This free resource features a growing library of free-to-access, expert-led videos to help you on your business growth journey.
• Find your nearest Growth Hubopens www.growthhubfinder.co.uk in a new tab in England and support for your business in Scotlandopens findbusinesssupport.gov.scot in a new tab, Walesopens businesswales.gov.wales in a new tab and Northern Irelandopens www.investni.com in a new tab.