Funding for business
The majority of businesses will need funding to start and/or grow. Identifying what is needed is often the easier task. Understanding how you can access the right financial support and what types are available to you can be harder to navigate. These resources and information will help you in that process – covering available sources of funding, peer-to-peer lending, external investment for your business, crowdfunding, and funding sources in a crisis.
Find out about funding
If you are looking for an alternative route to financing your business, peer to peer lending (P2P) is one of the choices open to you.
External investment for your business
Once you have decided that you would benefit from some external investment, your next step is to find the right source of finance.
Crowdfunding has become very popular. But what is it, and what are the different types of crowdfunding?
If your business is at risk of crisis or bankruptcy, there are emergency sources of financial assistance available.
York and North Yorkshire farms urged to apply for sustainability funding
Farms and businesses that have had an energy audit can now apply for funding up to £49,950 to help decarbonise their businesses. York and North Yorkshire’s Business Sustainability Programme will help farms and businesses implement changes that have been recommended by the local authority or Grow Yorkshire decarbonisation support programme or one which has been done by a suitable private sector organisation.
YNY Equity Hub Launches to Drive Business Growth in York and North Yorkshire
A new digital platform, the YNY Equity Hub, has launched to boost investment in businesses across York and North Yorkshire by connecting local enterprises with prospective investors from across the UK. Designed to tackle one of the region’s key barriers to growth, the YNY Equity Hub offers a streamlined, user-friendly portal where SMEs and start-ups can showcase their investment opportunities and growth potential.
Profitability
Profit is a measure of a business’s income relative to its expenses. In other words, an organisation’s ability to generate revenue by using resources that it has available, such as people, materials and equipment. Unless you are running a charitable organisation, profit is generally the primary goal of a company. As well as providing income for the owners of a business, profits allow for investment and growth. Whilst revenue growth is generally a positive indicator, we need to understand profitability if a business is to be successful.
Meet your High Street Coordinator: Vibrant and Sustainable High Street Fund
If you’re unsure whether your project idea is a good fit for the Vibrant and Sustainable High Streets fund, have any questions or simply need support, please get in touch with your local High Street Coordinator to discuss your proposal.
Digital Adoption Grant - Apply Now
The Digital Inclusion Capital Grant aims to support businesses to adopt new technologies and resources, in order to increase innovation and productivity. The fund opened for applications on Monday 16 June 2025 and will close at 5pm on Monday 14 July 2025.
YNY Equity Hub: Are you investor ready?
Soon we'll be launching the YNY Equity Hub - take a look at the available resources to ensure you're investor ready. The platform will offer a user-friendly portal where businesses can effectively present their investment opportunities and highlight their growth potential to investors nationwide.
£1.9 million to be invested in making York and North Yorkshire businesses more sustainable
Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith is investing £1.9m of UKSPF funds to help decarbonise businesses in the region.
Successful Applicants Announced For Phase One of Mayor’s High Street Fund
The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, has announced the successful applicants from Phase One of the Vibrant and Sustainable High Street Fund.
A record 299,419 returns filed in the first week of the new tax year
Self Assessment customers can submit their tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year between 6 April 2025, the first day of the new tax year, and the deadline on 31 January 2026.
Innovation Supper - Funding Opportunity
York Business School, Patch York and the Growth Hub are delighted to bring you our first ever Innovation Supper. The basic idea is that we provide some supper, and charge a small entry fee, we then invite local community projects to pitch for the proceeds and hold a vote to select the winner - It’s that simple!
Grant Programme Launched for Aspiring North Yorkshire Social Enterprises
As part of our wider programme of support for Social Enterprises, the Growth Hub are excited to launch a Micro-Grant programme, in partnership with Social Vision. This builds on their previous experience delivering a similar programme in Selby.
Business Essentials: What is a Tax Deductible Expense?
As a business owner, it can be daunting when you are trying to work out what you can and can’t claim as tax deductible expense. Other business owners will give you their opinion but is that the right advice for you and your business? You can search online, but this can be confusing and often contradictory. So, what can you claim?
Events
03rd September 202510:00 am - 11:30 amFREE
🌎 Business Basics Webinar: How much is your Business Worth
Understanding how much your business is worth is really important if you are looking for equity investment, or if you are looking to sell some or all of your business. You don’t want to insult a potential investor by going in too high, but equally, you want to get what your business is worth.
25th September 202510:00 am - 11:30 amFREE
🌎 Business Basics Webinar: Profitability
To truly understand profitability, we need to look at it more frequently and in more detail. Analysing which aspects of your business make what level of profit and understanding what drives profit allows business owners to make good strategic decisions to improve it.
15th October 202510:00 am - 11:30 amFREE
🌎 Business Basics Webinar: Cash flow v Profit and loss
Some business owners will use their bank balance as the barometer of how well their business is performing. However, this gives no visibility of any upcoming liabilities or monies owed.
15th October 202510:00 am - 11:30 amFREE
Business Basics Series Part 2: Webinar Recordings & Blogs
These resources provide a guide to key subjects such as tax, pricing and all things numbers. Jo Tomlinson is a qualified Management Accountant, certified QuickBooks Advanced ProAdvisor, Making Tax Digital ProAdvisor and 1 of only 11 Certified QuickBooks Trainers’ that work on behalf of QuickBooks, training accountants across the UK.
15th October 202510:00 am - 11:30 amFREE
Business Basics Series: Webinar Recordings & Blogs
Delivered by Jo Tomlinson of Business Works UK, these resources provide a guide to key subjects such as bookkeeping, pricing, VAT, company structure, and the responsibilities associated with owning a business.
15th October 202510:00 am - 11:30 amFREE
2022 Seminar Recordings
We have recently hosted a programme of in-person seminars and other events, some of which were professionally recorded and can now be viewed on our website.
15th October 202510:00 am - 11:30 amFREE
Seminar Recording : Access to finance: Funding growth
This workshop will provide guidance on cost based pricing, calculating your costs before deciding an appropriate margin, as well as covering market based pricing asking questions such as: What value do you add? What are you worth? How do you position yourself?
15th October 202510:00 am - 11:30 amFREE
Seminar Recording : Access to finance: Funding growth
This seminar recording with GAP coaching will provide you with a summary of all the commercial funding options available to businesses, with details on how to make your business more attractive to funders.
15th October 202510:00 am - 11:30 amFREE
Featured Webinar Playlist: Finance
A free playlist of webinars focused on finance, including business basics such as forecasting cash flow and setting prices, as well as ways to fund your growth