YNY Equity Hub
Download: The Business Sign-Up Guide / The Investor Sign-Up Guide.
The YNY Equity Platform is hosted by the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub.
We know finding the right financing can be a challenge for many SMEs and start-ups in our area, and is often a key barrier to growth within our region. The YNY Equity Hub has been designed to address this barrier, offering a user-friendly portal where businesses can effectively present their investment opportunities and highlight their growth potential to investors nationwide.
Our goal is to help businesses secure the essential capital they need to grow and reach a stage where accessing traditional finance and equity becomes much easier. The platform is aimed at businesses already located in York and North Yorkshire or looking to relocate here.
Are you ready for investment?
Download our free cashflow forecast and business plan templates now.
You can also download the relevant pitch deck template; Pre-Seed Pitch Deck or SME Pitch Deck.
Want to learn more about making your business investment-ready? Join one of our upcoming webinars:
Gaining access to outside investment means you don’t have to give up on your dream. So how do you prove to any potential investor that your business model is worth investing in. What information will they need from you? What timescales are involved and what are the likely costs/cash flow implications.
It is really important to have up to date numbers. Those representing the trading to date can really help any stakeholder to understand the business. But we can no longer influence what has already happened, so the key to successful decision making is in forecasting.
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.
Selling a business or shares in a business is serious stuff and the price tag can be high, so it’s not surprising that the due diligence process undertaken by the legal representatives and finance professionals on both the buyers and sellers’ sides can feel somewhat invasive. So, what kind of information is likely to be requested, what are the timescales involved, payment terms and other expectation, plus the tax implications on the sale of shares?
Join Intellectual Property (IP) specialist Secerna for an insightful webinar designed to support early-stage businesses. You will learn why IP matters to investors, the most common pitfalls that derail funding rounds, and how to avoid them.
Having a business partner can seriously benefit a business. Capitalizing on two or more sets of skills and experience, as well as having another pair of hands to contribute to the day to day running of the business. But not all business partners are the same, some want a silent role, whilst others are more hands on. So, choosing the right business partner is crucial.
YNY Equity Hub – FAQs
- Already located in York & North Yorkshire, or looking to relocate here.
- Needing to raise equity investment for the next stage of their growth, minimum £100,000.
- Need to be investment-ready – Download our free cashflow forecast and business plan templates.
- Trading, or ready to go to market.
- Submit your application.
Once received, a member of our team will carefully review it. - We’ll follow up with you.
If everything is in place, we’ll guide you through the final steps before your application goes live to investors. - If the YNY Equity Hub isn’t the right fit,
we’ll recommend alternative resources that better suit your needs.
Following the launch, we’re curating a portfolio of high-potential businesses that will be showcased to investors across the UK.
Please note that applying does not guarantee acceptance onto the platform, nor can we promise that investment will be secured once listed.
The York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub, part of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA), is hosting the York and North Yorkshire Equity Platform (the ”Platform”) in furtherance of its economic development function. The Platform is offered as a resource to both investors and businesses seeking investment free of charge and the YNYCA is not providing the Platform in the course of business.
YNYCA do not offer investment advice to the individual businesses seeking investment nor any financial institution that registers on the platform that wants to review information provided by the individual businesses. The use of the platform of a potential investor or business seeking investment is not and should not be considered a recommendation or endorsement by YNYCA. We strongly advise businesses seeking investment that you seek independent advice from an appropriate, qualified advisor.
YNYCA take no responsibility for the information/forecasts/opinions/drawings/statements or any form of communication provided by the businesses be this through face-to-face pitches, through the Platform or any other form of communication and this information is the sole responsibility of the business concerned.
Curious if equity investment is the right fit for your business? Visit Equity Financing: what it is, how it works, and where to find it | British Business Bank to learn more.
If you’re based in South Yorkshire, you can access the South Yorkshire Equity Platform, here.
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?
Financial Management – Do you know your numbers?
One of the most important things a business owner should know, is “their numbers”. Do you know how well your business is performing and in which areas? Do you know who you owe and who owes you? Can you afford to make upcoming payments and meet your financial obligations?
Events
21st August 202510:00 am - 11:30 amFREE
🌎 Business Basics Webinar: Accessing Capital for Growth
Gaining access to outside investment means you don’t have to give up on your dream. So how do you prove to any potential investor that your business model is worth investing in. What information will they need from you? What timescales are involved and what are the likely costs/cash flow implications.
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: 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