Eligibility for existing small to medium enterprises

Businesses from all sectors are eligible for consideration, except for:

• charities
• those of a political or religious persuasion
• activities involving pornography or clairvoyance
• any business activity that is illegal or deemed unsuitable for public support by Birmingham City Council

Training and skills development are also ineligible because provisions for these activities will be supported through different funding routes.

Grants are restricted to 1 grant for 1 small to medium enterprise (SME) and are paid retrospectively.

• For Birmingham, Solihull MBC and Shropshire based businesses, this is a Capital only grant programme.
• For Cannock Chase based businesses, both capital and revenue expenditure are eligible for consideration.

Using consultants or third parties to complete the application form is an ineligible cost.

To be considered for the West Midlands SME Grant Programme (WMGP), you must be able to answer "yes" to all of the questions below by the time you submit your application.

If you are a limited company, you will need to provide Companies House registration.

If you are a sole trader, you will need to provide evidence of self-employed status with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

If you are a partnership, you will need to provide a copy of your partnership agreement.

1. Are you an SME that has been actively trading for 12 months or more based in Birmingham or Solihull? If the business is owned by another company or a combination of other companies, refer to the EU SME definition guidance. To be classed as an SME, your business must have more than one, but fewer than 250 full time employees and meet one of the following requirements:
   • have a turnover of less than €50 million (excluding agriculture, forestry and fishing)
   • have a balance sheet total of less than €43 million (excluding agriculture, forestry and fishing)
2. Do you have a project which will grow your business, resulting in jobs being created within 6 months from the start of your project?
   • WMGP uses a guide calculation of £10,000 grant for each new full-time job created
   • Note - job creation is not a mandatory requirement for businesses based in the Solihull MBC area
3. Can you deliver your growth project in 3 months after receiving your grant offer?
   • priority will be given to investment ready projects which can be completed within 3 months
   • for high value, more complex projects, project timescales are subject to negotiation
4. Are your business rates payable to either Birmingham City Council, Cannock Chase Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, or Shropshire Council local authorities?
   • you can check which local authority your business postcode fits into
5. Do you have a cash match?
   • cash funding is the difference between the grant you are seeking and the remaining cost of your project
   • all applications must provide cash funding which can be sourced from the private sector, but not other public sector funding, asset finance or similar financial products involving a financial arrangement where an item is paid for in instalments
   • loans, overdrafts, savings or company funds are considered to be eligible cash matches, and these must be secured and in place before the approval of a WMGP grant
6. Can you obtain at least 3 competitive quotes for each item* above £2,499, along with the relevant evidence by the WMGP procurement guidance?
   • quotes for project expenditure should not be from people or businesses connected to your business, directors or shareholders.
   • only 1 quote is required for items up to £2,499
   • *1 item or the sum of many items from 1 supplier
7. Can you provide full financial accounts or a robust business plan if you have only been trading for 6 months?
8. If you are a Birmingham or Solihull based business, are you prepared to undertake a free diagnostic appointment with the GBSLEP Growth Hub?

If you answered “yes” to all the questions above, then if you are a Birmingham or Solihull based business, you should complete the GBSLEP diagnostic form before contacting a GBSLEP Growth Hub business advisor to arrange a free diagnostic appointment.

If you are a Cannock Chase or Shropshire based business, then you can proceed to the application stage.

Page last updated: 23 April 2024