Invest4 | Business Navigator Growth Hub

Invest4 grant funds are available to both pre-start and to growing established businesses. The type of grant fund offered is known as ‘match-funding’, where a business must agree to provide 60% of the required investment to which the funding body will then ‘match-fund’ the 40% balance.

Business grants from £2,000 to £170,000 can be secured and will be awarded through the Invest4 program managed by Brighton & Hove City Council.

Please note that the Invest4 grant fund is separate to the UK Government COVID-19 business grants. Invest4 cannot award or field applications for UK Government COVID-19 business grants.

Business grants from £2,000 to £170,000 can be secured and will be awarded through the Invest4 program managed by Brighton & Hove city council. You can contact the fund manager to request an application form at invest4@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

Frequently asked questions about the Invest 4 Grant Fund.

Or you can download the following grant application and expression of interest forms:

How Invest4 grant funding is affected by COVID-19

The Business Hothouse understand the business challenges created by the pandemic. Rules on EU business grant funding are clear that Invest4 funds cannot be granted to ‘undertakings in difficulty’ which is defined as:

“A business in difficulty is a company that is unable, whether through its own resources or with funds it is able to obtain from its owner/shareholders or creditors, to stem losses, which without outside intervention by public authorities will almost certainly condemn it to go out of business in the short or medium term.”

This constraint has been relaxed for the calendar year of 2020, meaning that if a business cannot be defined as an undertaking in difficulty up to Tuesday 31 December 2019 then it is able to apply to the Invest4 grant fund.

It should be noted that every application to the Invest4 grant fund will be assessed on its own merits and each application will be subject to a due diligence process, whereby eligibility is assessed alongside the relative merits of a business or a business idea.

Download the Invest4 Grant Application Guidelines.

How are Invest4 grant applications assessed?

All applications and expressions of interest are assessed for eligibility by the Invest4 grant fund manager. All the information that you provide is self-declared, but the fund manager may be required to make further checks. These checks will include:

Review of application
Legal status of applicant business
Is the business micro, small or a medium business as defined by the OECD
What sector is the business in
What is the project spend for
Can the match-funding be demonstrated
Previous levels of state aid
Need for funding
Is the need for the grant justified to bridge a funding gap, bring forward a project or enable a project to be undertaken to the required quality standard
Can the applicants presnet evidence of exploring other realistic funding options including their existing bank and other sources

It should be noted that is not an exhaustive list.

What due diligence will Invest4 undertake?

For grants of up to £40,000, all applicants will be subject to a due diligence review, which may be contracted out to a third party and may include credit references. As a minimum, the process will follow:

Business plan for viability and longevity
Applicant business historical financial position
Project plan and viability of the plan
Viability of the project
Online searches and reviews
Companies House records
Control of ownership
Appropriate management and financial skills in business
Full review of application financial records including accuracy of forecasts of income and expenditure for growth
Project has not commenced

Applications for grants greater than £40,000 must include and independent due Due Dilligence Report, the cost (estimated at £300 - £1,500) of which must be met by the applicant and the risk that the application may not be successful must be bourne by the applicant. The report will be assessed by the panel and must be produced by an individual or organisation that is external to the applicant.

Develop your knowledge through our workshops

Invest4 grant funding could help to grow your business. There are also other business grant funds that you may be eligible to access and you can learn about these through our Finding Finance & Funding workshops.

The Hothouse programme offers a range of other free support that may also benefit your business:

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