All RDAs across England are closing by March 2012 (see transition and closure section). With our resources reducing steadily, this page has not been recently updated and the information below may not be current. If in doubt, please contact us directly.

Finance and grants

Lack of appropriate financial support is often cited as a major barrier to businesses wanting to grow.

For businesses seeking externally sourced finance for growth there are three generic options:

  • Equity – where an external party provides finance, shares the business risk with you and in return shares ownership of your company.
  • Debt – where a third party lends you money on certain conditions and you promise to pay it back.
  • Grants – where, subject to qualifying criteria and lack of equity or debt options, businesses may be able to access funding for particular activity usually centered on driving innovation and growth.


Under Solutions for Business, there are a range of finance options which can be tailored to meet the needs of businesses. Providing appropriate finance at the right time can help set you up on a course for success.

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