Can I get a grant to open a shop?
Opening a shop is not, by itself, a grant. Some councils run a high-street or empty-property scheme for a named area. Most national schemes will not pay the rent, the stock and the fit-out of a new retailer. Check the postcode, then the council. Do not sign a lease because a webpage said funding was likely.
Also asked as: grant to open a shop UK · retail startup grant · funding for a new store
What about a Start Up Loan?
That is a loan, not a grant. You repay it. It can be useful, and it is still debt.
Schemes named here
- Leicester high street grantLeicester City Council · £500–£8,000 · A business · Up to 30 · Retail, Hospitality · Closes 27 Nov 2026
Related
128 answers on this site. Find Grants checks which UK grants a business can get from a postcode or a place. Looking is free. If you want the application written, the fee is £99 for that one application, shown before you pay. Find Grants does not take a percentage of the grant, does not file the form, and is not part of GOV.UK. Confirm every scheme on the funder's own site.