LEAP Small Business Grants

LEAP is currently closed.

LEAP grants are a small injection of funding of up to £2,000 aimed at start-ups and small businesses based in the Horsham District, with less than 20 FTE employees. You will need to match fund the grant funding by contributing towards 25% of your total project cost with your own investment.

In order to apply, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Registered with Companies House or HMRC
  • Less than 20 employees (FTE)
  • Located in Horsham District
  • 25% match funding
  • Must have a fully costed, 3-year business plan

Please note: the LEAP grant cannot go towards project expenditure that was spent prior to the date of application. Applicants who have received 2 or more LEAP grants in the past are also excluded from submitting any further applications.

Eligible project expenditure includes: equipment, building works, e-commerce, etc. It does NOT include: planning costs, salaries (unless this is for an apprentice), overheads, rent or stock.

Taking on an Apprentice

Any business wanting to take on an apprentice should have a training provider in place and should be able to evidence that an agreement is in place to provide the ‘college’ training. If conducted in house, the trainer would still need to be accredited. If you do not have evidence for either of those, you must at least be able to demonstrate that an initial discussion with a training provider has taken place and that the course was suitable and available.

If you are interested in taking on an apprentice and need a bit more advice, you can sign up for free to the West Sussex Business Hub and watch our Apprenticeship Talent: Top Tips video which busts common myths and talks you through how you can find an apprentice.

Apply for LEAP funding

Applying is easy.

  • Join the West Sussex Business Hub
  • Watch the 'LEAP - How to write a Business Plan' video
  • Fill in our online application (when live)

On your application you will need to include the following:

  • Details of the project you are applying for and how it will help establish or future-proof your business.
  • The timescale of the project you are intending to use the funding for. Please note that successful applicants will be given a 6-month window to complete their projects.
  • A breakdown of how you will use the grant, plus your own financial contributions.
  • Your fully costed, 3-year business plan. If you require a business plan template and advice, please visit the Government website. You can also watch our Help to write a business plan video, below, and find more useful links on our Start Up Local page.

Grant money release dates

LEAP is currently closed.

Applicants are notified of a decision within 5 weeks of submitting their application.

To make sure you're the first to know when the next LEAP funding round opens, sign up to our Business email newsletter.

If you have any queries, please contact our Economic Development Team at BusinessDevelopment@horsham.gov.uk

Help to write a business plan

In the video below Mike Clare takes you through how to write a business plan, so you can apply for a LEAP grant with confidence.

Part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The LEAP Small Business Grant Scheme is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.