Scottish Enterprise Capital Grant

Scottish Enterprise Capital Grant

Funds Scottish business capital expansion through discretionary support tied to modernisation and growth plans.

Scottish Enterprise awards discretionary capital grants on a rolling basis to companies based in its area — central and southern Scotland — to support capital expenditure projects that advance energy transition, innovation scaling, or productivity improvement. The programme has no fixed application deadline; applicants initiate the process by completing a downloadable enquiry form and submitting it to enquiries@scotent.co.uk, after which a specialist appraisal team reviews the submission and schedules a meeting if the project is appropriate for full assessment.

The minimum grant award is £250,000, and companies should demonstrate at least £1 million in total project spend to be considered. Support rates are graduated by company size: small enterprises are eligible for up to 40% of eligible costs, medium enterprises up to 30%, and large enterprises up to 20%. Project duration must fall within the 6–36 month range. Eligible costs must be capital expenditure — revenue costs are not funded. Projects must remain financially viable and primarily privately funded, must demonstrate a genuine requirement for grant support (additionality test applies), and must align with Scotland's net zero target of operational emissions by 2045. Projects that offset job losses elsewhere in the UK or result from relocation from another UK region are explicitly ineligible.

All funded companies must pay the Real Living Wage to workers aged 16 and over, establish effective worker voice mechanisms, provide flexible working from day one of employment, address workplace inequalities, and commit to net zero by 2045. Companies in the Highlands and Islands or South of Scotland should contact Highlands and Islands Enterprise or South of Scotland Enterprise before engaging Scottish Enterprise. The programme is best suited to established businesses making transformational capital investments in manufacturing, clean energy infrastructure, or deep-technology facilities that require public co-investment to proceed at the intended scale.