Funding guide
North East website grants, explained
Short version: trading businesses in the North of Tyne and Sunderland can claim a big share of a website project back through local business support funds. North of Tyne covers up to 50% of a project costing £3,000 to £8,000. Sunderland covers up to 40%. The money is part-funded by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority and delivered by NBSL. You pay for the work first, then claim your share back once it's done. Nothing is guaranteed, so the current status gets checked before you rely on any of it.
What the funding is
These are not website grants in name. They are local business support funds, and a website is one of the things they will pay towards. The funds exist to help established businesses grow by bringing in outside expertise, and a credible, accessible website that wins better enquiries fits that brief.
Both funds are part-funded by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority through its Integrated Settlement, and delivered on the ground by NBSL, a business support organisation based in Ashington. This is the same money that used to run under older labels, now sitting with the mayoral authority rather than the previous combined authority.
The two funds
North of Tyne Business Support Fund
Covers Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside. Eligible businesses can claim up to 50% towards a project costing between £3,000 and £8,000. Web design and development is an eligible project type. A decision on an application usually comes back within a few weeks.
Sunderland Business Support Fund
Covers Sunderland. Same retrospective mechanics, with up to 40% claimed back on a project in the £3,000 to £6,000 range. The exact rate and any caps depend on the live scheme at the time.
Does a website actually qualify?
Yes. Both funds list business support that uses external expertise to help a business grow or become more resilient, and web design sits inside that. The application is stronger when the website is framed as a growth project, not just a redesign: clearer services, a proper enquiry route, accessibility built in, and content that brings in better work. That framing is also the honest description of what a good site does.
Who qualifies
- A trading SME based in the fund's catchment area.
- Mostly commercial income, rather than grants or donations.
- Able to cashflow the project before claiming the grant back.
- A genuine growth story the application can stand on.
It is not for everyone, and saying so up front saves people time. The funds won't fit donation-funded charities that can't meet the commercial-income test, businesses that haven't started trading yet, or anyone who needs an online shop or custom booking logic rather than a credibility site.
How the money works
The grant is retrospective. You pay for the project, then the funder reimburses your share once it's finished. So you cashflow the build, then get your percentage back. Nothing starts until the grant contract is signed, so a funded project runs as a short pipeline rather than a same-week turnaround.
What you'd actually pay
| Project | Price | North of Tyne (50%) | Sunderland (40%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small credibility site | £3,000 | £1,500 | £1,800 |
| Standard service-business site | £5,000 | £2,500 | £3,000 |
| Larger content site | £8,000 | £4,000 | £4,800 |
Outside the North East?
These two funds only cover their catchments, but most parts of the UK run their own local business grants through Growth Hubs and councils. The rates and rules vary, and they open and close. Tell me where you are and I'll help you check what's currently open near you.
The honest bit
This is public money and it's time-limited, so the rates, caps and open dates change. Approval is the funder's decision, not mine, and I won't pretend a grant is in the bag when it isn't. I confirm the current status before you rely on any of it, and the website still gets built to the same standard whether funding applies or not.
Check if you qualifySee the funding summary and the maths, or read the official details on the North of Tyne Business Support Fund page.