Start It
Firstport (Scottish Government Social Entrepreneurs Fund)
Worth
Up to £5,000
Deadline
Rolling - no fixed deadline
Type of funding
Grant
Where
Scotland
What it is
A grant of up to £5,000 for start-up costs, for people in Scotland setting up a social enterprise that is not yet trading regularly. Start It funds the founder rather than the business, from the Scottish Government's Social Entrepreneurs Fund.
Checked 9 Nov 2026 on firstport.org.uk: an open, rolling programme, with an answer within 12 weeks of applying. Up to £5,000 for start-up costs such as registration, website, insurance or equipment. You must be 18 or over and live in Scotland, the social enterprise must not yet be trading regularly, and you can't have had a Start It award in the last 10 years.
Official sourceWho can apply
A summary of the main rules, not the full list. Firstport (Scottish Government Social Entrepreneurs Fund) decides who is eligible, so read their guidance before you apply. The free scan checks these against your own business.
- You live in Scotland and the social enterprise will benefit people or communities in Scotland
- Still at the start-up stage and not trading regularly yet
- Setting up a social enterprise that will reinvest its profits in its social aims
Common questions
- Is Start It open for applications?
- Yes. It is open for applications, with no fixed deadline.
- How much is Start It worth?
- Up to £5,000. It is a grant, and the funder decides what each applicant receives.
- Who runs Start It, and where is it available?
- Firstport (Scottish Government Social Entrepreneurs Fund) runs it. It is available in Scotland.
Does your business qualify?
Eligibility rules are where schemes get fiddly. Gov Owed checks your business against Start It — and every other UK scheme we track — in about two minutes, free. The £19.95 report then explains exactly why you qualify, drafts your answers and walks you through the real application step by step.
Check my businessNo sign-up to scan · keep 100% of anything you win · re-runs free for 12 months
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Information, not financial advice; eligibility is decided by the funder. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Schemes change — confirm details on the official page before applying.