A production line of a bottling plant in a distillery. The bottles have the designs for Silent Pool Distillery, a business in Surrey.

Square image of a production line of a bottling plant. The bottles have the designs for Silent Pool Distillery, a business in Surrey.

Economic Growth Fund

The Surrey Economic Growth Fund is overseen by Surrey County Council with the sole focus of driving economic growth across the region.

Applications for round one are now open until the end of May 2025.

Growth Fund application form

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About the Economic Growth Fund

Funding to drive growth across Surrey is now available to businesses and organisations across Surrey.

We have pooled a range of public and investment streams, such as UK Shared Prosperity Funding from government, into one Economic Growth Fund.

The idea is to make it as simple and easy-as-possible for those looking to drive growth to apply for funding.

It will see millions of pounds invested to drive growth, creating jobs, improving infrastructure, increasing productivity and upskilling our workforce.

Applications for round one are now open and due to close at the end of May 2025. Further rounds may follow this year.

Growth Fund application form

A woman in a green t-shirt is talking to a colleague in a business setting. They are both sat on a pink sofa and behind her is a large palm tree.

Who can apply?

The Surrey Economic Growth Fund is open to a range of groups including:

Businesses – including startups and SMEs
Partners – including councils, charities, social enterprises and employer groups
Universities and research institutions
Training providers – including schools and colleges
Property and land owners

Those applying are encouraged to demonstrate how the proposal delivers against the three priorities in Surrey’s Economic Growth Strategy 2025 to 2035.

The application process is in two stages, starting with an expression of interest.

Bids will be assessed against a set funding criteria with decisions taken by an independent panel, including business representatives.

The approach has been developed in collaboration with employers from across the county via the One Surrey Growth Board and Business Leaders Forum.

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Available funding

Business Growth Grants

Grants to support growth and job creation in local businesses, including new equipment, product development and training.

Open to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Surrey.

Match-funding of between £10,000 and £50,000, covering 50% of project costs.

Apply for Business Growth Grants

Innovation Spaces Fund

Investment in physical infrastructure that is a catalyst for growth, such as training hubs, collaborative workspaces and testing facilities.

Open to anyone including property owners, businesses and research institutions.

A minimum of £50,000 via an Expression of Interest.

Apply for Innovation Spaces Fund

Future Surrey Fund

Open expression of interest for innovative ideas to drive economic growth in Surrey.

Open to anyone. We are looking to support a small number of high-quality projects.

Various amounts available – but contact us to discuss any potential bids of over £500,000.

Apply for Future Surrey Fund

Economic Growth Fund criteria

We are seeking bold, innovative ideas that will drive sustainable economic growth across the county.

Bids should be focused on delivering at least one of the three priorities in Surrey’s Economic Growth Strategy, which are:

We encourage applications to focus on innovation and ideas that can scale.

Other key criteria include partnership and collaboration, impact and legacy, and deliverability and financial viability.

If you have any questions, then contact our team of experts to discuss your application in detail.

This is a fantastic opportunity for businesses, training providers and partners to secure immediate investment in ideas to drive growth in Surrey.

We know that Surrey has a strong economy, contributing £50 billion a year to UK PLC. But the refreshed economic strategy highlights several challenges around start-ups, high-growth businesses, retaining talent and an increasing number of people out of work.

The new Economic Growth Fund is one of the ways we can tackle those challenges while delivering benefits to the people, places and businesses across the county.

Our ambition is simple: we want to position Surrey as one of the UK’s leading regional economies while ensuring No One is Left Behind.

Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth

The refreshed Economic Strategy, which is evidence-led and developed in partnership with businesses, employer representative groups, academia and other key stakeholders, is very much the starting point of our journey.

Together, we’re determined to drive forward this ambitious agenda and deliver our ambition to benefit our residents, businesses and wider communities.