Small Business Guides / small business funding UK

Business Grant Scams: Checks Before You Apply

Treat an unexpected offer of guaranteed funding as something to verify. A convincing logo, familiar name or urgent deadline is not proof that a grant is genuine.

Find the scheme independently

Start at the relevant government or funding-body website rather than using a link in an unexpected message. Check that the programme exists, who administers it and how applications are actually made. Contact the body using details found independently.

Warning signs worth stopping for

• A claim that approval is guaranteed before eligibility has been checked.
• A payment demanded to release an award you did not apply for.
• Pressure to transfer money immediately or keep the arrangement secret.
• A lookalike web address or a reply sent from an unrelated account.
• A request for banking passwords, one-time codes or remote access.

Fees need explaining

A consultant may legitimately charge for preparing an application. That is different from an unexplained demand to unlock a supposedly guaranteed grant. Ask for the scope, fee, cancellation terms, funder identity and evidence of the actual scheme. Payment to a consultant does not guarantee an award.

Keep control of the evidence

Check changes to bank details through a trusted contact method. Restrict who can authorise transfers. Keep messages and documents if an offer appears suspicious, and use your bank’s official contact route promptly if money or account access may have been compromised.

A five-minute check

1. Find the official scheme independently.
2. Read eligibility and costs in the actual guidance.
3. Verify the sender and any intermediary.
4. Refuse to share passwords or security codes.
5. Pause if the explanation changes when questioned.

Continue with grant application preparation, official grant search routes and cyber-security basics.

Explore Polar’s business tools or the connected business software for the next practical step.