Tees Valley Export Fund

This £200,000 grant scheme is jointly funded by the Department for Business & Trade (DBT) and the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Open to businesses starting or continuing their export journey who have been trading for longer than twelve months.

• Claim back 75% of eligible costs (up to £10,000) — your business contributes 25%.
• Typical grants range from £3,000 to £10,000.
• All funded activities must be completed by 31 August 2026.

Application Windows:

• Open now until all funds are committed

What Can Be Funded?

• International trade shows (exhibiting or attending)
• Overseas market visits
• Internationalisation of digital assets (e.g. websites)
• Market research and more

Important: Please do not book flights, hotels, or exhibition stands until you receive formal grant approval.

Start with a quick eligibility check via the online form below. If successful, you’ll be invited to complete the full application.

Click here for more information and to apply.

Key information

Available: Now

Can I apply if my business is not trading yet? No

Eligible location: Tees Valley (Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees) 

Eligibility Criteria:

• Must be trading for a minimum of 12 months.
• Must have an existing, demonstrable interest in exporting (e.g. having previously participated in DBT Export Academy Course or carried out sector-specific export research). This list is not exhaustive.
• Must have capacity to complete and claim for grant project activity by the end of August 2026

Applications from businesses in the following sectors are particularly encouraged to apply:

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Business & Professional Services
• Construction
• Culture & Leisure
• Digital & Creative
• Education
• Health & Biologics
• Health Care
• Process Chemicals and Energy

Award available:

Typical grants range from £3,000 to £10,000

Depot Charging Scheme

To support businesses transitioning to electric vehicles, the Government has launched the Depot Charging Scheme.

This scheme can fund up to 70% of the costs to install charging equipment at business sites primarily used for charging commercial vehicles (up to £1 million across all sites). A depot is defined as a commercial site where HGVs, vans, or coaches are housed, maintained, and dispatched for service.

Application Windows

Funding will be released in stages: 

• First window: 25 March 2026 to 30 June 2026 (or earlier if funds run out)
  
• Second window: 28 October 2026 to 29 January 2027

Click here for more information and to apply.

Additional information

There are still grants available for the purchase of electric vehicles. These are listed in the attached document. No application is required. The grant amount is automatically deducted by the dealer at the point of sale. More information on these grants are available here.

Key information

Available: Now

Can I apply if my business is not trading yet? No

Eligible location: UK Wide (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)

Eligibility Criteria:

• Fleet includes (or will include in future) at least one battery electric van, HGV or coach, and your application will quantify the impact of this on their EV charging needs.
  
• Registered and operate in the UK and your organisation and vehicle fleet has been operating in the UK for at least 1 year at the time of application.
  
• Own or lease one or more UK depot(s).
  
• Funding must be used only within the UK.
  
• A senior leader in their organisation has approved their proposal.
  
• They consent to participate in ongoing monitoring and evaluation activities, including physical site audits/visits.
  
• They consent not to apply for, or obtain, similar Government funding in respect of any part of the funded activities.
  
• They consent to the primary users of the funded infrastructure being commercial vehicles.
  
• If the infrastructure is shared with other fleet operators, the pricing model will be based on cost recovery for at least three years after the grant is awarded.
  
• If successful, they will use the funding to install charging infrastructure for battery‑electric vans, HGVs and/or coaches at their depot(s) by 31 March 2027.

Award available:

70% of the costs to install charging equipment at business sites primarily used for charging commercial vehicles (up to £1 million across all sites)

Enovert Community Trust

Enovert Community Trust (formerly Cory Environmental Trust in Britain) is an environmental body which supports community and environmental projects within 10 miles of Enovert’s site on Teesworks (TS6 6UG). The Trust is committed to supporting community and environmental projects across the UK. 

Example of what type of projects can this fund support?

• Improving community halls
• the creation of new play areas and skate parks
• restoring green spaces.

Five project criteria

In line with the Landfill Tax Regulations, Enovert Community Trust is able to support projects under the following categories, so please make sure that your project complies with one of the following objects:

• Opening up access for the public to an area of land that has been closed or partially closed up to now.
• Cleaning up land that has been polluted because of now ceased activity.
• Helping to improve, protect, provide and/or maintain land or a building as a public amenity.
• Protecting the environment, and conserving or promoting biological diversity.
• Helping to preserve, maintain, restore and/or repair a religious building or one of historical or architectural interest.

For more information about the Enovert Community Trust and it’s grants, please visit their website here.

Key Information

Available: Now

Eligibility:

Based within 10 miles of Enovert’s site on Teesworks (TS6 6UG)

Non-profit distributing: You don’t need to be a charity, but any surplus you make must be used to further your organisation’s objects. Surplus must not be used to pay dividends or other rewards. If you are a sporting organisation you must be CASC registered or a limited company or registered charity. If you are a sporting organisation you must be CASC registered or a limited company or registered charity.

Available to the general public: Your facility must be available to the general public as much as possible, and no less than four evenings or two days a week, or for more than 104 days in any one year.

Award: up to £50k*
*the Trust requires 10%
independent 3rd party funding