Tools and providers
Comparing growth hub and combined authority grant routes in Leeds and Liverpool
Growth hub grants in Leeds and Liverpool: how West Yorkshire and Liverpool City Region hubs and combined authorities split advice, funding and referral steps.
What to take away
- Growth hub grants in Leeds and Liverpool are not paid out by the hubs themselves: the hubs advise, signpost and refer, while the combined authorities hold the funding.
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority runs the West Yorkshire growth hub and funds the Business Productivity Service and Net Zero West Yorkshire.
- Liverpool City Region Combined Authority funds the Liverpool City Region growth hub and backs the Future Innovation Fund and Fair Employment Charter support.
- Both routes want a Leeds or Liverpool trading address, management accounts and a project that would not go ahead without public money.
- West Yorkshire runs rolling advice with periodic grant windows; Liverpool City Region works to published funding rounds with fixed deadlines.
- National programmes sit alongside the local routes and are worth checking before you rule them out.
How growth hubs and combined authorities divide advisory and grant work
A growth hub is an advice service, not a funder. The West Yorkshire growth hub and the Liverpool City Region growth hub both offer free diagnosis, signposting and application help to small firms. They do not hold the money.
The cash sits with the combined authorities. West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are the bodies that design, budget and approve local grant schemes. In practice you talk to the hub, and the hub refers you into the authority's programme.
That split matters because the hub can tell you whether a scheme exists before you spend weeks on an application. The adviser also has no quota to fill, so there is little reason to push you toward a grant you cannot win.
Central government keeps its own listings. The Business and self-employed - GOV.UK section routes firms to grants, licences and support across the UK, which is useful when no local scheme fits.
Growth hubs sit inside a wider national system where schemes differ by region, sector and company size. Local routes are one layer of that system, not the whole of it. For a clearer view of how the layers fit together, see how small business grants in England are organised before you commit weeks to an application.
West Yorkshire growth hub and combined authority pathways for Leeds firms
Leeds firms reach support through the West Yorkshire growth hub, which covers the whole combined authority area, not just the city. Advisers work from a single enquiry line and a network of local delivery partners.
The hub's first job is diagnosis. An adviser looks at your turnover, sector, headcount and what you want to do, then matches you to a scheme or tells you none is suitable. That conversation is free and usually takes under an hour.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority funds the schemes the hub refers into. These have included the Business Productivity Service, which supports firms to improve processes and adopt technology, and Net Zero West Yorkshire, which helps smaller firms cut energy costs and carbon.
Leeds has a large financial and professional services base, so competition for innovation and growth grants is real. A clear project plan and management accounts matter more here than a polished pitch.
The Office for National Statistics publishes Regional accounts - Office for National Statistics covering Yorkshire and the North West, which is a reasonable way to sense-check the size and direction of your local market before you apply.
Liverpool City Region growth hub and combined authority pathways
The Liverpool City Region growth hub covers Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral and Halton. Its advisers offer the same free diagnosis and referral service as West Yorkshire's, with a stronger emphasis on social enterprise and creative businesses.
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority holds the funding. It has run the Future Innovation Fund for small and medium firms with an innovation project, and it backs employment standards work through the Fair Employment Charter.
The city's port and logistics base shapes what gets funded. Projects that improve supply chain resilience, digital capability or low-carbon operations tend to fit the published priorities better than general expansion plans.
The hub is also the entry point for business support contracts the combined authority commissions from local providers. If your firm is a social enterprise, say so at first contact: some Liverpool schemes treat that status differently.
For a structured way to test whether any local scheme is worth the paperwork, the geography, applicant, cost and timing rules are the four filters that matter most.
Named programmes and referral steps in each region
The table below sets out the named programmes and the referral route into each. Programme availability changes with funding rounds, so confirm current status with the hub before applying.
| Item | West Yorkshire (Leeds) | Liverpool City Region (Liverpool) |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory body | West Yorkshire growth hub | Liverpool City Region growth hub |
| Funding body | West Yorkshire Combined Authority | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority |
| Named programmes | Business Productivity Service; Net Zero West Yorkshire | Future Innovation Fund; Fair Employment Charter support |
| Typical applicant | Leeds firms with growth or decarbonisation plans | Liverpool firms in innovation, social enterprise or creative sectors |
| Referral route | Hub diagnosis, then authority programme | Hub diagnosis, then authority programme |
| Evidence expected | Accounts, project plan, quotes | Accounts, project plan, quotes |
Referral steps are similar on both sides:
- Contact the growth hub for your area and book a free diagnosis call.
- Agree with the adviser which named programme fits your project and stage.
- Complete the eligibility check the hub provides, including trading address and size.
- Prepare accounts, a project plan and supplier quotes for the authority's assessment.
- Submit through the route the hub confirms and respond to any clarification requests.
Both combined authorities publish business population context through national statistics. The Business population estimates 2023 - GOV.UK give a regional and size breakdown that helps you judge how crowded your sector is.
Comparing the two routes: eligibility, evidence and timing
Eligibility rules are broadly similar but not identical. West Yorkshire schemes tend to favour firms with a clear productivity or net zero angle. Liverpool City Region schemes lean toward innovation, social enterprise and employment standards.
Evidence expectations are close to identical. Both want management accounts, a project plan and quotes, and both ask what happens if the grant is refused. That last question is the one most applicants answer badly.
Timing is the biggest practical difference. West Yorkshire runs rolling advisory support with grant windows that open periodically. Liverpool City Region tends to publish funding rounds with fixed deadlines, so a missed round can mean a wait of months.
Neither route suits every firm. National programmes such as Innovate UK grants or HMRC reliefs may fit better if your project is not tied to a local priority. GOV.UK's Grow your business - GOV.UK pages list national growth support routes worth checking alongside the hubs.
Budget discipline decides most applications. Build your numbers around cost, eligibility, match funding and monthly cash before you approach either hub, not after.
How to choose the route that fits your project
Start with the project, not the grant. Write down what you will buy or build, what it changes in the business, and what you would do without public money. That single paragraph tells you which route fits.
Use this checklist before you contact either hub:
- I have a Leeds or Liverpool trading address and can evidence it.
- My project matches a named programme in my region.
- I can supply accounts, a project plan and supplier quotes.
- I know how much match funding I can commit.
- I understand what happens if the application fails.
- I have checked whether a national scheme fits better.
- I have read the current round's deadline and eligibility rules.
If most boxes are ticked, contact your growth hub. If several are not, fix the gaps first: a weak application wastes the adviser's time and yours.
Adviser quality varies, so treat the first call as a test. If the advice is vague or pushes you toward a scheme you clearly fail, look elsewhere. The same discipline applies when choosing the right adviser for any grant work.
Keep a written record of what each hub tells you. Programme names, deadlines and eligibility rules change with funding settlements, and a dated note protects you if a scheme closes mid-application.
Common questions
Do growth hubs give grants directly? No. Growth hubs advise, diagnose and refer. The combined authorities hold and award the funding, which is why the hub cannot promise you money.
Can a Leeds firm apply to a Liverpool City Region scheme? Usually not. Local schemes require a trading address in the relevant combined authority area, so check the boundary before applying.
How long does a referral take? The diagnosis call is usually quick, often within days of enquiry. The authority's assessment and decision take longer and depend on the funding round.
What evidence will I need? Management accounts, a project plan, supplier quotes and a statement of what happens without the grant. Both regions ask for broadly the same pack.
Is a local grant better than a national one? Not automatically. Local schemes suit projects tied to regional priorities; national programmes such as Innovate UK grants may fit broader innovation work.
Where do I check national options? GOV.UK's business support pages list central government grants and growth programmes, which is the sensible cross-check against any local route.
