Better Business Grant Frequently asked questions

The Better Business Grant offers up to 50% matched grant funding for eligible businesses to support various initiatives aimed at improving productivity and skills. With a total of £5.3 million available, this is a fantastic opportunity for Jersey businesses to invest in their future. 

Productivity Grants
Visitor Economy Development Grants
Skills Grants 
Apprenticeship Grants

Skills, Productivity and Visitor Economy Development grants are all available as:

Major Grants: £5,001 to £75,000 for businesses operating for 18+ months.
Minor Grants: £1,000 to £5,000 for businesses operating between 6 and 18 months.

NB – It’s important to remember that the grants are on a 50/50 matched funding basis. This means that if you apply for a grant for an initiative that will cost your business £10,000 in total then the business will need to pay £5000, and the grant will fund the other £5000.

There are also

Your business must meet the following criteria:

• Be registered in Jersey and hold a business licence
• Trading for at least 6 monthsEmploy at least one person (owner/s + 1) for at least three months, with a minimum weekly wage of £128
• Be up to date with all government contributions or on a repayment plan
• To access the Visitor Economy Development Grant, you must be part of the Visitor Economy. This means that a significant amount of your revenue must come from the Visitor Economy 

The application will be rejected unless they can clearly demonstrate why they believe they are part of the visitor economy.

Yes, they are.

No, the assets purchased with the grant must remain in Jersey. A portion of grant applications will undergo auditing, and all applicants will be required to sign an acknowledgment that assets purchased with the grant funds cannot be transferred off the island or sold without notifying Jersey Business.

Individuals on fixed term contracts do qualify as an employee under the grant scheme if they are paid more than £128 a week (therefore paying social security) consistently for three months prior to and during the application process.

No. You cannot.

Yes, you can but only for course fees. Travel, accommodation, and other expenses are not covered in the grant.

A project is considered started when a contract is signed or payment made for any key component of the project.

Pre-viability studies are not classified as a started project, but this cost cannot be included in the grant application.

For skills applications, the same applies, the courses or training you are applying for must not have started.

The Better Business Grants have been designed to help employers invest in technology, skills development, and business changes aimed at improving profitability in 2025 and 2026 during the transition to a living wage.

Therefore, to be eligible for the grants, a business must be paying at least one employee a regular wage.

Yes, you can.

The apprenticeship application form allows for multiple names to be added.

We would encourage you to think about the project step by step, get quotes, and check costs for accuracy.

It’s important to consider this carefully as if particular costs are not listed in your application, they cannot be added later.

Jersey Business will check your receipts to ensure the funds were used for the items listed in your approved grant application. Here’s how it works:

• If your receipts show that you spent more than the approved project cost, you’ll get the remaining 50% of the approved grant amount.
• If your receipts show you spent less than the approved project cost, the final grant payment will be adjusted. This means you’ll get 50% of the actual verified expenses, minus whatever you’ve already been paid.
• If your receipts match the approved project cost exactly, the remaining 50% of the grant will be paid to you

Businesses must complete their own application form to demonstrate they have carefully planned out the project/skills development plan and can explain why it will be beneficial to the business.

There are guidance notes that show the application forms step by step, with examples of what type of information is required for each type of grant.

The Application asks for company details followed by the project details. You can save your progress after each page, enabling you to return to the form if you don’t have all the necessary information to hand.

Step-by-step guidance notes are available for each type of grant applied for.

If the courses or training are part of a connected skills building project for your business, you can apply for multiple courses.

For the courses or training to be eligible for a grant application, they must not have started before the application is made. Additionally, they must start in the year of your grant application, and you must be able to provide all relevant receipts when your application is approved in order for the courses to be included in the application.

Yes, if each project is different you can apply for one grant for every eligible grant per year, and at the same time.

The applicant enters the number of zero-hour, part time (defined as a contracted below 25 hours a week) and full-time employees the business has. This information is sent to the Government of Jersey for verification, using your last three months of manpower returns, or last return if not submitting monthly.