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Unclaimed
Discovery tool, not advice. Every figure is the published rule, not a decision on your case.
Tax credits

Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI)

Status

Open continuously

No deadline — apply whenever you are ready.

Always open
Amount
£250,000

Tax-advantaged share options: employees can hold EMI options worth up to GBP 250,000 in a 3-year period; no Income Tax or National Insurance on exercise if bought at no less than market value at grant. The company grants options; it is not a cash grant.

Funder

HM Revenue & Customs

public · national

Deadline: Open all year — Available continuously; options are granted by the company and notified to HMRC.

Your odds
Not published

This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.

Effort
moderate

Moderate — a form and supporting documents.

Who can apply

Most companies qualify if they have assets of GBP 120 million or less and fewer than 500 full-time employees (on or before 5 April 2026 the limits were GBP 30 million and 250 employees). Excluded activities include banking, farming, property development, legal services and ship building. Employee must work at least 25 hours a week or 75% of working time.

How to apply

  1. Company agrees EMI option terms with employees and checks eligibility (assets and employee limits).
  2. Company registers the scheme and notifies HMRC of the grant via the gov.uk employment-related securities service. — link

What you will need

Apply on the funder's site

Source. https://www.gov.uk/tax-employee-share-schemes/enterprise-management-incentives-emis

"Most companies can offer you Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) if they have both: assets of £120 million or less; fewer than 500 full-time employees. EMI give you share options up to the value of £250,000 in a 3-year period."

Last checked against the official page on 5 October 2026

Source: www.gov.uk

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