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

Venture Capital Trusts (VCT) investment scheme

Status

Open continuously

No deadline — apply whenever you are ready.

Always open
Amount
£10,000,000

Qualifying companies can raise up to GBP 10 million in any 12-month period from VCT investment (GBP 20 million if knowledge intensive), with overall lifetime limits of GBP 24 million (GBP 40 million if knowledge intensive), counting all risk-finance investment received. Investors, not the company, get the tax relief.

Funder

HM Revenue & Customs

public · national

Deadline: Open all year — Continuous; funding is raised from VCT fund managers, not by application 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
quick

Quick — mostly identity and bank details.

Who can apply

Qualifying trade, fewer than 250 full-time equivalent employees (500 if knowledge intensive), gross assets of no more than GBP 30 million before and GBP 35 million immediately after investment; first risk finance investment within 7 years of first commercial sale (10 years if knowledge intensive). Limits from 6 April 2026.

How to apply

  1. Approach VCT fund managers with your plan.
  2. Company confirms qualifying status with HMRC advance assurance before the share issue.

What you will need

Related reading: How grant deadlines actually work · The Companies House number, explained

Apply on the funder's site

Source. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/venture-capital-trusts-introductory-note/venture-capital-trusts-introduction-to-national-and-official-statistics

"most qualifying companies can raise up to £10 million in any 12-month period from VCT investment, or £20 million where the company is KI, and are limited to an overall limit of £24 million or £40 million if KI."

Last checked against the official page on 5 October 2026

Source: www.gov.uk

Report an error Something wrong or out of date? Tell us.

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