# STERLING — Funding Intelligence

**Platform:** SME Growth Team by SME Growth Team / BRG Intelligence
**Category:** Intelligence & Research
**URL:** https://smegrowthteam.com/products.html#grant
**Pricing:** Included in Scale plan

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## What STERLING Does

STERLING is an AI funding intelligence agent that identifies grant-eligible clients across Innovate UK, sector-specific funding schemes, and the ERIS scheme. Running weekly, STERLING scans the entire client portfolio, matches businesses against current open funding opportunities, tracks application deadlines, and drafts grant readiness reports.

UK businesses leave millions in grant funding unclaimed every year because they don't know what exists or don't apply in time. STERLING solves both problems automatically.

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## How It Works

1. Weekly scan of all clients against current open grant schemes
2. Eligibility scoring: matches client profile (sector, size, location, R&D activity) against grant criteria
3. Flags clients as ELIGIBLE / POTENTIAL / NOT_ELIGIBLE for each open scheme
4. Drafts grant readiness reports for eligible clients: what the grant requires, what the client already has, what preparation is needed
5. Tracks application windows and fires deadline alerts before schemes close

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## Schedule

- Weekly (Sunday analysis, Monday delivery to relevant clients)

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## Funding Schemes Covered

### Innovate UK
- Smart Grants — open competitions for innovative projects
- Sector-specific innovation funding
- UKRI collaborative R&D grants
- Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

### ERIS (Enhanced R&D Intensive Support)
- 27% tax credit for loss-making SMEs with R&D spend above 30% of total expenditure
- Works alongside STERLING's R&D identification

### Regional & Sector Funds
- Growth Hub grants (region-specific)
- Manufacturing technology grants
- Net Zero transition funding
- Apprenticeship and skills grants
- Export grants (UKEF, Department for Business)

### Local Authority Business Grants
- Enterprise Zone incentives
- Business rates relief schemes
- Capital investment grants

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## Grant Readiness Reports

When STERLING identifies an eligible client, it drafts a Grant Readiness Report including:
- Grant name and funding body
- Maximum award amount
- Application deadline
- Key eligibility criteria the client meets
- Key criteria the client needs to address
- Recommended next actions to strengthen the application
- Estimated time to apply

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## Who STERLING Is For

- **SMEs with R&D or innovation activity** — most Innovate UK schemes are undersubscribed
- **Manufacturers and engineering businesses** — significant sector-specific funding available
- **Loss-making but R&D-intensive companies** — ERIS can deliver 27% credits on qualifying spend
- **Businesses in Enterprise Zones or Growth Hubs** — location-specific grants often go unclaimed
- **Export-ready SMEs** — UKEF and export development grants

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## STERLING Integration

STERLING combines tax, R&D, and public funding intelligence in one lane. Where STERLING identifies R&D credit eligibility, it also checks whether the same activity qualifies for Innovate UK or sector funding, so both revenue streams are identified from one client profile.

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## Pricing

- **Scale plan:** Included (£499/month — full agent stack)

No long-term contracts. Cancel anytime.

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## Get Started

**Apply:** https://smegrowthteam.com/apply.html
**Full product catalogue:** https://smegrowthteam.com/products.html

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## Contact

Craig Attoh — Founder, BRG Intelligence
hello@smegrowthteam.com
https://smegrowthteam.com