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Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale Ups

UK Government

The visa fees reimbursement scheme for scale ups provides financial support to UK-based scale-ups operating in the Clean Energy, Life Sciences, and Digital and Technologies sectors. The scheme aims to reduce cost barriers to hire internationally, improving recruitment speed and certainty in sectors central to the UK’s

Funding
See official notice
Deadline
March 2, 2027
Status
OPEN
Category
Small Business & Startups
Opens
June 10, 2026
Directory link check
October 24, 2026

About this opportunity

The visa fees reimbursement scheme for scale ups provides financial support to UK-based scale-ups operating in the Clean Energy, Life Sciences, and Digital and Technologies sectors. The scheme aims to reduce cost barriers to hire internationally, improving recruitment speed and certainty in sectors central to the UK’s growth and innovation ambitions by reimbursing visa fees for eligible hires and their dependants. Qualifying businesses can apply for funding up to £25,000.00/year, with a maximum award of £5,000.00 for each international hire and their dependants. Any costs incurred before the date the application was submitted will not be eligible. To apply for the visa fees reimbursemnet scheme for scale ups grant, you must register and submit your application through the Grants Hub portal: Available grants - Department for Business and Trade Please note: Individuals cannot apply directly for the Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale Ups (VFRS4SU).

Eligibility recorded

The Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale Ups is open to UK-based scale ups operating in the Clean Energy, Life Sciences, and Digital and Technologies sectors. To qualify, a business must meet all the following criteria: Be a UK-based Scale-Up: an enterprise that achieves an average annualised growth rate exceeding 20 per cent in either employment or turnover over a continuous three-year period (the observation period), starting with at least 10 employees at the beginning of this period Operate in at least one of the three priority sectors in the scope, as defined in the Industrial Strategy IS-8 Sectors list definitions below: Clean Energy The Clean Energy Industries are the industries which directly contribute to the clean power transition. These are the companies that are part of the supply chain, manufacturing and services relating to the deployment, construction, and maintenance of clean energy assets and products Life Sciences Businesses involved in developing and/or producing their own pharmaceutical products and all businesses whose primary business involves developing and producing medical technology products, ranging from single-use consumables to complex hospital equipment, including digital health products Digital and Technologies The Digital and Technologies sector develops and applies advanced technologies and digital tools to drive transformative changes in our economy and society. These technologies are foundational, enabling other innovations and transformation across other sectors. Many are emerging, novel, and untested, and will therefore take some time to be fully developed and realise their potential for high economic growth. Technologies related to Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy Industries, Defence, and Life Sciences are excluded as they are covered in separate Sector Plans Hold a valid UK visa sponsor licence Have already established a presence in the UK, meaning the applicant either (i) is incorporated in the UK and registered with Companies House; or (ii) is an overseas company registered with Companies House as having a UK establishment (a place of business or branch in the UK). For the purposes of criterion (d), a UK establishment is a place of business or branch of an overseas company in the UK and requires some degree of physical presence in the UK through which business is carried on. An independent agent acting for the company, or an occasional location (e.g. a hotel used during periodic visits), does not constitute a UK establishment Recruit eligible hire(s) under an immigration route designated as eligible for the Scheme which are the Skilled Worker, Global Talent, and Scale Up visa routes Pass DBT’s standard due diligence and assurance checks prior to grant award Have a valid UK bank account to receive reimbursements

Recorded geography: United Kingdom

Applicant types

Focus areas

Small Business & Startups

Directory verification note

Automatically synchronized from UK Find a Grant. Source identifier: visa-fees-reimbursement-scheme-for-scale-ups-1. Confirm details on the official page.

Recorded notice evidence

What to verify for Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale Ups

Applicant evidence

  • Applicant type: Small businesses
  • Geography: United Kingdom

Opportunity boundaries

  • Recorded funding: See official notice
  • Recorded deadline: March 2, 2027; confirm the closing time.
  • Recorded focus: Small Business & Startups
Fields to verify directly: funding amount. A missing directory value does not remove a restriction.
Connect every eligibility claim, registration, attachment and deadline to the current notice. Open the specific official notice →

Application checklist

How to evaluate and apply for Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale Ups

Use this record for discovery, then connect every requirement and date to the current official notice and its amendments.

Recorded applicant fit

Small businesses

Recorded geography

United Kingdom

Recorded deadline

March 2, 2027 — confirm the closing time.

Eligibility summary: The Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale Ups is open to UK-based scale ups operating in the Clean Energy, Life Sciences, and Digital and Technologies sectors. To qualify, a business must meet all the following criteria: Be a UK-based Scale-Up: an enterprise that achieves an average annualised growth rate exceeding 20 per cent in either employment or turnover over a continuous three-year period (the observation period), starting with at least 10 employees at the beginning of this period Operate in at least one of the three priority sectors in the scope, as defined in the Industrial Strategy IS-8 Sectors list definitions below: Clean Energy The Clean Energy Industries are the industries which directly contribute to the clean power transition. These are the companies that are part of the supply chain, manufacturing and services relating to the deployment, construction, and maintenance of clean energy assets and products Life Sciences Businesses involved in developing and/or producing their own pharmaceutical products and all businesses whose primary business involves developing and producing medical technology products, ranging from single-use consumables to complex hospital equipment, including digital health products Digital and Technologies The Digital and Technologies sector develops and applies advanced technologies and digital tools to drive transformative changes in our economy and society. These technologies are foundational, enabling other innovations and transformation across other sectors. Many are emerging, novel, and untested, and will therefore take some time to be fully developed and realise their potential for high economic growth. Technologies related to Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy Industries, Defence, and Life Sciences are excluded as they are covered in separate Sector Plans Hold a valid UK visa sponsor licence Have already established a presence in the UK, meaning the applicant either (i) is incorporated in the UK and registered with Companies House; or (ii) is an overseas company registered with Companies House as having a UK establishment (a place of business or branch in the UK). For the purposes of criterion (d), a UK establishment is a place of business or branch of an overseas company in the UK and requires some degree of physical presence in the UK through which business is carried on. An independent agent acting for the company, or an occasional location (e.g. a hotel used during periodic visits), does not constitute a UK establishment Recruit eligible hire(s) under an immigration route designated as eligible for the Scheme which are the Skilled Worker, Global Talent, and Scale Up visa routes Pass DBT’s standard due diligence and assurance checks prior to grant award Have a valid UK bank account to receive reimbursements

Recorded focus: Small Business & Startups

1Confirm fitMatch entity type, location, project scope, exclusions and cost share.
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Official sources

Directory link check: October 24, 2026. Always recheck the live notice before relying on it.

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