eBay UK has reopened its Up & Running Grants scheme for 2026, offering up to 20 businesses a £10,000 cash grant plus six months of account management and premium support.
Applications opened on 16th September and close at 11:59pm on 30th October 2026. Winners will be announced in January 2027.
The scheme runs on two eligibility routes. The first is for sellers aged 18 to 30 who have held an active business seller account on eBay for at least three months.
The second is for UK-registered businesses of any age, as long as they commit to employing someone aged 18 to 24 and can show how that hire will help the business grow. This route needs six months of active listings behind it.
Neither route is open to past Up & Running winners or previous eBay Business Award recipients.
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Entrants apply through eBay’s application portal, submitting their business details, eBay user ID and store link. A two-minute video pitch is optional.
Judges will look at how clearly a seller sets out their business objectives, how sensibly they plan to spend the grant, and whether their 12-month spending plan is realistic.
Winners also get access to eBay’s young entrepreneur community and a run of events through 2027.
This is the second year of the scheme. Last year’s cohort included George, owner of Phillips Hobbies Ltd, who put his £10,000 into growing the trading card and collectibles business.
