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Make more money in Britain, the legal way.

Saving money is useful. Earning more changes lives. There are free government-funded ways to retrain, billions of pounds in business funding most owners never claim, and £14bn+ of UK government contracts that SMEs barely apply for. Sorted lists them all in plain English — no upsell, no affiliate trick.

See the four income areas Browse UK grants
Free No login Sourced to GOV.UK + DfE + British Business Bank Plain English
16.5mUK self-employed + SME workers
£14.4bnUK gov contracts awarded to SMEs (2023/24)
£25,000Max Start Up Loan (British Business Bank)
33%R&D Tax Credit (SME enhanced rate)
Sources: ONS Labour Market Overview · Cabinet Office SME contract data · British Business Bank · HMRC R&D Tax Relief

Four ways to earn more.

Each routes you into the official UK scheme or the Sorted tool that helps you apply.

Free training

Skills Bootcamps & Free Courses for Jobs.

Skills Bootcamps: 12-16 weeks, free, government-funded, designed to lead to a job interview. Free Courses for Jobs: free Level 3 qualifications (A-Level equivalent) if you don’t already have one, regardless of income. Adult Education Budget covers other Level 2/3 if you’re on benefits.

  • Skills Bootcamps (free, 12-16 wks)
  • Free Courses for Jobs (Level 3)
  • Adult Education Budget
  • Multiply (free maths to Level 2)
Open Skills Bootcamps directory
Apprenticeships

Earn while you learn — any age.

Apprenticeships now go from Level 2 (GCSE equivalent) to Level 7 (Master’s degree). National Apprenticeship Wage: £7.55/hr for under-19s or in first year; full National Living Wage after that. Employers receive funding incentives, so they’re actively hiring.

  • Levels 2-7 available (GCSE to Master’s)
  • No age limit (NOT just 16-24)
  • Find an apprenticeship on GOV.UK
  • T-Levels for 16-19 year olds
Find a UK apprenticeship
Government contracts

SMEs won £14.4bn of UK gov work last year.

Contracts Finder lists every UK central + local government opportunity over £10,000. Find a Tender lists over £138,000. The government’s SME action plan aims for 33% of all spending with SMEs. Most small UK businesses don’t even register — that’s the gap.

  • Contracts Finder (gov.uk)
  • Find a Tender (above £138k)
  • Crown Commercial Service frameworks
  • NHS Supply Chain + council portals
Open Contracts Finder
Business funding

Start Up Loans, R&D Tax Credits, Innovate UK.

Start Up Loan: up to £25,000 unsecured, 6% fixed APR, government-backed. R&D Tax Credits: SME scheme refunds up to 33% of qualifying R&D spend. Innovate UK runs constant grant competitions across sectors. Most SMEs claim none of these.

  • Start Up Loan (up to £25k, 6%)
  • R&D Tax Credits (SME enhanced rate)
  • Innovate UK grant competitions
  • Local Growth Hub vouchers
Open Business Sorted
Honest note: Skills Bootcamps places depend on local funding pots and adviser allocations — check availability for your sector. Apprenticeship Wage figures (2025/26) apply to England; Scotland, Wales and NI have parallel schemes. Government contracts are competitive: most SMEs need to plan 6-12 months ahead. R&D Tax Credits are HMRC-regulated and false claims trigger penalties — use an SRA solicitor or chartered accountant for technical filings.

Pair this with finding what you’re owed.

Earning more works best when paired with claiming everything you’re already entitled to. Run the 60-second “What am I missing?” check while training or funding applications are in progress.

Run What Am I Missing