Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) 🎁 Program
UK tax relief for your investors on up to GBP 250,000 of seed shares, which makes early rounds much easier to raise.
| Who qualifies | UK-established company with gross assets up to GBP 350,000, under 25 FTE employees, qualifying trade under 3 years old; max GBP 250,000 raised under SEIS. |
|---|---|
| Open in | United Kingdom |
| Partner code needed | No: apply directly |
| Deadline | Rolling, apply any time |
| Terms last checked | 2026-10-11 |
About Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS)
What you get
SEIS is not a grant to your company. It is a UK tax relief for the people who buy new shares in your startup, which makes them far more willing to invest at the earliest stage. Your company can raise a maximum of GBP 250,000 (about $330,000) through SEIS, and that cap includes other de minimis state aid received in the previous three years. Many UK angels only invest in SEIS-eligible rounds.
Who qualifies
Your company must be established in the UK, have gross assets of no more than GBP 350,000 and fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees when the shares are issued, and its qualifying trade must not have been carried on for more than three years. The company must not have carried on another trade before. Shares must be full-risk ordinary shares, paid up in cash and not redeemable.
Good to know
Advance assurance from HMRC is optional but most investors expect it: you send your business plan, forecasts, articles and details of likely investors, and HMRC says whether the issue is likely to qualify. After the shares are issued and you have traded for four months or spent at least 70% of the money, you file a compliance statement (form SEIS1) so HMRC can issue certificates (SEIS3) to investors. You must follow the rules for at least three years or investors lose their relief. The size of the investors' relief is set in HMRC's manual, not on this page.
Verdict
Not cash in hand, but for UK founders it is one of the most useful tools for raising a first angel round. Apply for advance assurance before you start pitching.
How to apply
- Check your company meets the SEIS limits (assets, employees, age of trade, UK establishment).
- Apply to HMRC for advance assurance with your business plan, forecasts, articles and likely investors.
- Issue full-risk ordinary shares paid up in cash.
- After four months of trading or spending 70% of the money, file the SEIS1 compliance statement for each share issue.
- Send the SEIS3 certificates from HMRC to your investors and keep to the rules for three years.
Who it is for
Steps Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) helps with
Pros
- Makes UK angel rounds much easier to close
- Advance assurance gives investors confidence
- Open all year
Cons
- Not a grant: the benefit goes to investors
- Strict rules for three years after the investment
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