… denied profits and funding (8)
I believe the answer is:
gainsaid
'denied' is the definition.
(to gainsay is to deny or dispute something)
'profits and funding' is the wordplay.
'profits' becomes 'gains' ('gain' can be a synonym of 'profit').
'and' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'funding' becomes 'aid'.
'gains'+'aid'='GAINSAID'
(Other definitions for gainsaid that I've seen before include "Challenged" , "Formally denied or contradicted" .)