• Swindon & Wiltshire News
• Tuesday March 14 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

West of England Combined Authority offers new funding for upscaling businesses

Businesses across the West of England are being offered support from The West of England Combined Authority to buy new products and equipment to increase production and help them grow.

The Authority is launching a new round of Business Growth and Adaptations Grants.

Small to medium sized businesses can apply for grants of between £6k and £30k for projects to increase the production of physical products.

Acting chief executive Richard Ennis said: “We know many businesses have viable plans to upscale, but they just don’t have the money to invest in the equipment they need.

“These grants are designed to help them overcome that barrier to growth. This is the third time we’ve offered these grants and they’ve had a big impact, increasing production and turnover.”

Bristol’s Gingerbeard Preserves were a previous successful applicant. Sales & marketing director, Claire Charras said: “We were facing an increase in demand for our products and needed to upscale and streamline our production processes, without compromising the quality of our produce.

“The funding we were awarded enabled us to buy a new 100 litre boiling pan and semi-automatic filling machine. This wouldn’t have been achievable without the Business Growth and Adaptations Grant.”

Applications are welcome from SMEs based in Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Applicants will need to provide at least 20 peer cent match funding.

The application window opens on Thursday, March 30 and closes on Thursday, April 20.

For full details, including eligibility criteria, visit https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/growth-hub/financial-business-support/business-adaptions-grant/