• Swindon & Wiltshire News
• Wednesday August 27 2014

Wiltshire businesses awarded growth grants totalling £274,000

Wiltshire businesses have been awarded funding totalling £274,000 in the latest round of Gateway for Growth grants.

The scheme exists to help businesses grow and reach their potential, creating and securing jobs. So far, £750,000 has been awarded in three tranches.

The funding has been secured by Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and an expert panel considered applications from SMEs across the county.

Among the recipients were Swindon-based OATS, which supplies information and productivity solutions for oil companies around the world including Shell, Exxon Mobil and BP Castrol.

A grant of £31k will aid the development of a new front-end tool that gives clients a powerful methodology for significant product placement, analysis and marketing objectives creating seven jobs.

Roger Lewis Furniture of Trowbridge has received a grant of £5k to support the purchase of machinery to improve production speed and capacity.

It will also help improve their R&D capabilities, internationalise their website to appeal to new markets and create eight new jobs.

Apsley Precision Engineering Ltd is a sub-contract precision engineering company, specialising in machined components and assemblies for the defence, oil, gas and scientific industries.

Their grant of £33k will be used to acquire further machinery to expand the business and create four new jobs.

Other companies benefiting from grants include:

• Westbury-based Prezola received £50k to enhance their digital presence
• ISN were awarded £29k to support their plans to create a leading Network Operations Centre
• Loadpoint Ltd received £50k to increase its sub-contract cutting capacity
• Torchlight Solutions secured £45k to improve their service offering
• Guild Anderson will use their grant of £11k to upgrade their design software
• Southern Tank Services Ltd have an ambitious plan to increase sales as a result of their £20k award

SWLEP director Isobel Brown said, “We’re delighted to see that funding secured by the Swindon and Wiltshire LEP is continuing to support the growth plans of local businesses. The grants will help these successful businesses to reach their full potential, creating new jobs in our LEP area and benefiting the local economy”.

“The ongoing business support from Wessex Chambers of Commerce, Business West, UKTI, Wiltshire Council, Swindon Borough Council, Swindon Chamber of Commerce and Lancaster University for our growing businesses will really make a difference to their future success.”

The funding was secured from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund through Lancaster University, who are leading the creation of 15 new growth hubs across the UK. For more local information, visit www.wiltshirebusinesshub.co.uk