Katrina D'Souza is the Business Engagement & Marketing Manager at The Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Cambridgeshire & Peterborough who provide free and low-cost business support and advice to start up business owners, entrepreneurs, and inventors like you. BIPC Jumpstart is back and it's better!  Earlier this year they gave away £20K in grants to four new businesses based in Cambridgeshire. Don’t worry if you missed out, BIPC Jumpstart is back and ready to help you jumpstart your business! BIPC Jumpstart consists of three main parts. BIPC Jumpstart Grants - Check if you’re eligible Support Programme - Open to all Trade Mark Grants - Check if you’re eligible need to know more? https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/libraries-leisure-culture/business-intellectual-property-centre-cambridgeshire

Sam Hunter is the Partnerships & Events Manager at the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership referred to as SEMLEP. SEMLEP cover Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire and boroughs and districts of Northampton, Kettering, Corby, South Northamptonshire and Daventry.

For more information about SEMLEP grants and the other great support that they provide please see their website: https://www.semlepgrowthhub.com

Low Carbon Workspaces match-funded grants of between £1,000 - £5,000 for businesses in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes

What’s good for the planet, is good for business, so if you’re planning on investing in a project which will cut carbon emissions, save money and minimise waste Low Carbon Workspaces is here to help.

Contact Dan and the team at [email protected] or call 01494 927131 or visit the website www.lowcarbonworkspaces.co.uk  

Nick Gardner is Head of Climate Action at The National Lottery Community Fund, he joins us to talk about the Climate Action Fund but also the raft of other grant funding available UK-wide from the National Lottery Fund providers for Community and voluntary organisations, charities, public sector and those working in partnerships

Climate Action Fund aims to help communities across the UK to address climate change leveraging up to £1.5 million over 2 to 5 years, with most projects between £300,000 and £500,000. Development grants of £50,000 to £150,000 over 12 to 18 months.

They're looking for projects that focus on the link between nature and climate. They want to fund projects that use nature to encourage more community-led climate action. We expect these projects to bring other important social and economic benefits. Like the creation of strong, resilient and healthy communities or the development of ‘green’ skills and jobs.

Eligible projects can do at least one of the following:

For more information

Davies Okeowo is an Access to Finance Account Manager at the GBSLEP Growth Hub where he provides investment readiness support to local businesses who are looking to raise funding. Leveraging his extensive experience as an entrepreneur, his background in accounting and enterprise development, as well as his expertise in pitch deck development, business strategy, financial modelling, consulting, and public speaking, Davies helps businesses achieve their growth objectives in line with the GBSLEP’s mission.

Here is the Link to learn more and apply for the Clean Growth Grant: https://www.gbslepgrowthhub.co.uk/sustainability/clean-growth-grant

Businesses who would like to reach out can either use the “Contact Us” form on the page or send Davies a direct email at [email protected]

Here is the link for the Coventry University Proof of Concept Fund ENDING THIS WEEK: https://www.cuebusinesssolutions.com/portfolio-item/proof-of-concept-2/. Businesses who need further support on this should send an email to [email protected]

Nicola is a Technology Manager at the Midlands Aerospace Alliance and is currently helping to deliver one of the last ERDF funding streams in partnership with the University of Nottingham called “Aerospace UP”. The programme provides matched funding grants for innovation as well as free technical support packages on a variety of subjects.

The Aerospace UP programme grants can provide support to SMEs in the Midlands who wish to innovate either products, services or processes in the Aerospace sector – this can cover anything from the traditional Civil Aerospace and Aviation Infrastructure supply chains, but also emerging markets in Advanced Air Mobility, Space and Zero Emissions Technologies.

We pride ourselves on a programme that is low in admin overhead for SMEs, with simple forms and plenty of support from us to prepare (we know how little time SMEs have for admin) and we have a fast-track grant application process – when needed we have brought projects from Expression of Interest to Full Grant Approval in 2 weeks! The first step is enrolment – which is essentially an eligibility check – and gives SMEs access immediately to our free events and support.

We still have some money left in the pot in a number of Midlands LEPs which needs to be spent by June 2023, so we are reaching out now to SMEs in other sectors whose technologies could be applied to Aerospace – equally we can support Aerospace Supply Chain SMEs who wish to diversify out of Aerospace.

www.aerospaceup.com

[email protected]

As a Medilink Midlands Innovation Advisor Teresa provides dedicated and professional business support and guidance for both early stage and mature innovation development in medical/MedTech and health related fields. This includes advice around the direction of specific innovations and providing a link to the NHS both directly and through the AHSN (academic health science network). 

Following Brexit, Teresa's current main area of responsibility is assisting small and medium companies to access the remaining ERDF (European regional development fund) grant funding for innovations in the MedTech and Health and wellbeing areas. Although Medilink Midlands provides support across the whole midlands’ region, grant funding is focused on companies located in the East Midlands regions, from Lincoln down to Luton, and will be completed by end of June 2023, so fact fast!

Don't switch off if you are not a Medtech/Healthtech business, there are many innovative ways your business can leverage Medilink funding pots- improved wellbeing or mental health of your team, customers, and even animals! There's no charge to discover if you are eligible, so get in touch with Teresa for a consultation. If you do meet the criteria, the team will even help you with the form filling!

[email protected]

Dan is the Climate Change Programme Manager at Buckinghamshire Business First (including the Low Carbon Workspaces programme) and he's joining us to tell you how you can get £250 for your micro, small or medium sized business if its based in Buckinghamshire. The fund is easy to access and they can even help you fill in the application form.