As a council we will assist
new companies with business advice, to help with the development
and expansion, along with relevant information on Government
funding and strategic approaches to external funding sources by
other organisations.
Sources of Financial Assistance
Shop Front Painting Scheme Recession Buster
2010
Forest Heath District Council offers a grant to
improve shop fronts throughout Forest Heath. The grant offers to
part fund the painting of shop fronts up to 75% of the cost or
£500, whichever is the lesser.
About the shop front painting scheme:
- Grants are available for up to 75% (new level up from 50% is a
'recession buster' offer until Oct 2010) or £500 which ever is the
lower, of the cost of painting the ground floor frontage of the
shops and other commercial premises within Forest Heath area.
- Three quotations for the work are required.
- To be eligible for the grant work should not be carried out
before the grant has been approved in writing.
- Grants will be issued on a First Come First Served
Basis
- There is no colour preference. However the colour of the shop
needs to be respectful of any conversation area. Forest Heath
District Council can refuse any application if it is not believed
not to be in the best interest for the towns and surrounding
villages.
- On return of the application form to Forest Heath District
Council, the property will be inspected and the application
determined normally within a period of four weeks.
This scheme has been beneficial to a variety of traders in the
Forest Heath area, the
'Craft Cabin' in Brandon is the most recent
example.
For further information about the Shop Front Painting Scheme,
please download the application form or contact our Town Centre
Manager on 01638 719339 or email
econdev@forest-heath.gov.uk
paintingschemeaplicationform2008.doc
Local Delivery RDPE Funding
If you are an existing business, charity, social enterprise or
seeking to set up a business and are looking towards development in
any of the wards listed below then you could be eligible for
funding through the Leader apporach.
Brandon East, Brandon West, Eriswell and the Rows, Great Heath,
Iceni, Lakenheath, Manor, Market and Red Lodge wards are all
included in the Brecks Area, a region which has been successful in
obtaining £3.3 million of European funding awarded by the East
of England Development Agency (EEDA) until 2013.
Activities should include farm diversification, woodfuel supply
chain, energy from waste, developing local food supply chains,
local use of timber, improving opportunities for community
stabilisation, integration and improved rural skills or building on
the tourism options through collaborative and environmentally
sensitive tourism and recreation.
For more information go to
http://www.ruraladvice.co.uk/brecks/index.asp
or contact Linsey Tyas, RDP Administrator on 01603 731583.
EEDA launches New Programmes
The following
programmes have now been launched:
Regional Finance Roadshow
EEDA are undertaking a small
roadshow across the region to launch a new and imrpoved portfolio
of financial products. The breakfast briefings are ideal for
businesses looking for funding to prove ideas, to fund research and
development projects and finance to expand the business. Experts
will be on hand to talk through the various programmes.
For more information about the content and locations of the
brieifngs or to register a place on an event please visit
www.eeda.org.uk/events
Regional Loan
This new 10m Loan Fund is
designed to support innovative businesses finance their
development. Loans of between £50k and £200k are now available to
new and existing businesses in the East of England with the
potential for long term growth.
Understanding Finance for Business
This
programme is designed to help businesses identify and obtain
the right type of finance for their business. It is open to
businesses with fewer than 250 employees who are looking to secure
more than £10,000 of external funding. The programme is structured
around a series of workshops and support that become more tailored
as you move through, covering subjects such as demystifying fiance
, grants and venture capital.
Details of the programme, events and registration can all be found
at
www.eeda.org.uk/finance
Suffolk Rural Economy Scheme
The Suffolk Rural Services Scheme has
been replaced by the Suffolk Rural Economy Scheme, which will run
until October 2009. The Scheme is administered by Suffolk County
Council, on behalf of the partners, which includes the rural
district and borough councils of Suffolk. Small one-off revenue and
capital grants will be awarded to shops and post offices in rural
areas, which can demonstrate sustainable economic community
benefits.
The aim is to assist:
- Private rural shops and post offices, which are based in the
community they serve, are viable, an asset to the community and the
only business of that type in the settlement
-
Social enterprises, charities,
voluntary and community groups which run, or are creating, an
economically viable community shop for the benefit of their rural
community
Grant applications from communities
threatened with post office closure will be welcomed, but grants
will not be made to support campaigns to prevent a post office
closure. Shops with a turnover of £7500 per week or less may apply
for grants to improve premises or to expand their business.
For more information, and to receive
an application form, please contact Yvonne Moores at Suffolk
County Council on 01473 264827 or email
yvonne.moores@suffolkcc.gov.uk
The Rural Economy Scheme is funded by Suffolk County Council,
Babergh District Council, Forest Heath District Council, Mid
Suffolk District Council, St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Suffolk
Coastal District Council, Waveney District Council, and Suffolk
County Council’s Corporate Regeneration Fund. Suffolk ACRE, Post
Office Ltd, Rural Shops Alliance, ViRSA, and Foundation East are
also part of the Rural Economy Scheme Partnership.
Click on the links below to download the covering letter and
application form:
newcoveringletter.pdf
REVISEDRuraleconomyschemeapplicationform.pdf
Foundation East
(http://www.foundationeast.org)
is a not for profit organisation which lends money to new and
existing businesses who have viable business plans but can't get a
loan from a bank or can only borrow some of the funds required. For
further information read the Foundation East
leaflet or contact Peter Davis on 01284
757777.
DEFRA’s England Rural
Development Programme(ERDP) – Rural Enterprise Scheme.
This scheme provides grants to assist rural economies and
communities with their regeneration and adjustment to the declining
importance of agriculture and the demands of the rural economy. For
further information please see
http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/default.htm
Create East of England Fund. This fund makes
investments in new or existing small and medium-sized businesses
that can demonstrate significant growth potential and are either
based, or conduct a significant part of their business in the East
of England;
www.createpartners.com.
Business Link Suffolk can provide help with applying to the fund
call 08457 254254 or email
info@bls.org.uk
Selected Rural Business
Support Scheme offers up to two days free advice for
businesses that have been affected by CAP reform. Contact Sally
Wilson at SuRE on 0800 0521448
A Rural Gateway Service has been launched to
help rural and agricultural businesses in Suffolk. The service will
support those who are planning to start a new business in the
countryside, as well as those who want to diversify or make their
business more successful. All farm, land-based, or rurally located
businesses are eligible, including businesses based within an urban
community but which are dedicated to rural customers. To access the
Rural Gateway phone 0845 600 9006, email
ruralink@bls.org.uk or
visit
www.ruralgateway.info
i10 £1k Voucher Scheme
The
idea of the £1k voucher scheme is to stimulate low carbon economic
growth by helping SMEs connect with the East of England
Universities.
No matter what kind of business your in low carbon issues are going
to affect it; supply chain, opperations and customers are all part
of the challenge. The opportunities are huge to develop cheaper,
faster and better solutions and the East of England is leading the
way
For further infomation please see the following
link 1klowcarbon2final.pdf which includes
how to
apply.