COVID Update 50

Looking to grow, introduce new products, processes or innovate

This grant has been created to support the growth and development of existing small and medium-sized businesses in Leicestershire with £2,000 to £25,000 grant funding available providing 35% of total project costs. The Business Growth Grant can be used to help your business grow or diversity:

• New innovative technology products or services that improve performance.
• Premises improvement or expansion related business development, new product or services.
• Upgrading capital equipment to enable a more technical or automotive approach, flexible working for staff or enhancing customer services.

This list provides examples and is not exhaustive. A business adviser will support you throughout the process. Discuss your needs with the Business Gateway team to determine your next steps. Call the Leicestershire Business Gateway on 0116 366 8487 or email growthhub@bizgateway.org.uk. For full details and to submit an enquiry please visit Leicestershire Business Gateway.

A local case study from Desford based KJN Automation who were successfully awarded a Business Growth Grant of £19,000 can be found here.

Need help with funding new technology?

Technology grants from £2,000 to £25,000 are available to SMEs across Leicester and Leicestershire.

The Digital Growth Programme grant scheme provides financial support to introduce new systems and software that will help improve business performance and productivity. Eligible businesses can receive a grant from £2k to £25k towards a B2B technology based projects (higher project values are also being considered). Businesses will also receive one to one support from the programme’s Digital Business Adviser.

Projects the grant can fund include Remote Working solutions, CRM systems, Cloud-based solutions, Warehousing ERP solutions, Cybersecurity, Telecommunications, Broadband connectivity, Website, and Ecommerce integration.

If you have a project in mind, and would like to discuss your options, please contact Collette Degia, Events & Engagement Officer, Digital Growth Programme on mobile 07387141590 or email collette.degia@emc-dnl.co.uk.

To find out more details please visit this website.

Green Grants To Grow Your Business

Green BELLE Phase 2 offers grants of £1,000 up to £7,000 to eligible SMEs (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises) in Leicestershire towards the cost of energy efficiency measures.

Examples of energy efficiency measures that could be funded through Green BELLE include: LED Lighting, Heating Systems, Lighting or Heating Controls, Insulation, Energy Efficient Machinery, for example replacement Air Compressors, Solar Panels, Renewables Energy Systems, Heat Pumps, Biomass Boilers and Building Energy Management Systems. This is not necessarily a full list, and the Green BELLE Grant Panel will consider other measures that can be shown to save energy and reduce carbon emissions. Green BELLE can also support multiple energy efficiency measures, up to the grant maximum amount. All Green BELLE grants are 50% match funded. To apply for a Green BELLE grant, please fill in the Expression of Interest form on the Green BELLE website.

The Green BELLE project is open to businesses in the Hinckley and Bosworth area and is managed by Leicester City Council Energy Projects Team, with support from Leicestershire County Council. If you have any specific questions you can’t find the answer to on the Green BELLE website www.greenbelle.org.uk, please get in touch using energygrant@leicester.gov.uk or 0116 454 2700.

The £750,000 Leicestershire Business Recovery Fund is aimed at small businesses within the county to help them recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Applications can be made for grants between £2,000 and £10,000 (excluding VAT).

The scheme will provide 50% grant support with the applicant providing the other 50% as match funding. The funding scheme is managed by the Economic Growth Team at Leicestershire County Council and funded through the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership Business Rate Pooling Funding.

For more information including guidance notes and how to apply, please refer to the Oakleaves website or contact Leicestershire County Council directly on 01163057025 or economicgrowth@leics.gov.uk

Financial help is now available through the Borough Council to help qualifying people on low incomes who have been told to self-isolate through NHS Test and Trace.

Since Monday 28 September, people in England have been required by law to self-isolate if they test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) or if they are contacted by NHS Test and Trace service and advised to self isolate.

Now the Test and Trace isolation support scheme is available to people on low incomes who are unable to work from home and whose finances are reduced by isolation. The one-off payment of £500 can be claimed by qualifying people told to isolate from Monday 28 September to Sunday 31 January 2021 to support them during each period of isolation.

For all the details including eligibility criteria visit: www.hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk/testandtrace. If a person does not meet the eligibility criteria for the main scheme, they may be able to claim as part of the Borough Council’s discretionary scheme instead. Again all details are available on the council website.

Anybody wanting to make a claim has 14 days from the date their isolation ended to complete their application.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Stuart Bray said: “It’s important that we can support people whose income is significantly affected by isolation. This scheme will help relieve them of some of that worry while they’re doing the right thing by protecting our communities from spreading the virus further.

“I would encourage people in Hinckley and Bosworth to share this information with family and friends, so people are aware that there is financial support in place if they’re told to isolate and are unable to pay essential bills. It is important that any person asked to isolate follows the guidance to help reduce the spread of infection to people around them and their communities.”

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Despite the best attempts by Covid to try to disrupt our lives, Hinckley Town centre is holding its own and footfall is better than in many other places. Please remember that Hinckley BID is here to help you if we can – just email steve@hinckleybid.co.uk or call Steve on 0770 939 4841.