Grants

Business Growth Programme

October 1, 2018 - September 30, 2021

The Business Growth Programme will enhance the resources of the existing Humber Business Growth Hub through the provision of a range of interventions aimed at enabling SMEs in the Humber to grow and become more productive.  It will encourage and support businesses to grow and develop by delivering the following activities:

• One-to-one advice to determine the needs of the client, including a detailed diagnostic and development of an action plan of support required to achieve growth objectives
• A comprehensive programme of workshops / masterclasses, delivered by industry experts across a range of topics (see below)
• A Leadership Development programme for senior leaders and managers within SMEs with a potential for growth
• Voucher support to SMEs based on projects identified through one-to-one advice and support
• Electronic delivery – development of a suite of webinars, online content, and information available through the Growth Hub Website

The programme will focus on delivering support in the following areas:

• Business model, culture and structure
• Business Planning
• Marketing and communications
• HR and Recruitment
• Improving market and customer awareness and understanding
• Sales process and pitch
• Pricing
• Supply Chain and Procurement
• Resource Efficiency

Community Grants

October 1, 2016 - March 31, 2019

Community Grants is part of the European Social Fund (ESF) programme which is distributing small grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 in the Humber, East Riding, York and North Yorkshire region. The fund was commissioned through the Education and Skills Fund Agency (ESFA).

The aim of the fund is to help unemployed people progress towards employment through access to learning and training opportunities delivered by not for profit organisations in the heart of predominantly disadvantaged communities.

Enterprise!

October 1, 2015 - September 30, 2018

A programme of business support that commenced with pre-start interest and ideas development through online / on-demand activities and developed new companies into growing entities who have the capacity to expand and take on their first employees.

Eligible clients undertaking the learning journey could access face-to-face business support with a qualified, accredited Business Advisor working locally, to support their Business Planning and registration and an application for up to £1,000 matched funds for essential business related equipment.

Eligible businesses could access a further grant of £1,000 to grow their business more quickly and take on their first employee through the ‘Two’s Company’ scheme.

Finance for Growth

June 1, 2018 - May 31, 2021

Delivered as a product of the Humber Business Growth Hub, this three year programme of investment readiness support is focused on enabling SME businesses to access finance.

It provides an intensive Humber-wide programme of support through a network of specialist advisors and associated small grants scheme that will cover up to 40% of the eligible costs of SME beneficiary projects which will enable them to become investment ready.

The programme will:

• Enable SMEs to take full advantage of the growth opportunities provided by the right package of finance
• Deliver a comprehensive programme of workshops and masterclasses
• Provide targeted grants (up to 40% of eligible costs) where part of a specific growth and investment strategy
• Assist SMEs to understand investor requirements and develop corresponding strategy/business plans
• Assist SMEs to understand and negotiate the financial support landscape
• Provide specialist support in relation to company growth plans
• Support the assembly of tailored packages of finance to aid SME growth and expansion
• Grow awareness and understanding of the various finance options available including equity finance
• Signpost to other relevant support, expertise and development opportunities

Hull Community Led Local Development (CLLD)

November 1, 2017 - December 31, 2022

The aim of Community Led Local Development is to use bottom-up, local community driven approaches to address issues in areas of deprivation.

Hull’s Community Led Local Development (CLLD) programme is providing grant funding support to projects which help people in Hull to access and create economic opportunities through the following key priorities outlined in the Local Development Strategy:

• Targeted training in key work-related skills
• Making it easier to find and access work
• Growing Integrated Community Hubs
• Supporting local and community businesses
• Joined up support to increase household incomes

The first competitive grant round has now closed with the second opening in January 2019.

The programme is being led by Hull City Council, with Humber Learning Consortium providing support for the grant administration process.

ICT for Growth

June 1, 2018 - May 31, 2021

Delivered as a product of the Humber Business Growth Hub, this three year scheme will provide a programme of interventions aimed at enabling SMEs in the Humber to create and/or adopt new products and processes, improve productivity and business resilience by utilising ICT more effectively to support business growth.

It will encourage and support the uptake of digital technologies, build business confidence in the use of such technologies and extend understanding of how digital technologies can be employed to solve business problems and deliver increased business competitiveness. This will be achieved by delivering the following activities:

• One-to-one advice to determine the needs of the client and to develop an action plan of support required to achieve the objectives
• A comprehensive programme of workshops / masterclasses, delivered by industry experts
• Voucher support to SMEs based on ICT projects identified through one-to-one advice and support from specialist ICT Advisors
• Broadband vouchers to cover part of the cost of upgrading to faster broadband for new start businesses

Manufacturing Growth Programme

November 1, 2016 - September 30, 2019

The Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP) provides free advice and support to manufacturing SMEs to make improvements by identifying, understanding and removing the barriers affecting their business. The programme includes:

• An independent strategic business review with honest broker
• Detailed growth report that identifies strength and weaknesses
• Support to identify challenges and barriers to growth that drive change
• Support to help drive the completion of projects on time
• Access to grants to subsidise the cost of improvement projects
• Guidance and support to access other support mechanisms
• Service Delivery review
• Contract Directly with expert

It provides free advice and co-funded grant support to manufacturing SMEs to help them:

• Identify opportunities and create plans for improvement and growth
• Work with the best external experts to implement those plans
• Cover 35% of the cost of implementing the plans through a growth/improvement grant (up to £3,500 max)
• Connect to wider support to maximise opportunities for growth

SMEs are guided through the process by a dedicated Manufacturing Growth Manager.

North Lincolnshire Community Led Local Development (CLLD)

October 1, 2017 - December 31, 2021

The aim of Community Led Local Development (CLLD) is to use bottom-up, local community driven approaches to address issues in areas of deprivation.

The North Lincolnshire CLLD programme is focused on effecting community-led social and economic development in the three most deprived areas of Scunthorpe.  A Local Action Group (LAG) has been created from representatives of the voluntary community sector, public sector, private sector and local individuals which will encourage projects to apply for funding to deliver projects which meet one or more of the following priorities:

• Priority Objective 1: to address health and disability including mental health as a barrier to employment
• Priority Objective 2: to support entrepreneurship through pre-start support and support for micro and small enterprises in the CLLD area including social enterprises
• Priority Objective 3: to support particular disadvantaged groups into labour market participation
• Priority Objective 4: to deliver early intervention activity which will raise aspirations within communities and address worklessness and deprivation
• Priority Objective 5: to stimulate local level collaboration amongst local residents, the public, private and vol/com sectors, small businesses and other stakeholder

Spark Fund

April 18, 2017 - April 30, 2020

The Spark Fund provides a programme of Innovation Vouchers and Grants for Research & Development, including grants to support the development of low carbon innovations within SMEs in the Humber.

It supports SMEs to grow market share, improve productivity and create new employment opportunities through the development and subsequent commercialisation of new and innovative products and services.

Up to £50k of grant funding is available to support SMEs to become more innovative and undertake research and development projects.