Businesses and organisations around the county can now bid for a share of millions of pounds of funding to help pay for capital projects.
Up to £5 million is immediately available for organisations who have “shovel-ready” projects backed up by strong business cases for driving the local economy through jobs and growth.
The scheme is being delivered by Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SSLEP) and is part of the Government’s £900 million Getting Building Fund.
In order to qualify, projects will need to have a minimum grant funding request of £500,000 and have to be completed by March 2025.
In addition, applicants will have to provide evidence of at least 33 per cent match funding for their project. This could be from a variety of sources including local authorities, the public or private sector, the third sector or other funding (including in kind).
The opportunity to submit business cases is open to public, private or third sector organisations across the SSLEP area in a bid to drive economic growth.
The funded projects are expected to provide support for businesses through new innovation and enterprise space, investment in digital skills for young people or improvements to transport infrastructure, which will unlock new housing sites and enable increased active and green travel.
The SSLEP are particularly seeking proposals that are able to deliver:
- Jobs creation
- Construction jobs creation
- Jobs safeguarding
- Commercial/R&D/training floor space delivery
- New learners/new businesses assistance
- Roads/cycle lanes/walkways unlocking
Business case proformas can be found on the LEP’s website – and must be completed by midnight, Friday 17th February 2023 and returned to LEP Change Manager, Bev Dajani at [email protected].
