Major grants to be unveiled to growing firms at business conference

Show Me Success event photo 2022

Growing firms in the South East Midlands will find out how they can successfully bid for up to £300,000 for capital projects at an exciting free event next month.

SEMLEP will unveil details of two new funding streams that are opening soon to growing businesses across Bedfordshire and Luton, Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire, at its Show Me Success business conference.

The event will give firms the chance to connect with other ambitious business leaders, hear from leading speakers, access university-led business masterclasses and take advantage of expert support from SEMLEP Growth Curve advisers.

SEMLEP chief executive Hilary Chipping said: “This is an important event for growing businesses, and we’re delighted to be using it to launch our new resilience and growing innovation grant schemes.

“We will be sharing with businesses all they need to know about the new grants, the eligibility criteria and how they can apply for them. Our business advisers will also be on hand to answer any questions organisations may have and can schedule in time to support them with their applications.”

SEMLEP Partnerships and Events Manager Samantha Hunter added: “Show Me Success will be a fantastic celebration of the rapidly growing businesses which have benefitted from our Growth Curve programme during the past three years.

“Even though the programme is ending in June businesses who are new to Growth Curve can still take advantage of support from its business advisers and network with around 100 businesses from across the region by signing up for this event.

“This event is free to attend because Growth Curve is fully-funded but spaces are limited so we’d urge firms to reserve their places online as soon as possible.”

There will be new grants of up to £50,000 available for capital projects which are focussed on growth, resilience and innovation.

SEMLEP will also be offering new grants of between £100,000 and £300,000 for capital projects linked with innovation, commercialisation of ideas and decarbonisation.

Show Me Success will be held at the new multi-million pound Hotel La Tour in Milton Keynes from 9am to 1pm on Friday, June 23.

High profile speakers attending the event include Martin Spiller, Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the world-renowned Cranfield University School of Management, who will deliver a session on Tips to Turbo Charge Business Growth.

Attendees will be welcomed with light breakfast refreshments and the event will conclude with a buffet lunch and networking at the hotel’s top floor Fourteen Sky Bar and Restaurant which has unparalleled views over Milton Keynes.

Growth Curve is open to businesses which are experiencing or projecting high growth in the next two to three years, have a minimum of two employees and a current annual turnover of £100,000 with projected 20 per cent annual growth minimum.

Growth Curve and its Growth Curve Peer Networks are part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

For further information about Show Me Success, including bookings, visit https://www.semlepgrowthhub.com/show-me-success/

To register for support from the Growth Curve programme fill in the enquiry form at https://www.semlepgrowthhub.com/growth-curve/ or call 0300 01234 35.



GROWTH CURVE

Growth Curve is an intensive programme for business owners that will help them strengthen their leadership skills and help set their organisation on track for attainable long-term growth. The programme was created to support businesses by providing university-led masterclasses for business leaders, meetings with business advisers, and access to funding. The programme has been updated to support businesses at this time, taking into consideration the current environment and the challenges businesses are facing. The programme is run in partnership with Cranfield University, University of Bedfordshire and University of Northampton and is part-funded by European Union European Regional Development Fund. Businesses which could benefit from a one-to-one with a Growth Curve business adviser, can register their interest here.