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Wealth of grant funding support now on offer to businesses based in East Yorkshire

24 September 2024

Businesses in the East Riding of Yorkshire are being urged to take advantage of the grant funding support that’s currently on offer to help them with everything from training costs and carbon reduction to projects that will help them to grow and expand.

Lukes bakery

Part of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Invest East Yorkshire’s Business Support Services team is encouraging businesses to get in touch to find out which of the available grant funding streams they may be eligible for and how to access them. All of the grants will cover up to a maximum of 50 per cent of the total project costs.

Examples include revenue grants for projects aimed at fuelling the growth of the business, up to a maximum of £5,000. This could help to pay for things like marketing and sales costs, advice from external consultants, fees for events, creating a website or buying software licences.

Meanwhile training grants are available to provide training to employees of the business, up to a maximum of £1,500 per employee or £5,000 per business. Carbon reduction grants can cover projects aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the business. The amount allocated is linked to the level of carbon reduction, with £1,500 on offer for every tonne of CO2 saved, making this type of grant ideal for projects such as the installation of solar panels, wind turbines, energy efficient lighting or boilers, or changes to the fabric of a building aimed at reducing emissions.

Businesses looking to invest in machinery and equipment, or carry out infrastructure projects, can benefit from capital grants. Capital grants of up to £5,000 are available for moveable assets and £10,000 for fixed assets, which could help cover the cost of plant and machinery, the purchase of computer equipment or improvements to retail premises. However, if an applicant can demonstrate that their capital project will have a wider economic impact, by creating new jobs, developing the supply chain or creating tourist accommodation, grants of up to £50,000 could be made available.

Among those who have already benefited is Luke Jenneson, who owns and runs Luke’s Bakery in Brough. He can now bake twice as much bread after Invest East Yorkshire helped him access grant funding to cover the cost of equipment he needed to be able to ramp up production. This, in turn, enabled him to double his sales and take on additional employees.

The talented artisan baker said: “I'm extremely grateful for the support and guidance of the Invest East Yorkshire team. The grant has helped to grow my business by funding additional equipment, which has allowed me to scale-up the capacity of my bakery. I was able to realise the first phase of my business growth plan much sooner than I would have done otherwise.”

Dawn Hall, Business Support Services Manager for Invest East Yorkshire, said: “With a whole raft of different grant funding streams on offer, there’s a source of funding to suit businesses of all sizes working in a wide range of different sectors.

“Have a chat with our friendly team of business advisers today and they can help you assess your current needs and identify which grants your business could apply for, as well as guide you through the application process step-by-step. "

Invest East Yorkshire’s Business Support Services team offers a comprehensive package of free support for businesses, from events and workshops to one-to-one advice and help identifying sources of funding. It also manages The Supply Chain Network Supplier Directory, which was created for businesses to showcase their products and services, and a Resource Portal, where businesses can find a wide range of free information, tools and templates. The team is also able to signpost businesses to other support providers and draw upon the expertise of colleagues in other departments across the council, such as planning, licensing and environmental health.

Businesses are encouraged to contact the team by emailing business.support@eastriding.gov.uk, telephoning 01482 391622 or visiting www.investeastyorkshire.co.uk/business-support for more information about the support on offer.