Growing Business Fund Grant Panel Meeting Minutes (Confirmed)
Wednesday 7th March 2018
10.00am - 12.30pm
Room 3, Centrum, Norwich Research Park
Present - Panel:
Mike Burrows (MB)
East Coast College (Chair)
Jeanette Wheeler (JWh)
Birketts (Vice Chair)
Paul Stewart (PS)
Center Parcs
Martin Ince (MI)
Martin Ince Communications
Dominic Keen (DK)
Britbots
In attendance:
Chris Dashper (CD)
New Anglia LEP
Jason Middleton (JM)
New Anglia LEP
Julie West (JWe)
New Anglia LEP
Rose Joy (RJ)
New Anglia LEP
Barry Henson (BH)
Suffolk County Council
Vimmi Hayes (VH)
Suffolk County Council
David Dukes (DD)
Norfolk County Council
Stuart Ager (SA)
Finance East
Neil Sargent (NS)
Finance East
Amanda Castell (AC)
Finance East
1
Welcome
Mike Burrows welcomed everyone to the meeting, and round table introductions took place.
2
Apologies
Max Applin, Sandy Ruddock.
3
New Terms of Reference
Chris Dashper outlined the background to the ongoing Local Enterprise Partnership Governance reviews,
and necessary consistency across all Local Enterprise Partnership Groups. Mike Burrows suggested
further attention is given to the voting numbers on this Panel, and to the gender balance.
Revised Terms of Reference were agreed, and take effect immediately.
4
Declarations of Interest
Jeanette Wheeler declared the professional interest of her firm in the Polar Manufacturing Ltd grant
application, and left the room for the duration of the discussion of that application.
5
Meeting Minutes: Panel Meeting 7 February 2018
Confirmed, with no amendments or specific matters arising.
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6
Revised Scheme Guidelines
The Panel noted the revised ‘Guidance for Applicants’ and ‘Guidance for New Anglia Business Growth
Advisers’ documents, which are to become effective from 1 April 2018.
7
New Applications for Approval
a) Benthic Solutions Ltd - Approved Grant £240,000
No additional conditions, twelve jobs to be created.
b) Fountain Foods Ltd - Approved Grant £98,081
No additional conditions, seven jobs to be created, de-minimis award
Jeanette Wheeler left the room for the duration of the discussion of this application.
c) Polar Manufacturing Ltd - Approved Grant £171,320
Property Lease to be in place before the grant is defrayed, 25 jobs to be created
8
Small Grant Scheme Update
The Panel noted the award of seventeen Small Grants in the month of January, totalling £224,293. See
appendix 1
9
Funding and Jobs Creation
Barry Henson advised that £2.262m of grant funding has been defrayed in this financial year. Including
today’s approvals, a further £2.069m is committed, making £4.331m in total, effectively overcommitting
the 2017-18 allocation by £727k. With further expected applications, 2018-19 should have a very strong
start.
Cumulative confirmed job creation now 1,785, an increase of 44 since last reported in January.
10
Updates on Approved Grants
Barry Henson provided brief updates on four grant projects.
11
GBF Applications ‘Pipeline’
Neil Sargent and Amanda Castell provided brief details of applications in progress, and Julie West
advised of four new Expressions of Interest being processed by the Growth Hub.
12
PR and Marketing
Chris Dashper and Julie West outlined significant changes to both LEP and Growth Hub websites, and
arrangements in hand for further Case Studies to be published, including some video content.
13
Any Other Business
None.
The meeting closed at 12.20pm.
Next Meeting:
Wednesday 4 April 2018, 10.00am - 12.30pm
Constantine House, Ipswich
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