(a) Zedbox UK Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £120,000
Six full-time jobs to be created.
(b) Westover Vets Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £126,000
12.6 new jobs to be created.
General discussion took place on eligibility of applications for veterinary practices and potential
displacement. Agreed that this application was viable, and displacement was not an issue in this case.
General discussion took place regarding the quality of applications going forward and it was noted that
ideally the Panel would like to see in the content of the application information that identifies new
process, innovation and productivity.
(a) DB Sheetmetals Limited (considered and approved by email in August) - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £60,000
Three full-time jobs to be created.
(b) TML Precision Engineering Limited - Update report
Approved to continue to support - Revised Grant: £95,294
Condition: Re-arrangement of project financing to be confirmed via Solicitors
Ten new jobs to be created.
Project much delayed, and significantly altered from that first present in January 2017.
Action: SCC to issue revised Offer Letter to TML Precision Engineering Limited.
JM provided update. The Panel noted the award of seven Small Grant Scheme grants in the month of
July 2018, totalling £68,699 (Grants Awarded) - See Appendix 1.
JM reported there had been a slight fall-off in the number of Small Grant Scheme applications coming
through in August this was a normal expectation for the summer period and anticipates the numbers will
pick up during September/October.
ERDF Business Growth Programme extension (for Small Grant Scheme, Growth Hub and Start-
Ups) - JM reported that confirmation had been received from MHCLG for an extension to the Business
Growth Programme, for a further three years. Going forward, we (LEP) will be arranging a meeting is with
the Growth Hub to look at how grant mechanisms and processes can be improved/streamlined and how
best to pro-actively target businesses with high growth potential.
Based on the speed and pace of present applications being processed, the Small Grant Scheme Panel
will be looking to be more rigid in terms of quality applications. A new rule came into force whereby a
business will not be able to re-apply for a grant for 12 months from date of previous completed grant
application.
R & D & Innovation - JM reported that he will be putting together an ERDF application as part of the
October call for bids for an R& D and Innovation grant programme, for 3 years of funding, totalling
£1.5million, with an intervention rate of up to 50% for SMEs that is not currently covered under the SGS
and GBF programmes. If the bid is successful, the grant will run alongside the Small Grant Scheme and
Growing Business Fund programmes, to fill the identified gap for R& D & Innovation provision across
Norfolk and Suffolk.