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Growing Business Fund Grant Panel Meeting Minutes (Confirmed)
Wednesday, 06 February 2019 | 10.00am - 12.30pm
Suffolk Suite, Center Parcs, Eleveden Forest, Brandon, Suffolk, IP27 0YZ
Present - Panel:
Mike Burrows (MB)
Dominic Keen (DK)
Martin Ince (MI)
Paul Stewart (PS)
Daryl Griffiths (DG)
Jackie Potter (JP)
In Attendance:
Jason Middleton (JM)
Julie West (JW)
Rose Joy (RJ)
Neil Sargent (NS)
Amanda Castell (AC)
Barry Henson (BH)
David Dukes (DD)
Chris Sharman (CS)
(Chair)
Britbots
Martin Ince Communications
Center Parcs
Burnett Barker Solicitors
Micro Press Limited
New Anglia LEP
New Anglia LEP
New Anglia LEP
Finance East
Finance East
Suffolk County Council
Norfolk County Council
New Anglia Growth Hub
Actions outstanding from the meeting: Wednesday, 07 November 2018
Carried forward:
Condimentum Limited - JW to seek assurance and clarity on employment transfer and email update to
Panel members.
Actions outstanding from the meeting: Wednesday, 05 December 2018
Under Item 9: GBF Applications ‘pipeline’
Action: JW to email Panel members a statistical overview in due course.
1
Welcome
MB welcomed everyone to the meeting.
2
Apologies
Vimmi Hayes, Suffolk County Council; Dr Sumathi Sundram, S&V Consultants Ltd; Stuart Ager, Finance
East; Chris Dashper, New Anglia LEP; Max Applin,; Jeanette Wheeler, Birketts
JW reported that Sandy Ruddock, Scarlet and Mustard, has decided to stand down as a GBF Panel
member. Thanks given to SR for her help whilst on the Panel.
3
Declarations of Interest and GDPR
Declarations of Interest - No Declarations of Interest declared.
4
Meeting Minutes: Panel Meeting held on Wednesday, 07 November 2018
Confirmed with minor amendments.
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New Applications for Approval (7)
(a) Weco Engineering Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £37,344
Two full-time jobs to be created.
Conditions of Offer applied: (1) Confirmation of planning permission to be provided and (2)
evidence of jobs under the Small Grant Scheme to be provided
(b) Euro Workspace Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £60,000
Three full-time jobs to be created.
Recommendation applied: Evidence of formal offer from asset finance company (HSBC) for
match funding to be provided.
(c) HW Webb Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £29,700
Two full-time jobs to be created.
(d) Silverline Office Equipment Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £70,000 - awarded under De Minimus
Four full-time jobs to be created
(e) Lifeline 24 Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant - £106,000
Fifteen full-time jobs to be created
(f) Events Under Canvas Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £30,482
Six part-time jobs to be created
(g) Drurys Environmental Services Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £44,000 - awarded under De Minimus
Three full-time jobs to be created
Growth Hub Advisor follow -up - Panel members felt it would be beneficial for the Growth Hub Adviser
to follow up their application(s) following GBF Panel approval.
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Review of Existing Applications for Approval (2)
(a) Omega Ingredients Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant Increase: £10,000
(b) Dorplan Contracts Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant Increase: £226,926
Twenty additional full-time jobs to be created
General discussion took place on GBF eligibility criteria and how they are applied to applications.
Action: JM/JW/BH to look at guidance for SGS and GBF to ensure they run side-by-side for
consistency and compatibility (as far as the funding regulations allow) and produce
a paper for next GBF Panel meeting.
7
Small Grant Scheme Update
JM provided update.
The Panel noted the award of Small Grant Scheme grants in the month of November 2018, totalling
£87,274 (Grants Awarded) - See Appendix 1.
The Panel noted the award of Small Grant Scheme grants in the month of December 2018, totalling
£83,430 (Grants Awarded) - See Appendix 1
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JM reported the Small Grant Scheme is performing really well. It was noted that by the end of this year,
we will, in all probability, have allocated all of the SGS funds.
JM presently in discussion with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for
additional funding.
JM gave thanks to BH and his team for doing a sterling job.
Due Diligence - JM reported that Alan Herbert (AH) is now in post at New Anglia LEP as the Due
Diligence Officer for the SGS programme. AH will go once a week to the Growth Hub office to ‘iron out’
any questions/queries before submission. This will significantly improve the quality of applications and
also the speed in processing of grant applications.
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Funding and Jobs Creation
BH provided update.
Growing Business Fund - current year GBF allocation is now overspent by £226k. LEP Investment
Committee has confirmed an additional allocation of up to £1m for any further payments likely to be made
this financial year. With today’s approvals, £2.011m is now committed, but not yet claimed, so there will
be a significant start to commitments in 2019-20.
Small Grant Scheme - total spent on SGS is now just over £1.7m (192 grants), with a further £550k
committed.
Job creation - a further 91 jobs confirmed in GBF and the old SGS since last meeting in December,
giving a total of 2,114. With an additional 10 in the new Small Grant Scheme (jobs not a requirement),
making a total of 64 so far.
Updates on approved Grants
BH provided update on the following grants:
Project updates - BH updated the Panel on progress with TML Precision Engineering Limited and
Stephen Walters & Co. Limited.
TML Precision Engineering Limited - confirmation received that the re-financing of the project has now
gone through and an Offer Letter has been accepted for reduced grant offer of £95,000.
Rouen House - MB referred to the recent publicity regarding Nwes. BH summarised the Rouen House
GBF project and current position.
9
GBF Applications ‘Pipeline
AC and NS provided brief details at present there are thirteen applications Finance East are working on
Five Expressions of Interest.
10
PR and Marketing
JW provided update.
BBfA - Fifteen 90-second video case studies have been commissioned promoting regulation, including
businesses and regulators.
Growth Hub website - ongoing.
Place Branding - New branding to be put to the New Anglia LEP Board on Wednesday 27th February
2019 and await the outcome.
Scale Up Programme - This is being launched today with an event on Digital Technology at the Bedford
Lodge Hotel, Newmarket. The second event will focus on manufacturing and is being held at the
Barnham Broom Hotel, Hethersett on 26 March 2019. We are expecting a number of the businesses
attending will become applicants for grant support.
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None.
The meeting closed at 1.15pm.
Next Meeting: Centrum, Norwich | Meeting Room GO1 & G02
Wednesday, 06 March 2019 |10.00am - 12.30pm
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Appendix 1
New Anglia Small Grant Scheme projects approved in November 2018 and
December 2018
November 2018 Projects
Approved
Grant
1
Diss Coverings (Mary Gibson)
2,679
2
MD Controls Ltd
4,229
3
Excite Solutions Ltd
6,258
4
MacRefresh Ltd
11,500
5
B&B Skip Hire Ltd (2)
24,573
6
Dhotel Patisserie Ltd
3,763
7
Cox's Boatyard Ltd
6,000
8
STR Service Centre
24,559
9
KVT Business Case
2,230
10
Alex Stanlake Animation & Design
1,483
87,274
December 2018 Projects
Approved
Grant
1
Flameskill Ltd.
16,372
2
Armour Engineering Ltd.
2,256
3
OneSite Building Products Ltd.
6,600
4
Petrotech UK Ltd
10,381
5
DFC Precision Engineering Ltd.
23,837
6
Slim Glass Ltd.
8,000
7
Adaptainer Ltd.
6,384
8
Elmdale Welding and Engineering Supplies
9,600
83,430