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Growing Business Fund Grant Panel Meeting Minutes (Confirmed)
Wednesday, 08 September 2021 | 10.00am - 12.30pm
Held via conference call on Microsoft Teams
Present - Panel
Daryl Griffiths (DG)
Martin Ince (MI)
Jackie Potter (JP)
Kathy Atkinson (KA)
Dr Sumathi Sundam (SS)
In attendance
Allen Hall (AH)
Neil Sargent (NS)
Amanda Castell (AC)
Guy Gibson (GG)
Julie West (JW)
Rose Joy (RJ)
(Chair) Burnett, Barker Solicitors
Martin Ince Communications
Micropress Limited
Kettle Foods Limited
S&V Consultants Limited
Finance East
Finance East
Finance East
Suffolk County Council
New Anglia LEP
New Anglia LEP
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Welcome and Introductions
DG welcomed members. Meeting quorate.
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Not present on telecon call
Apologies received: Mike Burrows, Paul Stewart, Center Parcs; Dominic Keen, Britbots; Beverly
Davies, Suffolk County Council; Chris Daspher, New Anglia LEP; Jason Middleton, New Anglia LEP
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Declarations of Interest and GDPR
None declared.
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Meeting Minutes: Panel Meeting held on Wednesday, 07 July 2021
Meeting notes approved.
Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) - JW confirmed that the Growing Business Fund Terms of
Reference, with the new paragraph to reflect inclusion of PSED, was approved by the LEP Board.
August meeting - the meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 04 August 2021, was cancelled.
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New Applications for Approval (3)
(1) Advance Engineering (UK) Limited - Agreed to support
Local Authority of business - Borough of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk
£109,200 - GBER
Six full-time jobs to be created and two apprenticeship positions.
AC provided background information to the grant application The Panel noted the business had been
a previous recipient of two grant applications - Small Grant Scheme in August 2016 and Growing
Business Fund in June 2018. General discussion took place. Query was raised over business size.
AC clarified Advance Engineering (UK) Limited are still classed as a small business. A straight-
forward application, by a well-established business. A good fit for the GBF Scheme. The Panel were
pleased to see the business taking on apprenticeships.
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(2) Euro Workspace Limited - Agreed to support
£79,886 - GBER
Local Authority of business - Breckland District Council
Four new full-time jobs to be created.
NS provided background information to the grant application. The Panel noted the business was a
previous recipient of a GBF grant in January 2019. The acquisition of new manufacturing machinery
will improve quality and increase output and efficiency to meet demand. The business has a good
track record and is a good application for GBF support. Noted forecast is ambitious and will stretch
the business but they have a history of achieving. Comment was made on the relatively low salaries
being offered.
Observation was made that Euro Workspace Limited is a good company and product, that highlights
the success of LEP funding, and would make a good case study. The Panel noted that a case study
cannot be progressed until the business has been issued with, and accepted, an Offer Letter.
Action: JW to feed details on Euro Workspace Limited through to the LEP Comms team
to make a case study in due course.
(3) Universal Control Equipment Limited - Agreed to support
£40,000 - GBER
Local authority of business: Ipswich Borough Council
Two new full-time jobs to be created.
AC provided background information to the grant application. The Panel noted the business was a
previous recipient of a GBF grant in August 2015. General discussion took place on company
structure, finances, and impact of Covid-19 in terms of restricted travel in USA affecting final
machine sign-off. The Panel noted overall the grant application was to help with efficiency and
productivity, rather than growth investment. A successful business, in a LEP priority sector and area
- another good fit for the GBF scheme.
DG suggested it would be advisable for the Growth Hub Adviser to go and talk to the business to see
if their ideas could be patented and, if so, to secure them where possible.
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Small Grant Scheme (SGS) | Growth Through Innovation Fund (GTIF) Updates
Small Grant Scheme (SGS) - JW provided update. The SGS scheme is now closed as all funds
have been committed; all funds had to be spent by 31 August 2021. Have now put in a Project
Change Request (PCR) to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
asking for additional funding to take the Business Growth Programme through to June 2023.
Currently awaiting a decision on the PCR, but if approved, the programme will get more money for an
SGS type of grant scheme. Taking the view that the closure of the SGS scheme is only temporary,
the Growth Hub will continue finding clients.
Growth Through Innovation (GTI) - JW provided update. GTI has been quiet during
Spring/Summer but has now seen an uplift in interest, with enquiries coming in. Slowly picking up.
Community Renewal Fund (CRF) - JW provided update. Applications have been submitted into
Government in May, one for a Net Zero project and one for Start-Up provision; one each for Norfolk
and Suffolk. To date we have not heard the outcome. Understand that Central Government has
some legal issues, therefore, although the project was meant to start on the 01 September 2021, the
start date has now been pushed back to 01 October 2021, or even 01 November 2021. CRF will be a
short-term project as it has to be delivered by 31 March 2022. Currently have a lot of potential
projects waiting to be approved.
The Growth Hub have currently recruited four new advisers who will be starting over the next few
weeks, following training, to help businesses with Net Zero. A tender is also going out for Net Zero
consultants to go on a preferred supplier list.
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C-Care - JW provided update. A tender is currently out to deliver Start Up provision across Norfolk
and Suffolk, funded by the C-Care Interreg France (Channel) England project.
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Funding, Updates and Jobs Creation
GBF - JW provided update. GBF has received additional funding, with the total fund now at £3.93m,
of which £2.12m has already been agreed and committed. With the £230k grant approvals from
today, and projects sitting for appraisal with Finance East and an active pipeline with the Growth
Hub, there remains an approx. balance of £70k in the pot to spend.
DG made observation that it may be useful to know how much is left in the GBF pot at the beginning
of the meeting, rather than at the end, for the Panel’s information.
GBF cut-off date - 01 December 2021. Panel noted that straightforward applications would have to
come in soon, preferably with immediate spend, for the business to spend and claim as soon as
possible before the end of March 2022.
Job creation - BD not on the call, therefore job creation statistics not available.
Action: JW to circulate job creation details to the Panel by email.
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GBF Applications ‘Pipeline’
Finance East have four potential applications to bring to the October meeting. The Growth Hub has a
strong pipeline.
Replacement GBF scheme discussed. JW reported that we are waiting to hear on this, hopefully so.
The Panel noted that GBF has been running nearly nine years and is one of New Anglia LEP’s most
successful grant schemes.
DRIVE - DG outlined details of the scheme and mentioned DRIVE are looking for Panel members.
Action: JW to send details of DRIVE to Panel members for information.
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PR and Marketing
JW provided update. Currently promoting specific grant schemes around business needs. The New
Anglia LEP Comms Team are also preparing case studies, across all the grant schemes. A lot of
social media going on. The Panel agreed that it would be good to showcase the success of the GBF
scheme and the credibility of New Anglia LEP.
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Any Other Business
Future meetings - The Panel noted that Center Parcs will be hosting the October GBF meeting.
The meeting closed at 10.55am.
Meeting to be held at Center Parcs
Wednesday, 06 October 2021 | 10.00am - 12.30pm