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Growing Business Fund Grant Panel Meeting Minutes (Confirmed)
Wednesday, 03 November 2021 | 10.00am - 12.30pm
Held at the Suffolk Suite, Center Parcs, Brandon, Suffolk, IP27 0YZ
Present – Panel
Mike Burrows (MB)
Daryl Griffiths (DG)
Paul Stewart (PS)
Jackie Potter (JP)
Martin Ince (MI)
In attendance
Neil Sargent (NS)
Amanda Castell (AC)
Beverly Davies (BD)
Jason Middleton (JM)
Rose Joy (RJ)
Chair
Burnett, Barker Solicitors
Center Parcs
Micropress Limited
Martin Ince Communications
Finance East
Finance East
Suffolk County Council
New Anglia LEP
New Anglia LEP
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Welcome and Introductions
MB welcomed members. Meeting quorate.
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Not present on telecon call
Apologies received: Kathy Atkinson, Kettle Foods Limited; Dr Sumathi Sundram, S&V Consultants
Limited; Allen Hall, Finance East; Chris Daspher, New Anglia LEP; Julie West, New Anglia LEP;
Dominic Keen, Britbots;
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Declarations of Interest and GDPR
JP acknowledged an interest in Precision Mouldings Limited.
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Meeting Minutes: Panel Meeting held on Wednesday, 06 October 2021
Meeting notes approved and action updates given where applicable.
Lifeline24 - The Panel noted that Lifeline24 has agreed to pay back the ‘claw back’ grant money
from the sale of their building; this money will be returned to the GBF pot.
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New Applications for Approval (2)
(1) Skar Precision Mouldings Limited - Agreed to support
Local Authority of business - Babergh District Council
£220,000 - GBER
11 new full-time jobs to be created
NS provided background information on the grant application. The Panel noted this is a substantial
project, with the biggest expenditure being the purchase of a new commercial building, fit out and
new machinery. Examples of the plastic injection moulding work given. General discussion took
place.
Comment was made on the timescale for appointments and general discussion took place.
A good application, by a well-established local business, in a key priority sector. A good fit for the
GBF scheme.
The grant application meets Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) requirements.
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(2) DXB Pump & Power - Agreed to support
Local Authority of business - Mid Suffolk District Council
£102,261 - GBER
Seven new full-time jobs to be created
NS provided background information on the grant application. The Panel noted the business has
outgrown its current premises and is looking to purchase, and equip larger premises, to enable
expansion. General discussion took place. A good project in a niche market.
The Panel also noted the proposed job creation included two Apprentice positions and made
comment that the salaries proposed are better than average.
The Panel noted that the business is focussed on low emission/clean energy pump sets and with Net
Zero being an important consideration going forward, suggestion was made that the business would
benefit from Net Zero advice.
Recommendation: NS to arrange for a Growth Hub Net Zero adviser to visit DXB Pump & Power
Limited to offer advice and support on Net Zero to help them with future plans.
A good local business, in a LEP priority sector and a good fit for the GBF scheme.
The grant application meets Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) requirements.
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Small Grant Scheme (SGS) | Growth Through Innovation Fund (GTIF) Updates
JM provided key updates. A copy of the LEP weekly Grants Statistics (published every Monday
morning) was handed to the Panel for information.
Small Grant Scheme (SGS) - there were no approvals for SGS in September and October 2021.
Business Growth Programme (BGP) - Project Change Request (PCR) - the PCR has been
approved in full, to take the BGP through to the end of June 2023. Details outlined. The Panel noted
that the criteria for SGS will remain unchanged going forward, although a review of the intervention
rates may be undertaken in February/March next year.
Growth Through Innovation (GTI) - there were no approvals in October 2021. General discussion
took place on GTI. The Panel noted that there will be a big push on GTI starting in December. In
addition, the LEP plan to recruit one/two dedicated GTI advisers to help build stronger links with the
innovation/digital creative sectors and increase the flow of grant applications coming through; these
GTI advisers will be LEP employees.
West Norfolk and East Suffolk Plan for the Future Grants - these two schemes are now live, with
the Due Diligence being managed by Alan Herbert at the LEP.
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Funding, Updates and Jobs Creation
BD provided updates as follows:
Small Grant Scheme (SGS) - there are 6 projects still to claim, some of which may go through to
January 2022. Approx. £30k underspend which will be rolled over into next year.
Growth Through Innovation (GTI) - Scheme is going more slowly than expected with a lot of
uncommitted monies.
Business Resilience & Recovery (BR&R) - there are 28 projects still to claim. Approx. £188k left
uncommitted.
Job Creation - 34 additional jobs recorded, making a total for GBF of 923. Total for the Growth Deal
funding to date is 1018 with an overall total of 2562.
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GBF Applications ‘Pipeline’
Finance East have eight potential applications at various stages and hopeful of at least two
applications being brought to an interim meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 24 November 2021.
General discussion took place on pipeline.
The Panel noted that potential clients are being made aware of the programme closure and
expectations are being managed. Noted that all projects need to be ‘ready to go’ so that they can be
paid and claimed by the end of March 2022 and that applications will be dealt with ‘on a first come,
first served’ basis.
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PR and Marketing
As the Growing Business Fund is ending, the scheme is not being promoted.
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Any Other Business
None
The meeting closed at 11.31am.
Meeting to be held via Microsoft Teams
Wednesday, 24 November 2021 | 10.00am - 12.30pm
