Scale Up 4 Growth launches in Gloucestershire with £1m of grants available to help the region’s SMEs scale and grow
Scale Up 4 Growth (S4G), a funding and support programme that brings together experts from Gloucestershire College, UWE Bristol and NatWest, will deliver grant funding and support to businesses in Gloucestershire.
The programme, funded through the European Regional Development Fund, is open to businesses in any sector with ambitious growth plans. Applicants must be small or medium sized enterprises and based in the Gloucestershire LEP Region: Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Forest of Dean, Stroud and Cotswolds.
Grants of £10,000 to £40,000 are available to help address the challenges that Gloucestershire businesses face when growing and scaling up their operations. The grants will cover 35% of business’ costs.
Dedicated support from a team of experts at UWE Bristol will be given to help businesses develop project ideas and submit grant applications.
Andy Bates, Vice Principal and Chief Financial Officer at Gloucestershire College, said: “Our job at Gloucestershire College is to help local businesses to grow. For years, Gloucestershire College has been enabling this growth as the go-to training provider for employers in the county to develop their staff, hire new talent and strengthen their organisation with quality training.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with UWE Bristol and NatWest to now bring £1m worth of capital into Gloucestershire, acting as a catalyst for growth, innovation and progression. The S4G scheme has already been a great success in the West of England and now we are bringing it to the SMEs of Gloucestershire.
“There is no doubt that the last year has been challenging for businesses but we are committed to helping Gloucestershire come back stronger. This is the time to innovate and I urge employers to use the S4G scheme to level up for their future.”
Professor Martin Boddy, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at UWE Bristol, said: “UWE Bristol is proud to be supporting SMES in Gloucestershire. This programme aims to stimulate the regional economy at such an important time by helping companies to realise their potential. The S4G programme in the West of England has supported over 80 companies, giving out £850,000 of grant and created 150 jobs. Gloucestershire is full of innovation and we are thrilled to be able to bring this scheme to the region.”
Mike West, NatWest Director of Commercial Banking, Gloucestershire, said: “Building on the success of S4G programme in the West of England, we are delighted to be working in partnership with UWE Bristol and Gloucestershire College to support ambitious businesses across our Gloucestershire region to access this growth funding and leading business support.”
S4G launches on Monday 1 March 2021. Applications for funding will close on Wednesday 5 May 2021. For more information and to register your interest please visit www.scaleup4growth.co.uk.
