University of Derby - Invest to Grow fund
Product Description:
The Invest to Grow Programme provides loans and grants to support private sector businesses across the East Midlands to innovate, grow, adapt and create jobs. The programme aims to generate economic activity by investing in enterprise growth and to promote the creation of new jobs and the safeguarding of existing positions.
The minimum award size is £15,000, for which the minimum project cost must be £50,000. The maximum award size is £250,000, subject to availability of funding at the time.
Area of Expertise:
Funding
Loans
Grants
Job Creation
Eligibility:
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, sole traders and partnerships located in the East Midlands.
Projects will need to demonstrate that other avenues of support and funding have been explored and why Invest to Grow funding is vital to the project going ahead.
Funding is available for projects that will create new jobs and where these jobs can be sustained for a minimum of three years (five years for large organisations). Projects are welcomed that create higher-skilled jobs (at or above NVQ level 4).
The types of project that Invest to Grow may support include:
Development or improvement of products and related services
Expansion or upgrading of business premises, machinery and/or equipment
Innovation in products, processes and systems that will result in business and supply chain efficiency, growth and profitability
For your project to qualify for Invest to Grow funding, you will need to demonstrate that it meets the following criteria:
- It will create new jobs or safeguard existing positions in your company
- It will increase the scope or scale of your company activity
- It will improve the company’s performance
- It has not commenced and will not be achievable in the timescales proposed without Invest to Grow support
Districts:
- Leicester City
- Blaby
- Charnwood
- Oadby and Wigston
- Melton
- Harborough
- Northwest Leicestershire
- Bosworth and Hinckley