Key workshop to support small business finance campaign

May 23, 2019

Moves to help businesses across Herefordshire gain access to new sources of finance will take an important step forward at a special workshop next month.

The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership wants to bring together anyone with an interest in finance for small business to help it develop a strategy to raise awareness of the funding streams available.

LEP board member Paul Kalinauckas said the workshop was being held at the Marches Growth Hub Herefordshire’s base at Skylon Court on June 20 and was part of moves to establish an Access to Finance Group for the Marches as a whole.

Mr Kalinauckas – the LEP’s Access to Finance champion – said there was now a growing range of funding available for small and micro businesses if they knew where to look.

One of the main purposes of the workshop is to discuss ways in which the Marches LEP can increase the promotion of the wide range of finance options available and to come up with an outline strategy for the LEP board to consider.

Anyone with an interest in Access to Finance for small businesses is welcome to attend to give their input and share ways in which we can help our companies get the right funding at the right time to help them to grow.”

Mr Kalinauckas said the workshop followed on from a successful Access to Finance summit held in Hereford last month.

One of the outcomes of the summit was a small group of willing volunteers prepared to join an Access to Finance Group.

The remit of the group is to support the LEP as a consultative group for Access to Finance policy development, raise awareness of finance initiatives to support economic growth and help the Marches Growth Hub to refer businesses to the most appropriate schemes.”

The Access to Finance Strategic Workshop would look at the issues with the hope of drafting an outline strategy for the LEP board and forming an advisory group, he added.

To register your interest in attending the workshop – which runs from 10am to 12.30pm – please click here 

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The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership has now ceased trading and transferred all its functions to Shropshire Council working with Telford & Wrekin Council and Herefordshire Council, in line with the UK Government's plans for devolution.

The Marches LEP was established in 2011 and hands over an impressive legacy from its 13-year life. In that time the LEP invested over £196m in projects across the Marches, securing in excess of £100m of match funding and supported more than 66,000 business interactions.

The schemes supported have made tangible differences to local communities, increasing skills, creating jobs and improving the physical appearance of many towns.

We would like to thank all the LEP Board Members who have given their time freely over the life of the LEP, as well as all the staff who worked for the LEP over the years. We also want to thank our delivery partners, local education providers and local, regional and national stakeholders who helped us achieve so much.

The Marches Growth Hub will continue to support businesses and will be managed by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford and Wrekin and Herefordshire Councils. Each of the three Local Authorities will also continue to provide direct business support locally. Details of this support will be available through the Marches Growth Hub website and from the Local Authorities directly. Website: www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk | email: enquiries@marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

The Marches Careers Hub will continue to be delivered and will be managed by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford & Wrekin and Herefordshire Councils. Website: www.marchescareershub.co.uk | email: info@marchescareershub.co.uk

For any queries about Getting Building Fund (GBF), Local Growth Fund (LGF) and Marches Investment Fund (MIF) projects supported by the Marches LEP please contact: gary.spence@shropshire.gov.uk

For any finance queries please contact: michelle.hodgkiss@shropshire.gov.uk

The solvent liquidation of the Marches LEP is being managed by the Evelyn Partners Limited. For any matter related to this please contact: Camilla.Mulholland@evelyn.com

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