Four champions for key industry sectors across Suffolk and Norfolk are featured in a new campaign to promote a half million pound small business grant scheme.
The New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) Growing Business Fund grant scheme provides up to £500,000 of investment to help small and medium-sized enterprises to invest and grow.
The four businesses - Cubiqdesign, Stoke Sauces, Colour Marketing Services and Hydramec Offshore - are on new leaflets and marketing materials to promote the fund, which has so far awarded more than £15.6m to 300 businesses helping to unlock around £100m of private match funding and create more than 2,100 new jobs.
They were selected for their commitment to grow and create new employment opportunities across food production, creative design and advanced manufacturing industries.
Newmarket-based Cubiqdesign, a graphic, web and advertising design agency, scooped a £41,000 grant, allowing it to move to a bigger office and expand its digital team.
“As demand for our services increased, we had outgrown our former premises and desperately needed to relocate to a bigger commercial property,” explained managing director Gemma Treby.
“We applied for the grant to help plug the funding shortfall and enable the expansion to take place. The application was straightforward and we’ve had tremendous support from the New Anglia Growth Hub advisers throughout.”
Stokes Sauces, based in Rendlesham, was launched in 2004. It is now a well-recognised brand in shops, hotels and restaurants across the UK and received a £65,000 GBF grant to buy machinery to produce sauce sachets, new cooking equipment and IT systems. Commercial director Chris Reeve said: “The Growing Business Fund has helped us to increase our project range, moving into the sachet market and opening up more financial prospects for the business. This growth has led to us securing new contracts with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to supply selected condiments, such as red onion marmalade and BBQ sauces, on their flights.”
Ipswich-based manufacturer Colour Marketing Services, a colour sampling business, used its £67,000 grant to buy new machinery and equipment and move into a larger facility on Farthing Road Industrial Estate.
Finance director Anne Harrison said the firm had ambitious growth plans for the future, which include expansion into overseas markets and increasing its product range.
“The funding allowed us to move to a new facility, which is a light, bright and a comfortable working environment for our employees.”
Great Yarmouth-based Hydramec Offshore scooped a £200,000 grant to help it move into new facilities and safeguard high-skilled jobs.
Chris Starkie, managing director of New Anglia LEP said: “These are the stars of the East, the companies and sectors that are powering our growth and driving the economy. It is great to be able to showcase their achievements in this way and invest in their exciting future plans. So far our Growing Business Fund has helped around 300 companies, we would like to help hundreds more to do the same.”
New Anglia Growth Hub advisers are providing free support and guidance to businesses wanting to complete an applicaiton for the Growing Business Fund.
To find out more, go to newanglia.co.uk/business-support and contact the New Anglia Growth Hub on 0300 333 6536 or email growthhub@newanglia.co.uk
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