Funding experts at East Midlands-based Focus Consultants are reminding firms and private sector organisations that the deadline for submitting applications for the latest slice of a £3.2 billion pot of grants is fast approaching.
Round six of the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, which aims to create economic growth and sustainable employment in England, is currently open for bidding.
But with the deadline of 30th September for applications only weeks away, companies and organisations are being urged to put together their bids now.
Associate at Focus, Heather Frecklington, said: “Focus has supported a number of clients to secure investment from the Regional Growth Fund, with successes in both Rounds four and five. This includes helping to secure more than £4 million of funding for manufacturer Bifrangi to develop a research and development centre in Lincoln. Focus worked closely with Bifrangi to develop their funding application, ensuring that the project demonstrated value for money and would support employment and training opportunities in the local community.”
The Regional Growth Fund (RGF) is a £3.2 billion fund, which aims to help companies throughout England to create jobs between now and the mid-2020s. It supports projects and programmes that are using private sector investment to create economic growth and sustainable employment. So far £2.9 billion has been awarded to almost 400 projects and programmes which are expected to deliver 573,000 jobs and £16 billion of private sector investment.
Focus Consultants, which is based at Phoenix Business Park in Nottingham and has branches in London, Leicester, Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, specialises in helping organisations access funding opportunities and offers support right through to project completion. Since being founded 20 years ago, in 1994, the firm has helped to secure more than £925 million of grant assistance for a range of projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.0 billion worth of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful businesses of its kind in the country.
“The current round of RGF funding opened on June 19th,” said Heather. “Funding is focused entirely on private enterprise proposals and is available for high quality projects that can generate significant private sector investment and create sustainable jobs. The minimum bid threshold is £1 million.”
As a multi-disciplinary consultancy, Focus offers support at all stages of the RGF process – from the initial concept and applying for funding through the design and development stage to project managing the works.
