Business Grants

If you are in business or thinking of setting up a new business and require support, then a range of options are available in the borough of Great Yarmouth.

The links below provide detailed information, complete with full contact details.

• Support Directory

• Sustainable Design-led Innovation Support Program

• Foundation East

Support Directory
The Support Directory allows you to search for potential sources of help with starting up or business development. The database contains grant and support schemes from central and local government as well as private organisations.

Some of the schemes offer financial assistance, while some offer free or subsidised services ranging from advice through to practical involvement with projects. While many schemes are available nationally, some are targeted locally. Depending on your location, type of business and what you need the funds for, you may be eligible for a number of schemes in the Grants and Support Directory. Applying for a grant can be a highly complex process.

You may want to contact your local Business Link for help and advice with your application.

Sustainable Design-led Innovation Support Program
Sustainable Design-led Innovation (SDI) is a business support program aimed specifically at East of England small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The focus of the program is to help SMEs engage with early stage innovation, driven by the sustainability agenda, in order to achieve the following goals:

• Identify new business opportunities

• Strengthen your business brand

• Insulate a business against risks

• Develop innovation strategies

There are many drivers for a business to engage with sustainability, including customer expectations, regulatory requirements and resource shortages. We believe engagement also brings opportunities; for opening up new markets, differentiating your business offerings and providing customers with added value.

Sustainability and the Low Carbon economy are complex issues, which can leave businesses confused as how best to respond. Using simple pragmatic tools the SDI program helps identify what actions are relevant to each business, which work towards developing more sustainable business practices and offerings.

The SDI program is delivered through several activities:

• Opportunities Workshops

• Link Events

• Sustainability Learning Lab

Led by Cranfield University and funded by the European Regional Development Fund(ERDF), the program collaborates with both leading academic and environmental organisations to offer comprehensive and complimentary business support. If your business is a SME in the East of England and interested in understanding what opportunities and benefits Sustainable Innovation could offer, please contact:

Alex Rowbotham, Research Fellow, C4D, Cranfield University.

Email: a.s.rowbotham@cranfield.ac.uk
Tel: 01234 750111 ext. 2143
Website: www.centrefordesign.com/SDI

Foundation East
Foundation East is a not for profit community lending organisation that operates across the East of England. They provide small business loans to new and existing businesses, charities and social enterprises of up to £50,000. Unlike banks they do not use a credit scoring system to make their decision; instead, they assess the risk of lending to businesses by looking at the business plan, cash-flow projections and previous credit history and will talk to you about your plans for the future.
t: 01284 757777
e: info@foundationeast.org
website: www.foundationeast.org