A new £2m funding scheme, the Innovation and Resilience Fund (IRF), has been launched by East Devon District Council. This fund allows local businesses and organisations to apply for funding to deliver a project.
Applicants can apply for:
- Up to £50,000 per individual business or organisation
- Up to £150,000 per collaborative bid (multiple businesses and organisations)
Funding can be used to purchase equipment, training, technologies, etc that will enable the applicant to deliver a specific project that will achieve at least one of the following:
- Support business diversification and the development of new and innovative products
- Enable carbon reductions and biodiversity enhancements
- Enable and safeguard high value jobs
- Offer inclusive opportunities to disadvantaged individuals
Find out more and submit an application at www.eastdevon.gov.uk/irf
How to Bring Your Team Back from Furlough and Hospitality Recruitment & Skills Event
Skills Support for the Workforce Programme for the South West region are hosting two events to help local businesses. The events are aimed at advising businesses on the support available to those staff members returning from Furlough and support for successful recruiting and retaining staff within the Hospitality sectors.
Both events will be held via Teams. To book visit:
22 September 2021 – Furlough Event
7 October 2021 – Hospitality Event
Is it time to Skill Up your workforce?
 SMART SKILLS helps East Devon businesses to identify skills gaps in their workforce and provides the skills training (often fully funded) they need to become more resilient.
Funded by the European Social Fund, SMART SKILLS provides no-cost training solutions to upskill your staff and advance your business.
The range of skills support includes all levels from introductory through to full higher-level qualifications in area’s such as Leadership & Management, Digital Technologies, Food Manufacturing, Green Energy, Composites, Digital Marketing, Practical Work-Related Skills, plus more!
Find out more at www.smart-skills-hub.co.uk
The 10KSB programme is offered on a fully funded basis to small businesses and social enterprise leaders who desire to grow their businesses, create local employment and have scalable business models.
For those small business leaders selected to participate, the core of the programme is a high quality, practically-focused business and management education, delivered over 100 hours through a blend of online and in-person residential sessions.
Applications can be made online here.
You can join a webinar to learn about the Programme (10KSB) with an introduction from members of the programme’s team and alumni.
Thursday 16 September from 4pm to 5pm. Join the event to find out more details.
 Access to the right information is vital as you start up and run your business. Through the Business & IP Centre, a wealth of free resources are available to you, which include the largest selection of Business and Research Databases in the South West. Many of these can be accessed from home with your library card, whilst others are available through public computers in Exeter.
|
An opportunity for business women in Devon to meet for an afternoon of face-to-face networking and excellent speakers.
On 13 October from 2.00-5.15pm, the FSB Devon Women in Business Conference will be an afternoon of inspirational guest speakers and workshops/discussions taking place in the beautiful setting of Buckfast Abbey Conference Centre.
This is a face-to-face event: There will be refreshments and cake so you'll have an opportunity to network, chat with other attendees and make some new contacts.
You do not need to be an FSB member to attend.
Book your place here
|
 Protecting your business from online attacks has never been more important.
To help support businesses with the challenges of digital safety and cybercrime, the South West Cyber Resilience Centre (CRC) is providing a free workshop to businesses in the Heart of the South West area. This webinar will cover some of the actions that businesses can take to ensure they are cyber resilient.
The webinar will be held on Tuesday 16 October from 5 to 6pm. Book online here.
Greening your business - eCargo Bike Grant Fund
£400,000 has been made available by the Department for Transport in 2021/22 for the purchase of ecargo bikes, to support businesses switching to a sustainable transport solution.
- Funding covers up to 40% of total cost
- Applications capped at five bikes per organisation. Larger applications considered
- Applications may include more than one organisation. In these joint ‘high-street’ applications, a lead applicant will be responsible for submitting the application.
The application deadline is 14 December 2021.
eCargo Bike Grant Fund information - Energy Saving Trust
|
