Have an idea to help regrow our economy after lockdown?

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Business support and advice

From Horsham District Council

Have an idea to help regrow our economy after lockdown?

Open shop sign

The Council has received some Government funding available to help restart our local economy through projects.

We’re looking for proposals from businesses, trade associations or groups of businesses that aim to get our economy up and running again.

Ideas could include:

  • running a physical or virtual event in your town, village or industrial estate that showcases what you and your neighbouring businesses do or increases footfall to a group of local businesses
  • providing business advice or professional support to start-ups or businesses moving to the next stage of their development
  • working together as group of similar businesses badly affected such as events, pubs or tourism to work on a promotion to get your customers back

Grants available will be for sums of up to £50,000. If you have an idea for a great project that needs more than this please contact us to discuss. Payment will come after the project is completed or at stages where you can provide proof of the work you have done. Please include details of your proposal for phased payments as part of your proposal.

 

Grant criteria

If you’ve got a good idea you must:

  • be able to submit a written proposal including timetable to us by 31 May 2021
  • be able to complete the project and draw down your grant funding by 31 March 2022
  • be an existing UK registered business and have a valid business bank account that we can test through the Government’s fraud checking systems. Please include us details of your business name, website, business rates number (if any) and details of any business grants you have received from us during the various lockdowns since March 2020. You need to have been open and trading on the day before national restrictions were imposed
  • provide a minimum of three statements from your fellow businesses or potential users of your scheme supporting your proposals including links to their websites and Horsham District Council business rate number if they are based in a business premises or Council Tax number if they work from home. These businesses must have different business owners
  • include full contact details and details of your availability to present your ideas to us
  • include details of any close personal relationships you or your business partners have with Councillors or officers at the Council or a clear statement there are none

The Government has stated that projects cannot be for infrastructure or of a capital nature.  We will run your business details through some fraud checks.

 

Apply for a grant

Please email your completed proposal to growoureconomy@horsham.gov.uk. If you want a wider conversation before you do so send us an email with as much detail as you have so far and someone will call you back

We will confirm whether you are successful or not by the end of June 2021.

Rapid COVID tests