Business Bolton

National Funding Initiatives for small grants to support business growth and research for SMEs

The HSBC Bank has announced that its Business Growth Grant Competition is open for applications

Through the competition up to four awards of £50,000 are available to business that have the potential to stimulate growth. Up to two £50,000 Growing Business Grants will go to businesses using innovative ideas to grow within the UK. And up to two more £50,000 Overseas Trade Grants will go to businesses that have the aspiration and motivation to develop new opportunities overseas. The 5 most compelling applicants for each grant category will be invited to pitch to a panel of judges to showcase what sets them apart from the competition. The judging panel will then select up to 4 businesses to be announced by the 31 March, each winning £50,000.

The closing date for entries is the 31st December 2011.
For further information visit:: http://www.businessgrant.hsbc.co.uk

Research Funding for SMEs

Under Eurostars, funding is available to SMEs to undertake research and development in any technological area, but must have a civilian purpose and be aimed at the development of a new product, process or service. Eurostars supports collaborative projects involving at least two participants (legal entities) from two different Eurostars participating countries. In addition, the main participant must be a research-performing SME.

Eurostars will support projects that are market-driven and that have a maximum duration of three years. In addition projects must be within two years of completion and ready for launch onto the market. The exception to this rule applies to biomedical or medical projects, where clinical trials must be started within two years of project completion.

The next deadline for applications is the 1st March 2012.

For further information: http://www.eurostars-eureka.eu/what.do

Funding for Intellectual Property and Knowledge Transfer Projects

The Intellectual Property Office has announced that the 2012 Fast Forward competition is now open for applications for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs).

The Fast Forward Competition is open to and encourages Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs to work collaboratively with business and local communities to share research, innovation and intellectual property (IP) thereby creating new companies or services which benefit both the UK economy and society.

A total of £760,000 is available and the Intellectual Property Office is looking to support at 12 successful projects with individual awards between £10,000 and £100,000. This is not funding for research or commercialisation of individual products, but awards for projects that improve management of IP and knowledge exchange.

The closing date for applications is the 30th December 2011.

For further information: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/fastforward

Santander Social Enterprise Development Awards

Banking Group, Santander has announced the launch of its Social Enterprise Awards.

Development Awards of up to £50,000 are available to support established Social Enterprises and Community Interest Companies looking to grow their business and improve their local community.

The areas covered by these awards include; Improving Social Inclusion; Supporting Disadvantaged People; and Creating a Greener Environment.

The Social Enterprise Awards is currently available in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland; Birmingham and the Black Country; and Merseyside. In 2012 the awards will be available throughout the UK.

For further information: http://www.santanderseda.co.uk/

Ways to get in touch

Click on the links in the above stories.