Grants

Author
Discussion

steviebee

Original Poster:

13,570 posts

262 months

Thursday 4th December 2003
quotequote all
We are becoming increasingly aware of the existance of a large number of grants from both the UK Governemnt and Europe (such as up to £5k to translat a website into a foreign language, £250k for an individual to buy shares in the company for whom they work, etc.) but no one seems to know where or how you get these grants.

Any pointers?

stc_bennett

5,252 posts

274 months

Thursday 4th December 2003
quotequote all
same here really been looking at where to get grants, I have tried Chamber of commerce, business links. but i cant get any.

I should be entitled to a ruraL development grant, engry saving grant plus other. cant get nothing when i speak to the people in charge.

I know of another business that is in a ethnic minority and gets 50k in grants a year if i was to do the same thing i would get nothing.

If you are a white english male in business in short you are entitled to nothing.

But my wife who runs a small business selling wedding stationary and other special occasion goods has got free training courses in accounting managment, computers, womans in business grant, grant for IT equipment, and a grant because she is from a ethnic minority. all in all she got around 5000 to start her business.

I got nothing and am still finding it hard to sort everything out myself.

Steve dont hold out for much money.

Ive seen the way they give out there grant money.

steve

TheLemming

4,319 posts

272 months

Thursday 4th December 2003
quotequote all
250K to buy shares in the company they work for?

I have a sneaky suspicion I could buy the whole company for that, let alone shares....

*looks around for grant applications*

head_ed

19 posts

256 months

Friday 5th December 2003
quotequote all
Have you tried your local council's economic development department?

We have had great success over the last few years in getting grants for various aspects of our business, and it has always been the ED department that has helped.

Give them a call, we got over 20K out of them over the years..


Martin.

darrent

630 posts

266 months

Friday 5th December 2003
quotequote all
Have you tried j4b.co.uk ?

puggit

48,803 posts

255 months

Friday 5th December 2003
quotequote all
Have you tried donating to Labour?

steviebee

Original Poster:

13,570 posts

262 months

Friday 5th December 2003
quotequote all
puggit said:
Have you tried donating to Labour?




stooz

3,005 posts

291 months

Friday 5th December 2003
quotequote all
so what is a grant exactly? a cheap loan, or free never to be paid back>?

simpo two

87,068 posts

272 months

Monday 8th December 2003
quotequote all
It's all your own tax money anyway, you just have to try to win a few percent back. What the good Govt gives, the good Govt takes away.

head_ed

19 posts

256 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
Many grants will be tied into job creation. However, in practice - the money rarely gets withdrawn unless it was a huge chunk on the promise that you'd create loads of jobs.

Our grants were for the purchase of new specialised computer hardware, 20K on the basis that we created 6 jobs. We did for the first 12 months, then found that we didn't need the extra staff.. but when we cut back, no one asked for the money back.

Different areas might handle things in a different way, best bet is to move to Northern Ireland - grants thrown about left, right and centre there!

wanty1974

3,704 posts

255 months

Tuesday 9th December 2003
quotequote all
My missus applied for some start up grants with our council's Enterprise department (all councils have them). She was too late for any start-up grants becuase she'd actually started up (long story) and becuase she is a 'services' company (bouncy castle hire) she doesn't qualify for anything under Objective One funding (which Wales gets becuase it's an economically deprived area).

It isn't even related to employment. In two years time she wants to open quite a large shop specialising in one-stop children's party goods, which may mean employing up to 6 local people full time. But because it's retail, no help is available.

If we were to set up a bouncy castle manufacturing site (which basically needs a unit about 1000 sq ft and two sewing machines) the council could give us factory space, discounted rates, massive grants for stock and machinery and more grants for employing local staff, all because it's manufacturing.

Arse.