Programme extended to 2023 after further £1million ERDF funding

"The extension of the ERDF funding is excellent news for Warwickshire's business community."

Warwickshire County Council has secured another £1million from the European Regional Development Fund to help power a range of business programmes which they support and deliver.

The county council's application for an extension for its CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale programme has been accepted by Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, so funding is now in place until June 2023. 

Programmes supported will include the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Start Up scheme, the Business Ready programme and Project Warwickshire (a new strand of support designed to support the Tourism & Leisure sector). The funding will also support internal programme management and delivery staff.

The additional £1m of expenditure will bring in £0.5m of grant income and an additional £165,000 of external match funding. 

From the additional funding, the council is profiled to provide 12 hours of support to an additional 279 businesses following on from the hundreds of business already supported under the CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale programme.  

Between 2019 and September 2021, the programme has helped over 400 businesses with 12 hours of intensive support and supported them in the creation of 116 new jobs. More than 100 potential entrepreneurs were supported to start up their own new business.

Warwickshire County Council Strategy and Commissioning Manager (Economy & Skills) Alison Robinson said: "The extension of the ERDF funding is excellent news for Warwickshire's business community. The CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale programme has delivered significant support to businesses through this very difficult period and it is great to know that this will continue now that funding is secured through to 2023."