Small Capital Grants scheme raises distinguished century

"We are blessed by a wonderfully vibrant community of small businesses in our county and it is great to know that so many of them, their employees and their customers have benefited from this simple but hugely effective scheme."

A funding scheme created by Warwickshire County Council in 2015 to support small businesses has just awarded its 100th grant.

NPF Bassetts Pole Adventure Park, in north Warwickshire, has become the 100th business to be helped to grow with the assistance of a Small Capital Grant from the County Council.

The park installed a brand new Laser Clay Pigeon Shooting activity and renewed its fleet of quad bikes, thereby improving its customer experience and safeguarding existing jobs while leaving it well-equipped to create others.

The latest grant continues the resounding success of the Small Capital Grants scheme since it opened back in September 2015 with its first three recipients: Warwick-based Church Farm Brewery, Ag-Con machinery solutions in Shipston-on-Stour and Mudwalls Farm growers on the southern edge of the county.

Seven years later, those three businesses are all still flourishing - three of 100 to which the Small Capital Grants scheme has given vital impetus in order to grow, with a significant knock-on effect to the local economy.

Since September 2015, the County Council has awarded Small Capital Grants amounting to £2,288,844. This has triggered a private sector match of £4,466,679 so far with a further £1.8million private sector match forecasted.

Businesses supported come from the whole gamut of the Warwickshire economy including the Visitor Sector, Manufacturing, Food & Drink, Education, Automotive, Leisure, Events & Conference, Hospitality, Wellness, Retail, Engineering and Logistics. In total, the Small Capital Grants have supported 396 jobs and created 210 with a further 133 forecast to be created over the next two years.

Warwickshire County Council leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe said: "The Small Capital Grants scheme has proved a sustained, outstanding success in supporting small businesses and the local economy in all parts of Warwickshire and all sectors.vWe are blessed by a wonderfully vibrant community of small businesses in our county and it is great to know that so many of them, their employees and their customers, have benefited from this simple but hugely effective scheme.

"It is still going strong - I would urge all small businesses considering growth plans to think about whether a Small Capital Grant could assist them."

The small capital grants are part of the County Council’s package of loan and grant programmes for businesses also including the Warwickshire Recovery & Investment Fund and the Green Recovery Grants.

The County Council also provided £4.6 million of economic recovery loans and grants during the pandemic which helped 240 businesses and supported or safeguarded 1,762 jobs.

* For more information on Small Capital Grants please visit here or email business@warwickshire.gov.uk