Cheshire East Council to stage funding advice event for local businesses

Cheshire East Council’s arms length Skills and Growth Company is to hold an event to help local businesses source new investment funding.

The Access to Funding session is free to attend and will include expert advice on accessing funding from the British Business Bank, the operators of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

There will also be case studies from three Cheshire East businesses who have sourced almost £2 million in funding to fuel their growth.

The three local businesses taking part are: My Digital Accounts, based in Wilmslow, who recently secured £1.25m from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF); JS Bailey Cheese, based near Nantwich, who received £400,000 from the Rural Development Programme for England; and Alderley Analytical, based at Alderley Park, who received funding of £300,000 from the NPIF.

Sue Barnard, senior manager for the British Business Bank in the North West, said: “Although there have never been more sources of funding available to businesses eager to grow, finding the right fit, in terms of compatibility or managing risk with a fund, can be complex.

“This event has been designed to help showcase how different funds, including NPIF, can be used to source the optimum funding package to help drive growth for the region.”

Councillor George Hayes, chairman of the Skills and Growth Company, said: “Helping businesses to grow is paramount to driving our economy and creating jobs.

“We are delighted to showcase how three diverse local businesses have taken advantage of the investment available to grow and tell the story of their own individual funding journeys.”

Andy Devaney, business and innovation director at Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub, said: “We understand how critical it can be getting the right advice and the right finance for a business to achieve its growth plans.

“The success stories of the local businesses presenting are just a handful of those helped across Cheshire and Warrington.

“Their journeys show the difference that funding can make in achieving growth ambitions.”

Businesses can also use the event to network over lunch and have informal meetings with fund managers to discuss their options and the viability of their funding requirements.

The event is being held in partnership with the British Business Bank, the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and the Cheshire & Warrington Growth Hub.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund, as part of the European Structural and Investment Fund’s growth programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

The event will take place at the Alderley Park Conference Centre on March 27.

For more details see www.skillsandgrowth.co.uk/events