A TELFORD FABRICATION specialist has secured a number of new contracts, contributing to a20 per cent increase in turnover, after receiving support from ERDF projects.

Hitherbest, which provides sheet metal/punching, folding and powder coating capabilities,benefitted from expert assistance from the Business Energy Efficiency Programme (BEEP) and theManufacturing Growth Programme (MGP), including a strategic review and identifying ways inwhich the firm could improve its energy usage.

This led to the introduction of specialist energy engineering consultancy Pro Enviro and acomprehensive project that has already generated nearly £15,000 of savings and a reduction in gas,electricity and powder usage.

“We’ve had a very strong twelve months that has seen us win a lot of work to produce parts forswitchgear cabinets, industrial equipment and the heating and ventilation sector,” explained PeterGrant, Managing Director at Hitherbest.

“Five new jobs have been created, taking our total workforce to 35 highly skilled staff. In linewith this expansion, we were also using our machinery and plant more and recognised the need towork smarter with energy to have a positive impact on the environment and help to manage costseffectively.”

He added: “Internally, we didn’t have the right expertise to make it happen, so we decided toturn to support from BEEP and then the Manufacturing Growth Programme.

“It has proved to be a wise decision, as this approach gave us a framework and support for anin-depth analysis of the environmental opportunity that weknew we had, but simply didn’t have the resource or knowledgeto carry out whilst still trying to keep on top of day-to-daypriorities.”

A further consultancy grant of £2,150 was accessed throughMGP2 in June 2019 to ensure Hitherbest is investment-readythrough the development of a robust business growth plan andaccurate financial forecasts. Ultimately the project will enable thecompany to increase capability and capacity, generating newbusiness sales.

European Structural &Investment Funding NewsIssue Nine / Winter 2019 /2020

MORE THAN 3,000 small andmedium-sized businesses inthe Marches LEP region willhave received advice or grantsupport via European RegionalDevelopment Funding since2016, new figures have revealed.

The LEP area of Herefordshire,Shropshire and Telford &Wrekin was allocated £60mfrom the ERDF for the periodbetween 2014 and 2020. Projectsbenefitting from this fundingstarted delivering in 2016 andactivity will continue throughto June 2023.

The ERDF, part of the EuropeanStructural Investment Fund(ESIF), pays for a range ofbusiness support and grantprogrammes, large capital

build projects andenvironmental schemes.

Herefordshire CouncillorRoger Phillips, Chairman ofthe Marches EuropeanStructural Investment FundCommittee, said: “From theoutset, we wanted to encourageprojects which would deliversustainable SME growth andjob creation. The ERDF in thisregion has seen significantsuccess, right from the delivery

of programmes which promoteresearch and innovationthrough to those whichsupport a shift towards a lowcarbon economy.

“To date, £44m has beenawarded to projects deliveringin the Marches and a further21 applications were submittedin the latest call window thatclosed on September 30 2019,which will utilise the remaining£16m.

“Over the course of the ERDFinvestment, it is anticipatedthat more than 3,000 small andmedium sized enterprises willreceive advice or grant support,there will be annual savings ofat least 5,000 tonnes of carbonand 50 hectares of land will

have improved biodiversity.”

There is likely to be a furtheropportunity to bid for funds inFebruary 2020, because theremaining funds from acrossthe LEP areas will be wrappedup into national calls.

• Gary Spence, Marches ERDF Technical Assistant, is happy toadvise on future bidding opportunities. He can be contacted byemail, gary.spence@shropshire.gov.uk or phone, 01743 252976.

CONTACTUS

• ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF •

£44 million fundingto support business

Expert help and grant support for Hitherbest

We are happy to assist with any EUfunding queries you might have so pleasedo not hesitate to contact us on any mattersrelating to current or new programmes.• gary.spence@shropshire.gov.uk

01743 252976 / 07990 085514• hannah.owen@shropshire.gov.uk

01743 252976 / 07990 085276

RURAL BUSINESSES arebeing invited to apply for upto £750,000 in EU grant fundingfor projects which help growthe regional economy andcreate new jobs.

DEFRA’s Rural DevelopmentProgramme for England (RDPE)Growth Programme providesgrants for rural businessdevelopment, food processingbusinesses and those involvedin rural tourism infrastructure.

Grants, funded by the EuropeanAgricultural Fund for RuralDevelopment (EAFRD), start ata minimum of £20,000 andapplicants can apply for up to40 per cent of eligible costs. Themaximum grant for business

development and tourismprojects will be limited to£175,000, whilst the maximumgrant for food processingprojects will be limited to£750,000.

The Marches Local EnterprisePartnership is particularlyencouraging applications fromfarming businesses that want todiversify into non-agriculturalactivities and environmentaland land-based rural businesseswishing to expand. Expressionsof interest for a grant must beregistered by 16 February 2020.Gary Spence, Marches EUTechnical Assistance Officer,said: “Grant funding canhelp pay for constructingor improving buildings or

buying new machinery orequipment. However onlycompanies employing fewerthan 50 people can apply underthe rural business and tourismthemes, although any size ofbusiness can apply under thefood processing theme, subjectto meeting other criteria.

“Projects need to demonstrateevidence of a sound businesscase and good value for

taxpayers’ money by creatingjobs off the back of the grantinvestment. We would adviseorganisations considering anexpression of interest to readthe guidance carefully beforeapplying and discuss their

ideas with their local GrowthHub officers.”

Application is in two stages andorganisations must first submitan Expressions of Interest (EOI)form. If successful at this stage,organisations will be invited toformally apply. EOI forms mustbe received by February 162020. Funding bids must besubmitted by May 31.

CALL FOR RURAL PROJECTS

ERDF FUNDED businesssupport projects in theregion are promoted bythe Marches Growth Hub,which this year launcheda new campaign toencourage morecompanies to investigatewhat funding is on offerfor businesses.

The £10m GrowthChallenge is aiming toincrease the number ofbusinesses applying forfunding to help drivegrowth and create jobs.

Paul Hinkins, Chair ofthe Marches Growth Hub,said: “This challenge is amajor new campaign tohelp deliver funding andsupport to our fabulousbusiness community. Allbusinesses have to do isget in touch with ourGrowth Hub teams to findout what they could be eligiblefor and we will take the strain outof the gain.”

Businesses can also log on to www.growthchallenge.co.uk to see ifthey are eligible for funding which comes from programmes such as theBusiness Growth Programme 2, the Marches Building Investment Grantand the Business Energy Efficiency Programme.

Mr Hinkins said the Marches Growth Hub was one of the best

performing in the country and the region also boasted the country’ssecond-best survival rate for new business start-ups.

“With this funding, and the expertise of the Marches Growth Hub, wecan help business to innovate into new sectors, drive up skills, boost wealthand create one of the best places to live anywhere in the UK.”

WHEN SHROPSHIRE COMPANYEdenviro Biomass wanted to see if theycould make use of a byproduct of their

digester, they turned to the EuropeanBioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) atAston University. Funded by the ERDF,EBRI provides practical solutions tobusinesses to explore the growing‘Energy-from-Waste’ market.

The Ludlow-based company managesa woodland area in the region andcollaborates with a local farm which hasan anaerobic digester on site that usescorn and energy crops as feedstocks.Edenviro engaged the help of EBRI tosee whether a byproduct of the digestercould be transformed into briquettes

which could then be burned.

Specialist 1-2-1 advice was followed-upwith further support from a bespoketechnical assessment of farm wastematerial and briquetting applications.This highly-detailed report outlined thepotential bioenergy market for wastebiomass briquettes, an overview of thebriquetting process and availabletechnologies and although ultimatelythe briquette application wasn’tappropriate, it has led to alternativeuses suggested by EBRI being furtherinvestigated by the company.

HELPFOR

ENERGYFROM

WASTE

• For more information and advice on how to apply, visithttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rdpe-growth-programme or contact the Marches Growth Hubat enquiries@marchesgrowthhub.co.uk

Below: Marches Growth Hub Chairman Paul Hinkins and colleagues launch the£10million Growth Challenge Right: The free event drew a large audience

Right: Paul Hinkins & Marches Growth Hub Shropshire mamager Emma Chapman

ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF •

ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF • ESIF •

A SOLAR FARM PROJECTin Shropshire part-funded viathe ERDF is a landmarkproject in driving a movetowards a low carboneconomy in the region.

Greenacres Farm in Baschurch is a day care facility run byShropshire Council providing training in agriculture andhorticulture for adults with learning disabilities.

It is now home to a £47,350 solar PV array, funded both bythe council’s capital grants programme and the HerefordshireCouncil administered ERDF Sustainable Energy in PublicBuildings fund.

The 49.5 kWp ground mounted system has seen primaryenergy consumption at Greenacres drop by 46,660 kWh,which is an anticipated cost saving of £6,206 per year.

The project has also saved more than 16 tonnes of carbondioxide being released into the atmosphere.

The Sustainable Energy in Public Buildings (SEPuBu) is anERDF funded grant scheme for innovative low carbonmeasures in public buildings across the Marches.

Solar projectcuts energycosts

Shell Storetransformationwell under wayA MILESTONE in the £7.3m scheme totransform Hereford’s Shell Store into abusiness incubation and innovation centrehas been marked with an official visit fromleaders of two organisations involved in thelandmark project.

The Leader of Herefordshire Council,Councillor David Hitchiner, and AndrewManning Cox, the Chairman of the HerefordEnterprise Zone, were on site at Skylon Parkrecently to see how work has progressedsince it began in April. The project isreceiving around £2m from the ERDF.

The derelict building, which was builtduring the First World War and was also

used as an ordnance site during the SecondWorld War, is being renovated to createmore than 2,000 sq metres of employmentspace for new and growing businesses andfacilities for development and innovation. The Shell Store, which is being developedby Barnwood Construction, is due forcompletion in late Spring 2020. HerefordshireCouncil and a loan from the Marches LEP’sMarches Investment Fund is also fundingthe project.

Chairman of the Hereford EnterpriseZone, Andrew Manning Cox, said: “It wasfascinating to see the great progress thathas been made on the conversion of theShell Store to date. The steel frame was inremarkably good condition, which has givenan excellent base for the new facility.

“Once complete the Shell Store will providemuch needed employment space for upto 25 dynamic and innovative businessesthat will support economic growth inHerefordshire and play an important rolein the thriving business community onSkylon Park.”

Left to right: Mark Pearce, Andrew Manning Cox, Cllr Trish Marsh & Cllr David Hitchiner

The steel frame...has given an

excellent base forthe new facility.

THE MARCHES BuildingInvestment Grant (MBIG)scheme will have created110 jobs by the time itcloses at the end of the year- with that figure growingto 268 jobs by 2025 ascompanies which havebenefitted continue toexpand.

The figures are revealedin a new report into thescheme which says MBIGwill have added an extra£30million of value (GVA)

to the Marches economyby 2025.

The report gives thescheme - which providesgrants to help businessesrefurbish, reconfigure andextend their premises andis part-funded by the ERDF- a big vote of confidence.

"The MBIG scheme hashad positive impacts interms of employment andGVA, with these impactsexpected to be strongerover the next few years.

The scheme was wellmanaged and delivered witha strong team in place andbeneficiary satisfaction levels

were high," the report says.The scheme is being

replaced by the MarchesBusiness Investment

Programme which will startdelivering in 2020.

Building investmentscheme success