Grants of up to £10,000 are available to growing businesses across Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire for a limited time.

SEMLEP is providing the grants through its Growth Curve programme which offers a comprehensive suite of support to business leaders, including one-to-one meetings with business advisers, university masterclasses and peer networking opportunities.

With funding for the Growth Curve programme coming to an end soon, businesses which want to take advantage of its grants need to register for the scheme quickly and make their grant applications by April 28.

SEMLEP Growth Hub manager Vicky Hlomuka said: “Growth Curve is a fantastic programme which has provided invaluable support and training for local businesses.

“When firms register for Growth Curve they’re initially invited to take advantage of three hours of one-to-one support with one of our business advisers and then they are able to apply for grants to fund revenue projects.    

“This is a great opportunity for growing businesses and I’d urge firms to get in touch with us as soon as possible to make sure they don’t miss out.”

The Pinnacle Climbing Centre managing director Simon Ager took his popular climbing centre in Northampton to new heights with support from Growth Curve business advisers and a grant which enabled him to instal a new speed climbing wall.

He said: “We wouldn’t have been able to do this without the advice, time and support from the team at SEMLEP and it has provided a missing piece in the jigsaw.

“I’d thoroughly recommend SEMLEP’s Growth Curve programme to any business owner. Just get involved. If you don’t talk to them, you don’t find out about these things so start the conversation and see what they can do for you. You won’t regret it.”

The maximum grant available to businesses is £10,000 and match-funding is required from the company.

The grants are for revenue projects and the funding needs to be spent by June 15.

To help businesses with their grant applications, SEMLEP is running a free online Revenue Grant Surgery from 10am to 12 midday on Friday, April 21.

Growth Curve is open to businesses which are experiencing or projecting high growth in the next two to three years, have a minimum of two employees and a current annual turnover of £100,000 with projected 20 per cent annual growth minimum.

Growth Curve and its Growth Curve Peer Networks are part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

To register for support from the Growth Curve programme fill in the enquiry form at https://www.semlepgrowthhub.com/growth-curve/ or to find out more about the Revenue Grant Surgery email growthhub@semlep.com