Growth scheme offers £500k to help local firms

A grant scheme worth £500,000 over two years has been launched to support local businesses in part of Worcestershire.

The Malvern Hills Growth Fund is offering businesses an opportunity to apply for grants ranging from £500 to £15,000.

The district council said the fund was created to promote business growth in the manufacturing, rural, tourism and hospitality sectors.

All grants had a minimum 50% match-funding requirement, they added, with the scheme open to small and medium sized businesses, including community interest companies, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations.

The authority added it could support a wide variety of projects, providing they strengthened the business and generated local economic benefit, such as investment in new facilities or equipment.

In one example they highlighted, CCCampers Limited, based in Bayton, received more than £10,000 to purchase a specialist machine.

The investment enabled the company, which repairs and manufactures campervans and caravans, to streamline their design and production process.

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