Business Finance Support and Advice

Businesses seek finance for a variety of reasons, to start-up a new venture, fund capital expenditure, fund research and development or to obtain new working capital.  There are a variety of types of finance including grants, loans and equity finance available and it is important you choose the right finance for your business. 

In this difficult climate new business funds can be hard to access.  In response to this the Government is in the process of simplifying the package of Solutions for Business. 

The North West Fund

The North West Fund is a £185m evergreen investment fund established to provide debt and equity funding from £50,000 - £2 million to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) based in, or relocating to, the North West of England.

For further information on eligibility and the application process, please visit The North West Fund

Business Link

Business Link is the Governments main provider of advice and support for you and your business – whether you work for a large organisation or are starting your own business. They can help you identify and access the financial advice and support available via their online Finance and Grants directory.

For further information on the funding available, please visit Business Link

South Cheshire Chamber Business Fund

The Business Fund is operated by the South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry who offer loans for short and long-term capital projects, to organisations within South Cheshire (the old district of Crewe and Nantwich)..

To find out more about the Business Fund please visit the South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, send an email to: les.briers@sccci.co.uk or telephone 01270 504 700. 

ecoSMARTER

ecoSMARTER, is a free low carbon programme for small businesses in Cheshire East, which is designed to help tackle soaring energy costs and will help businesses cut bills and reduce carbon emissions with a free environmental makeover worth more than £1,000.

Businesses that participate in the scheme will:

• Save money on their energy bills – by having a free electricity monitor installed which lets you monitor energy consumption online and will receive environmental support and training from sustainability experts.
• Gain an environmental certification – businesses completing the programme will receive the Carbon Smart Blue Certification, a nationally recognised certification that promotes your environmental achievements and is recognised by central and local government in their procurement processes.
• Network with like-minded local businesses – hundreds of businesses across the North West are taking part in this project; ecoSMARTER will put you in touch with these potential customers and suppliers, face-to-face and online, making the connections that matter to you.

A limited number of places are available to small businesses in the Cheshire East area.

For more information on the scheme, please visit the ecoSMARTER website, telephone 0161 237 4630 or send an email to ecoSMARTER.

Please note: To participate in the scheme small businesses must have less than 10 employees.

As this project is supported by the European Regional Development fund the certification is completely free for participating businesses.

Community Business Loan Fund

The Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest have launched a Community Business Loan Fund, to help potential and existing social entrepreneurs who are unable to access finance through normal mainstream channels.

The £5 million Fund offers financial support for the purpose of starting or expanding a community based business and eligible businesses can apply for loans of between £30,000 and £500,000.

For further details on the Fund, please visit the Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest Community Business Loan Fund websites.

Please note:  Charities, social enterprises, co-operatives and community interest companies operating in the United Kingdom may apply.  To be eligible for funding, your organisation must have clear social or environmental objectives and reinvest profits for a social purpose.

Rural Business Support

Businesses in rural Cheshire may be able to benefit from a new £60 million national grant scheme. The Rural Economy Grant , which could be worth up to £1 million to a business,  will enable entrepreneurs in rural areas to take life-changing opportunities to grow their businesses, increasing both their competitiveness and profits.

The Rural Economy Grant ( REG ) will provide large grants (of £25,000 up to circa £1 million)  to enable a significant, transformational performance in farm, forestry, tourism, agri-food and micro businesses in rural areas in England. Successful applicants will receive up to 40% of the cost of the project. Project applications will need to demonstrate that as a result of a grant their business will achieve a significant step change in performance (such as job creation, increased turnover, access to new markets, enhanced Gross Value Added, etc).

For information about how to apply visit the RDPE Network's information on rural economy grants.  Defra’s Rural Development Programme Delivery Team can be contacted via their email address: rdpedeliverynorthwest@DEFRA.GSI.GOV.UK

Marketing Cheshire are currently administering RDPE tourism grant schemes in Cheshire from Reaseheath College’s Enterprise Hub.  Any tourism businesses interested in bidding for the REG grant could also contact the Marketing Cheshire Rural Team on 01270 625131 ext: 147 or email p.meachin@marketingcheshire.co.uk.

Defra has already allocated £20 million to the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme, (small grants to help farmers, foresters and horticultural businesses improve competitiveness) . For more information visit the RDPE's information on the farm and forestry improvement scheme.

Other sources of information

The Princes Trust offers grants to 14-30 year olds for jobs, training and group projects. The Prince's Trust also provides grants and loans to people aged 18-30, who are unemployed and have an idea for a business, but can't raise all the cash needed from other sources.

Grant net enables small businesses, charities and community groups to identify funding schemes for projects via their free interactive website, which contains a comprehensive database of grants, loans and other initiatives operating in the UK, including European Commission grants, UK Government grants, Local Government grants and grants provided by corporate sponsors and charitable trusts.

J4B offers access to an interactive website containing comprehensive information on government and lottery grants for both business and voluntary groups.