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Business Grants and Loans Fund (BGLF)
Sustaining Rural Services in Wiltshire
- This is a new fund for businesses that are independently owned and
operated or are enterprises for the benefit of the community
- The Fund provides a combination of grant and low interest loan (1%
over bank base rate)
- All eligible applicants may apply for a mixture of grant and loan
from a minimum of £500 to a maximum of £10,000
- All enquiries will be offered the free services of one of our business
advisers
Some eligible purposes for which grants/loans can be made:
• ICT and new technologies, (EPOS, management systems etc).
• Marketing
• Multi-use projects eg village hall/shop or shared facilities with
other businesses e.g delivery service etc.
• Production, development or sales of locally produced food or arts
and crafts
• Tourism; eg developing or maintaining a B&B business or tea
rooms
• Shop/Premises redevelopment or refurbishment including internal
and external improvements and imagery
• Equipment purchase and repair including refrigeration, air conditioning,
security installations etc.
• Delivery vehicles
• Providing business and community services; eg Internet, printing,
fax etc.
• Training
• Community enterprise initiatives
Main Criteria
• Business must be in a rural area of Wiltshire
• Business must be independently owned and operated, or be an enterprise
for the benefit of the community
• Provide employment
• Demonstrate the strong support of the community
• Demonstrate the creation, retention, or expansion of local facilities
• Loans can be for between one and three years
• Interest rate will be 1% above bank rate
• Loans can be unsecured in certain circumstances
• Grant will be 40% of the amount requested but the balance must
be taken as a loan
• Grant and loan combination will not require match funding
Process
Deadlines
Applications may be made at any time. They will be considered through
a “fast track” procedure.
Enquiry
To make an initial enquiry, please see the details below. If the project
is thought to be eligible, you will be sent an application form, guidance
notes for its completion, a list of documents to be provided, the full
criteria and the name and the contact details of the Community First Business
Adviser or Village Shops Adviser.
Adviser
The Community First Business Adviser or Village Shops Adviser as appropriate
will be notified of your interest when you are sent the application pack.
You must contact him, by telephone or email, shortly after you receive
your pack. It is a condition of grant that you discuss your proposal with
the Business Adviser or Village Shops Adviser both before and after making
an application.
Assessment
T o assist the selection panel, an assessment will be made of your applicaiton
and be presented to them at their meeting. This will include a profile
of the village/area/community, a statement about the viability of the
project., the community benefit, comments on other sources of finance
being sought or bids that have been made, both successful and unsuccessful.
Selection Panel
The panel will meet as required and will consider the applications
and assessments. Normally a decision will be made at the first meeting.
Very occasionally an application may be deferred to a later meeting in
order to acquire further information. It is in your interests
to answer all the questions on the form completely and to provide all
the documentation requested.
Feedback
Those involved in projects that are funded by the Fund will be
expected to complete interim and final claim, monitoring and evaluation
forms. All funded projects will be visited by the Business
Adviser, Village Shops Adviser and/or the Grants Manager during the period
of the loan and/or after completion.
Other
Applicants must reside in Wiltshire and be over 18 years of age.
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