Agenda item

Mark Healy, Regeneration and Economy Programme Manager, introduced the 10 Micro Business Grant applications. He noted that the scheme has seen a great deal of interest and is already nearly fully subscribed. Following this meeting, the panel would have reviewed 33 of the 41 applications that have been submitted.

 

All the applications were assessed against the criteria of delivering wider outreach, assisting with the delivery of new business lines, enabling more employees to be taken on, and delivering benefits to the community. Each business has also passed Officers due diligence checks.

 

The applications which were recommended for consideration and approval by the

Panel are set out below:

 

Organisation	Purpose for which award is sought	Award Requested	Award Suggested
Artifex Design	New Van	£2,000	£2,000
Define Hospitality	Marketing	£1,998	£1,998
Cullen Scolefield	Recruitment and Marketing	£2,000	£2,000
Leeli Cycles	Business Space Improvements, New Equipment, Promotional Material and Software Upgrades	£500	£500
Louise Sullivan Photography	Marketing	£870	£870
Rana Risk Management	New Equipment	£988.20	£988.20
Sussex Osteopath and Complementary Health Clinic Ltd	Business Space Improvements	£563.75	£563.75
Sussex Solutions Ltd	New Equipment to offer New Service	£720.95	£720.95
The Network Exposure Group	New Service	£2,000	£2,000
Tremletts Carpentry and Joinery	Facility Improvements and Apprentice	£3,500	£3,500
Total		£15,140.90	£15,140.90

 

Holly-Jade Ryder, Business Development Officer, presented the application from Define Hospitality which sought a grant of £1,998 to undertake a four month telemarketing campaign.

 

A Member stated that the application doesn’t seem to have a tangible end result and as there aren’t many businesses in Mid Sussex how would the Panel differentiate it from other businesses. He also queried whether the intern would be undertaking the telemarketing campaign, an idea he thought ill advised.

 

The Business Development Officer explained that the intern will follow up with the results from the marketing campaign, but not run it themselves, which would allow the intern to develop their skills and gives them the opportunity to get industry experience – something of which the team highly promote in the Economic Development Strategy.

 

The Chairman enquired whether the intern is currently in training.

 

The Business Development Officer confirmed that they are not.

 

A Member asked whether the intern will be paid by the company.

 

The Business Development Officer explained that the business is considering paying the intern however she highlighted that the intern would only work for a few days in the week.

 

The Vice-Chairman noted that the business is located within Radnor House, a residential building. He sought clarification on whether the environment of the building is suitable for the business to be carried out there.

 

The Business Development Officer clarified that universities are encouraging more small businesses to take on interns to support students in gaining work experience. She noted that the business will be using co-working space in the District when working with the intern.

 

Members were supportive of the application.

 

The Business Development Officer introduced the application from Leeli Cycles which sought a grant of £500 to improve their business space, purchase new equipment, develop promotional material and improve the software of the business. She added that the business has seen an increase of cycle events travelling through the village and as such would like to increase the capacity for them to repair and sell bikes.

 

The Vice-Chairman questioned whether the outdoor flags would run foul of advertising consent.

 

The Business Development Officer confirmed that the flag masts and flags are already in place so would expect the consent to already be in place.

 

Members were supportive of the application.

 

The Business Development Officer presented the application from Sussex Osteopath and Complementary Health Clinic Ltd which sought a grant of £563.75 to fund the refurbishment of the existing business space by replacing flooring which has fallen into disrepair. The replacement of the flooring would not enable the business to run its Pilates class but also allow the business use the space more frequently, and to run sessions for longer.

 

The Chairman asked whether the application is policy compliant.

The Business Development Officer clarified that certain sections of the flooring has fallen into such disrepair that the business is no longer able to use the workspace and that the application does fit in with the policy.

 

The Vice-Chairman enquired how long the business had been running for.

 

The Business Development Officer confirmed that the business had been running for 4 years.

 

Members were supportive of the application.

 

The Business Development Officer introduced the application from The Network Exposure Group which sought a grant of £2,000 to fund the development of and offer a range of business seminars which focus on various educational topics such as marketing and growth.

 

The Vice-Chairman believed that only part of the full amount should be awarded to the business as the Vice-Chairman felt the business’ name was misleading, commenting that a ‘group’ generally comprises of more than two employees.

 

A member noted the £5,000 total project cost in the report and asked whether it was the cost of (the) just the hiring of the marketing consultant.

 

The Business Development Officer explained that the £5,000 is the cost of the whole package, including the audio-visual equipment.

 

The Chairman started that if the Panel were minded to award 75% of the grant, then it would detract from the benefit of the grant. He suggested that it be accepted on the basis that further applications of this nature be reviewed to ensure that a wide pool of businesses in Mid Sussex benefit from the scheme.

 

Members were supportive of the application.

 

William Hawkins, Economic Development Officer, presented the application from Tremletts Carpentry and Joinery which sought a grant of £3,500 to fund the development of a new service through premises improvements, development of a new website and employment of an apprentice.

 

The Vice-Chairman asked the Panel whether it is happy about the potential impact on neighbours of the business.

 

The Economic Development Officer clarified that whilst the business is based in a residential property, the main workshop is located elsewhere.

 

The Chairman sought clarification on the number of employees and apprentices at the business.

 

The Economic Development Officer explained that the Business currently has 1 apprentice who forms part of the 4-person team. The additional apprentice would make the team 5.

 

Members were supportive of the application.

 

The Chairman left the chamber for consideration of the Cullen Scholefield application

 

Members were supportive of the remaining 5 applications.

 

RESOLVED

 

The Cabinet Grant Panel agreed:

 

                      i.        that a Microbusiness Grant of £2,000 be granted to Artifex Design to purchase a new van.

 

                     ii.        that a Microbusiness Grant of £1,998 be granted to Define Hospitality to undertake a four-month telemarketing campaign.

 

                    iii.        that a Microbusiness Grant of £2,000 be granted to Cullen Scolefield to fund the recruitment of two new members of staff to support the growth of the business and to fund marketing activities which includes attending an event and procuring PR services.

 

                   iv.        that a Microbusiness Grant of £500 be granted to Leeli Cycles to fund the improvement to their business space, purchase of new equipment, development of promotional material and the improvement of the business’ software.

 

                    v.        that a Microbusiness Grant of £870 be granted to Louise Sullivan Photography to fund the development and implementation of a new marketing strategy through the support of a local marketing consultant.

 

                   vi.        that a Microbusiness Grant of £988.20 be granted to Rana Risk Management to fund the purchase of new equipment that will enable the business to offer a new service on fire safety training.

 

                  vii.        that a Microbusiness Grant of £563.75 be granted to Sussex Osteopath and Complementary Health Clinic Ltd to fund the refurbishment of the existing business space by replacing flooring.

 

                 viii.        that a Microbusiness Grant of £720.95 be granted to Sussex Solutions Ltd to fund the purchase of new equipment which will enable the development of a new service.

 

                   ix.        that a Microbusiness Grant of £2,000 be granted to The Network Exposure Group to fund the development of business seminars.

 

                    x.        that a Microbusiness Grant of £3,500 be granted to Tremletts Carpentry and Joinery to fund the development of a new service through premises improvements and the employment of an apprentice.