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Applications open for LEP’s £800k Growing Places Fund

Heart of the South West LEP is seeking applications for up to £800,000 of capital expenditure on a loan basis.

The LEP is especially interested in projects which deliver to the transformational opportunities set out in the Build Back Better plan and which support clean and inclusive growth. Projects should also show how they complement other national and local provision

There is a two-stage application process:

  1. A short Expression of Interest must be submitted by 23:59 on 11th July 2021.
  2. These will then be shortlisted by the end of July and relevant applicants asked to develop a full business case which must be submitted by 23:59 on 5th September 2021.

The Expression of Interest stage is a competitive process and the LEP will not enter into discussions with bidders. Stage 2 is not competitive. Business cases will be appraised through September and a decision on the successful applications will be made in early October.

Applicants are encouraged to maximise impact and deliverability through larger projects and the LEP is expecting to fund one or two projects from this call, with a minimum Growing Places loan size of £250,000.

The term of the loan can be up to 4 years and the rationale must be set out in the business case.

The final interest rate charged will be subject to compliance with Subsidy Control requirements but indicatively will be set at the Bank of England base rate +1.5%.

For further guidance and to download an application from, visit: https://heartofswlep.co.uk/growing-your-business/heart-of-the-sw-lep-growing-places-fund/

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      David Ralph

      Chief Executive

      David Ralph started as Chief Executive of Heart of South West LEP at the beginning of June 2018. Previously, he had spent 5 years as CEO of the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP from 2013 where he oversaw the development of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan and sector strategies, 3 Growth Deals with HM Government to deliver a £1billion capital investment programme, securing and implementing £200m ESIF programme, the Derby and Nottingham Enterprise Zone, the D2N2 Skills Deal and Time for Innovation programme, community fund and led the executive team to develop the HS2 East Midlands hub. He was also closely involved in the proposed North Midlands Devolution Deal and one of the key architects in establishing the Midlands Engine, chairing the officer steering group. Whilst in this role David was a NED of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, and Marketing NG, the Outer Estates Foundation and a Governor of Nottingham College and on the advisory Board of Nottingham Business School.

      Before the East Midlands, David was CEO of the Have Gateway Partnership working closely with local stakeholders including the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich and BT Adadastral Park across Suffolk and Essex and prior to that was Chief Exec of the Barton Hill New Deal for Communities programme in Bristol and the Nelm Development Trust in Norwich.

      David is a keen sailor, walker and trail runner.