Information, Advice & Knowledge

Chamber Invoice Finance
Chamber Invoice Finance working with RBS Invoice Finance to provide Chamber members with a comprehensive sales funding and credit management solution which includes protection from bad debts.  What happens next?  Call our team on 0800 085 6155 for further information
Email: askinternational@rbsif.co.uk  or Click here for more details.

Chamber Members - Financial Services
Checkout the Chamber Member Directory to access Norfolk Chamber Member Financial Service.
www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/pages/members-directory.aspx

Chamber Debt Recovery
Norfolk Chamber members can take advantage of a debt collection service to help them collect any overdue payments from customers.
For more information go to www.norfolkchamber.co.uk/Pages/Membership/debtrecovery.aspx

New - EEDA: Access to Finance
Recognising that access to finance is still a major issue for many businesses, EEDA have pulled together details of all publically funded finance schemes to help businesses understand what is available. 
Details can be found at www.eeda.org.uk/finance.

Free Business Finance database
For a limited period only j4b is making the full details of their comprehensive j4bgrants funding database with free access to hundreds of Government, European, Lottery and other funds at the http://www.j4bgrants.co.uk/ FREE to registered users.

HM Government – Real Help Now
Where to find help with Homes, Jobs and Finance - Click Here to view download.

Intensive Support for Businesses
Fully funded expert business advice to existing businesses and early stage start-ups that are suffering as a consequence of the economic downturn, across the region. This will be offered through intensive one to one confidential advice, by fully qualified and independently assessed Business Advisors, to help businesses through these challenging times. To take advantage of this free help, from an Advisor near you, call now on 0845 60 99 991 and ask for Andrew Wilson. For further details about NWES visit www.nwes.org.uk

KTP (Classic KTP, SKTP & KEEP)
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) is one of the UK's leading programmes, helping businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the UK knowledge base. KTP is funded by the Technology Strategy Board with 17 other funding organisations.  KTP Website http://www.ktponline.org.uk/
AUEE point of contact re the above and for KEEP is Mike Hall aueeduputy@eeda.org.uk or hallrainbow@aol.com and on 07850-140202. 

Local Authorities
Checkout the help and advice available through the economic development department of your local authority.

Breckland - www.breckland.gov.uk
Broadland - www.broadland.gov.uk
Great Yarmouth -  www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk
Kings Lynn and West Norfolk - www.west-norfolk.gov.uk
North Norfolk - www.northnorfolk.org
South Norfolk - www.south-norfolk.gov.uk

Managing Cash Flow
You can find short guides on managing cash flow, developed by the Institute of Credit Management and funded by the Government, at Business Link www.businesslink.gov.uk/realhelp

Prompt Payers
The Government is encouraging all businesses to agree to pay suppliers on time.  You can see which businesses have signed up to this at Prompt Payment Code www.promptpaymentcode.org.uk
Central Government is also helping by committing to pay its own bills with 10 days.

Research grants and Financial Status reports
Norfolk Business Library will be able to search research grants available to you; run financial status reports and credit checks on potential partners, customers and suppliers Tel: 01603 774760 Website: http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/consumption/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&ssDocName=NCC020306

The Business Map
EEDA’s web tool to help businesses in the East of England to access publicly funded support including finance www.bizmapeast.co.uk.

NEW - Understanding Finance for Business
EEDA's Understanding Finance for Business programme is designed to help businesses identify and obtain the right type of finance for their business.  The programme is open to businesses with fewer than 250 employees who are looking to secure more than £10,000 of external funding.

The programme will be available across the region and will be run on behalf of EEDA by St John's Innovation Centre. The programme is structured around a series of workshops and support that become more tailored as you move through it. 

The initial workshop is about demystifying finance, cutting through the jargon and understanding the options available. Initial workshops will be held in every county in the region.  Subsequent workshops will cover more specialist subjects such as intellectual property, grants, venture capital or pitching for finance.  Where appropriate firms will be provided with specialist mentors to provide indepth coaching and support.  Details of the programme, events and registration can all be found at www.eeda.org.uk/finance

Funding, Grants & Loans

Breckland Enterprise and Learning Account 2
Grants to assist start-up and new businesses to buy ICT related equipment or training. Value of £500 or 50% of project.  Contact : enquiries@economic.breckland.gov.uk 

Business Link £500 Voucher Scheme
Businesses that have been trading for over 12 months are eligible for the £500 voucher scheme redeemable in exchange for consultancy services. Following an online or face-to-face ‘health check’ with a Business Link adviser, an action plan will be discussed and agreed with the business detailing areas where additional support is required. Using Business Link’s supplier brokerage database, the adviser will suggest up to three suppliers who may be able to meet the client’s needs in the areas identified.

It is with these suppliers, who have been accepted to be part of the scheme, that the voucher can be redeemed, up to a maximum of £500. Contact Business Link on 08457 17 16 15 or email healthcheck@businesslinkeast.org.uk for further information.

Capital for Enterprise Fund
Through this fund, viable small businesses with high levels of existing debt cab get real help to raise long-term finance.  Professional fund managers will provide equity investment which you can use to pay off existing debt, so as to free up capital for day-to-day cash flow for investment for the future.  The Government is providing £50 million of this £75 million fund, with the remaining £25 million coming from RBS, HSBC, Lloyds TSB and Barclays.  Call the Capital for Enterprise Fund Registration Helpline, 0845 459 9780.

CREATE
The CREATE East of England Fund specialises in making investments in new or existing small and medium-sized businesses (SME's) that can demonstrate significant growth potential and are either based, or conduct a significant part of their business, in the East of England.

The Fund will provide venture capital investments, of up to an initial £250,000 with follow-on investment of up to a further £250,000 available. Once invested in a business, the Fund is capable of investing further to avoid dilution up to a maximum of £2 million in any one company.

The Fund may invest alongside private investors, banks or seed corn venture capital funds.
Visit www.createpartners.com for more information

EEDA ‘Innovation vouchers’
EEDA ‘Innovation vouchers’ will provide small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with £3,000 worth of one-to-one collaboration with the region’s top universities, free of charge. The voucher is worth up to one week’s dedicated support and advice, and businesses have until 5pm on Monday 2 February to apply. For further information, businesses should visit www.eeda.org.uk/financeforinnovation. 

Enterprise Finance Guarantee
A government loan guarantee scheme, delivered via participating Lenders and aimed at supporting the availability of working capital and investment funding for small and medium sized businesses in the UK. Click here to view information.

European Funding
The European Union provides funding programmes to help member states regenerate their economies and create new jobs. Some help is available, through these programmes, for eligible businesses in the East of England Visit http://www.bizmapeast.co.uk/finance/european-funding/

Free business premises up for grabs.
A new initiative to help fledgling businesses in Breckland will be launched this spring. The first prize in the ‘dragons den’ style competition will be a commercial premises for 12 months to the value of £10,000 (This equates to  premises of around 1000 square feet) from Breckland’s portfolio There will also be a prize of a similar premises for 6 months to the value of £5000 for the runner up. The competition has already sparked the imagination of Breckland’s partners with additional prizes pledged - such as a laptop and free management training from Poultec Training Ltd. The winning businesses will be offered ongoing advice through Breckland Council’s economic development unit and the business support network.
Click here for more.

Foundation East
Foundation East is a not for profit organisation that operates across East Anglia. The Foundation lends money to new businesses, existing businesses, charities and social enterprises that cannot get a loan from a bank or require additional funds to match bank lending. Tel: 01284 757777 email: info@foundationeast.org website: www.foundationeast.org

Funding Available for rural pubs: Click here for more information.

Grants available for groups helping Norwich people
Small community, voluntary and charitable organisations can get a one-off award of up to £250 from the Lord Mayor's Small Grants Fund. Click Here for more information.

Grant for Business Investment
Grants for Business Investment (formerly Selective Finance for Investment in England) offers grant support for sustainable business investment and job creation projects in disadvantaged areas in the East of England.

Grants for Business Investment is a national scheme, managed regionally by EEDA, supporting businesses to make investments to set up, expand, diversify and modernise. Typically, a grant is offered to support the acquisition of key assets, such as buildings, plant and machinery and to support the creation of new jobs or to safe guard existing ones. 

Grants will, on average, cover 10 to 20 per cent of the project's total cost. £10,000 is the minimum grant value available.

Visit Grants for Business Investment http://www.eeda.org.uk/Grant-for-Business-Investment.asp for more information and see if your business is eligible for this support.

Grant Finder Directory
Database on the Council's 'Breckland 4 Business' website that businesses can use to search for grants.  http://www.open4business.info/breckland/Default.aspx

Government Grants
Information on Government Grants checkout website http://www.govgrants.com/

Government Trade Credit Insurance top-up scheme.  Product Details Click Here

HMRC Pay Agreements if needed
If you’re worried about whether you will be able to pay your tax on time, then get in touch with HMRC’s Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) as soon as possible. The telephone number is 0845 302 1435 and the lines are open from 8am to 8pm during the week and 8am to 4pm at weekends. More information - click here.

Innovation Finance
Innovation finance programmes that assist businesses to develop and exploit new ideas are available in the East of England.  Grants and loans are available for businesses who require assistance to develop innovative products, processes or services.   http://www.bizmapeast.co.uk/finance/innovation-finance/

J4b Green Funding
j4b have launched the first green funding website exclusively for businesses featuring more than £1.2 billion worth of green funding programmes on a free online searchable database. The Green Grants Machine has been developed to help private sector organisations access the latest information on the funding which is currently available to improve their environmental performance and reduced their energy costs. Visit www.greengrantsmachine.co.uk to find green funding for your business

Links to access EU Funding

SME portal: ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sme/
EU grants: ec.europa.eu/grants/
CIP financial instruments: www.access2finance.eu
EIB lending: www.eib.europa.eu
Advice, services: ec.europa.eu/enterprise-europe-network/
Your Europe for business: ec.europa.eu/youreurope/business
Public procurement opportunities: ec.europa.eu/public_contracts/index_en.htm
European policy on access to finance: ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/financing/
European policy on innovation: ec.europa.eu/enterprise/innovation/

New funding to help test bright business ideas
Entrepreneurs with bright business ideas are being given a helping hand to turn them into commercial realities, thanks to new funding announced by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA). Click here for more.