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- £30,000 in Future Shrewsbury Grants awarded to local businesses
£30,000 in Future Shrewsbury Grants awarded to local businesses
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After a rigorous judging process by an independent panel, 11 business grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 have been awarded, totalling £30,000.
The business grants scheme is part of our Work in Shrewsbury (WISH) campaign to drive inward investment and revenue growth in Shrewsbury. Thanks to the success of this first round of grants, we’re now seeking further funding to reopen the scheme and support even more businesses.
The scheme was open to Shrewsbury town centre businesses and activities, and successful applicants ranged from restaurants to shops and community arts initiatives.
Seb Slater, Executive Director of Shrewsbury BID, said: “There was a fantastic response to the call out and we are really pleased to have now awarded 11 grants to some really exciting projects of business growth plans.
“The level of response and quality of applications have shown just how important this sort of grants scheme is to the town. This means we are now actively seeking funding to reopen the grant scheme for a second round and support even more businesses.”
Mandy Thorn, former chair of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, was on the judging panel and said it was a tough job because the standard of applications was so high.
“It was such a privilege to be asked to be one of the judges for the Future Shrewsbury Grants,” she said. “I was impressed at the breadth and quality of the majority of submissions and it was an incredibly difficult task to decide which projects had the most potential to make a real difference to our county town.”
One of the business grant recipients, Sophie Martin, of The Good Egg Bakery in Meadow Place, said the grant would help her grow the business, adding: “Receiving this grant means so much for The Good Egg as it will allow me to expand and do what currently has been slightly out of reach.”
Another successful applicant, Jo Bloodworth, of the Little Shop of Joy based in Shrewsbury Market Hall, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to receive a Future Shrewsbury Grant. It’s such a boost for my small business and helps me to take the next steps to grow. Thank you so much for this opportunity.”
The WISH project includes a raft of business support, promotional activities, training and masterclass learning sessions designed to promote investment in Shrewsbury.
The project is part-funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and, as well as increasing inward investment and driving revenue growth for the town, aims to raise awareness of the superb living and working environment that Shrewsbury offers, for business owners and employees alike.
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