The average grant is expected to be £15,000, at a 50 per cent intervention
rate of total project costs the funding is for.  The council aiming to support at least 50 eligible businesses.

Funding will come from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) – a three-
year fund replacing European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs) such
as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European
Social Fund (ESF).

The two grants that will be available are the West Midlands Business grant
and the Net Zero grant. The window for Expressions of Interest in both grants
will open on Thursday, March 21 and close at 4pm on Wednesday, April 10,
2024.

The West Midlands Business grant is intended to bolster investment,
innovation and growth activities of SMEs, while the Net Zero grant seeks to
support businesses to reduce their environmental impact and the rising
energy costs these companies are experiencing.

The latest grants will be launched at a free breakfast workshop, at
Wolverhampton Science Park (WV10 9RU) on March 21, between 8.30am
and 11am, where full details of grant eligibility and the application processes
will be shared along with details of some of the other new business support
programmes.

To book a place, visit: Grants and Business Support 2024 - Wolverhampton
Tickets, Thu 21 Mar 2024 at 08:30 | Eventbrite

Councillor Stephen Simkins, City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, said: “In
Wolverhampton, we are utilising the UKSPF funds to support SMEs in
maximising their offer and capitalising on opportunities being generated by
investment in our city – it will also give them the power to combat rising
energy costs and support the city’s climate change initiatives.

“I would urge businesses to sign up for the event on March 21 to find out
exactly what funding is available to them.

“Following the event there will also be support in place to help guide
businesses through the process to access these grants.”

Applications for both grants are on a competitive basis, subject to availability
of funds, and distributed at the discretion of the council.

If you need help with your grant application or have a general query, you can
get in touch by emailing business.development@wolverhampton.gov.uk or
calling the business support phone line on 01902 290242 between 9am and
5pm from Monday to Thursday or from 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays.