Horsham small businesses and start-ups can apply for grants up to £2,000

Horsham District Council has launched a new round of Local Enterprise and Apprenticeship Platform (LEAP) small business grant funding on Monday October 3.

This tranche of funding is an ‘express’ round and funds will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Successful applicants will be given a three-month window to complete their projects, so this round would suit businesses looking to quickly adapt to change in these challenging times.

£50,000 worth of funding is available and applicants are required to match-fund 25 per cent of their total project cost with their own investment. Applicants also need to submit a business plan.

The council has funded a wide range of LEAP projects in the past, supporting different business types from across the District.

Massimo, owner and founder of mobile coffee van company The Italian Coffee Guy and past recipient of a LEAP grant, said: "The grant from HDC provided not only financial help in supporting the funding of key aspects of my business, but also gave me sound advice as a new start up. By building a business case for the grant it allowed me to really laser focus on the needs of my business.”

Chris Cooper, director of Horsham-based Seofon Business Services, commented on their grant towards an upgrade on their office lighting: “We are very pleased to have been a recipient of the LEAP Grant which has enabled us to upgrade the lighting in our office to LED. This will not only give a better working environment for the whole team, but will also deliver on our plans to ensure we operate in the best way possible for the environment.”

Kirsty Haydon at Henfield’s Eastmead Boarding Cattery, added: “Having been able to secure a grant through the LEAP funding has allowed me to have a new removable weather screen produced for the front of one of my cattery buildings. This has already made a huge difference in terms of being able to retain heat better and keep the safety corridor dry.”

Allocation of the funding will be determined by a grant appraisal panel at HDC.

The window closes on November 30. Visit https://www.horsham.gov.uk/business/business-funding/leap-business-grants