A total of up to £2.15million available for projects via three European Regional Development Fund streams
Businesses and charities are being advised to ‘be ready’ by the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) following the announcement that several funding streams – supporting developments in research and innovation, low carbon initiatives and small business’ international trade ambitions – were announced.
A total of £2.15million will be made available via the European Regional Development Fund specifically for organisations operating in Oxfordshire.
One stream of funding sees up to £1.08million being made available to support the enhancement and capacity of research and innovation infrastructure capabilities. A minimum value of £500,000-worth of funding can be applied for at any one time.
A second stream sees up to £535,000 available, supporting shifts towards a low carbon economy in all sectors. This includes the promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy use, as well as the promotion of research and innovation into – and the adoption of – low-carbon technologies.
A final stream sees a further £535,000 available, enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs and their capacity to grow in regional, national and international markets and to engage in innovation processes.
As one of 37 Local Enterprise Partnerships in England, OxLEP is encouraging businesses and organisations to apply for funding, prior to an application deadline of 23 November. It is anticipated that funding for all three funding calls will be awarded for up to three years.
Since it was launched in 2011, OxLEP – with its partners – has secured over £600m-worth of government funding for Oxfordshire, with around 43,000 new jobs created in the county between 2012 and 2016.
In total, OxLEP currently oversees a £2.2bn growth programme for the county.
Nigel Tipple – Chief Executive of OxLEP – said: “Organisations will be able to make a genuine impact on the Oxfordshire and wider UK economy through these three rounds of funding – we would encourage businesses and charities to apply.”
Businesses interested in applying for funding should head to the Government website for more information:
