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Plan ahead to meet RGF criteria says expert

Businesses should plan ahead to ensure they meet Regional Growth Fund (RGF) deadlines, according to a Darlington based accountancy and business advisory firm.

Clive Owen & Co LLP have helped North East businesses secure millions of pounds of funding in previous rounds of the scheme. Applications for the third round must be submitted by Wednesday 13 June, and the firm believe that now is the time for businesses to identify areas of their company where they may qualify.

Neville Baldry is the firm’s expert on RGF applications. He said: “RGF investment in people, equipment and product development has enabled the North East to stand out as innovative and forward thinking.

“Now is the time to formalise plans and seriously consider the opportunities available through the Regional Growth Fund.

“As with any application, it is vital that it is completed with as much detail as possible to aim for the most successful outcome.”

In the last round, awards given varied from sector to sector but the two main areas of consideration were capital expenditure and job creation.

To help businesses in the area who think they have projects which could qualify, Clive Owen & Co is hosting an event on Tuesday 15 May to help businesses find out more. Neville Baldry will be leading the seminar, and will be joined with Peter Cocker, a former member of One North East’s business finance team, to offer expert advice and guidance.

Mr Baldry added: “RGF is a competitive bidding process and the last round saw only 119 successful applications from a total of almost 500 bids submitted. There is a competitive nature to this scheme so we aim to work with businesses to give them the best possible chance of being successful.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .