SME grants for life after virus

INNOVATIVE small businesses in Halton have been invited to bid for a grant to invest in adapting to life after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Steve Rotheram, Liverpool City Region (LCR) metro mayor, launched the LCR Future Innovation Fund on Friday to support businesses that have sought to change to suit post-lockdown conditions.

The first £1m wave of funding opened to applications on Friday, with grants of between £25,000 and £100,000 available.

Subsequent releases of the fund will be shaped by learning from the initial scheme.

The grants will be awarded to businesses that show they are adapting in priority areas:

Building a sustainable industrial future and adapting to market opportunities and industry requirements.

Health and wellbeing innovation.

Global ‘cultural capital’ and supporting the LCR’s cultural vibrancy now and in the future.

Zero carbon economy: businesses pioneering sustainable approaches to living, travel and doing business in a post pandemic world.

Tech for good: businesses that use technology and data to improve society, including but not limited to smart city applications, pan-sector digitalisation and artificial intelligence.

Digitalisation: business initiatives in any sector that will yield a clear improvement in business productivity, adaptability or diversification.

Eligible companies must be a registered small or medium-sized enterprise, operational before January 1, 2020, with headquarters or significant operations in the Liverpool City Region.

Mr Rotheram said: “Businesses in Liverpool City Region have shown an unbelievable ability to adapt and innovate their current business models to successfully weather these extremely challenging times.

“The overriding priority for us all has to be the safety of the people who live and work in the City Region

“We need to ensure those businesses are supported so that they can help drive our ambitions for inclusive growth in the City Region beyond the far-reaching impact of Covid-19.

“Our economy will need major financial support from central government to recover but we have to do what we can to support businesses in the here and now. This is a limited fund but I am sure that it will make a huge difference to businesses who have shown innovation, ingenuity and agility in their responses to this economic shock.”

For more information or to apply, visit https:// growthplatform.org/futureinnovation-fund/