New grants to support Tamworth town centre businesses

New grants for small businesses available for town centre companies Free business development workshops to support grant eligibility Grants will be awarded from £500 to £7k

Tamworth Borough Council has launched a new grant scheme for eligible Tamworth town centre businesses, to help ‘Tell Your Story’ and support business growth.

The Tamworth Town Centre ‘Tell Your Story’ Business Grant, is offering a grant contribution between £500 to £7,000 to new and existing businesses with a fixed premises based in the town centre.

The grants are aimed at helping small businesses develop their engagement with new customers. This includes strengthening their company brand, clarifying their unique selling proposition, creating new or improved products and services, and improving their marketing strategies to ‘tell their story’ better.

The council, using funds from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, has allocated up to £21,000 for eligible businesses for this financial year.

The scheme operates on a match-funded basis to help deliver a greater economic impact to more town centre businesses.

Successful applications must meet certain business criteria including:

• Occupy a fixed premises based in the town centre
• Employ fewer than 250 employees and considered an independent, small to medium sized company
• Registered with HMRC or as a registered company
• Attend one of the new upcoming workshops; completing either a morning or afternoon session, or attend the full day to receive full benefit of the programme.

Full guidance notes are available here: www.tamworth.gov.uk/sites/default/files/business_docs/Guidance-notes-Tell-your-story.pdf

All grant applications must be submitted by 14 August 2023 at 2pm.

For more information, please contact the economic development team via phone: 01827 709709, or email: Business@tamworth.gov.uk.

The free workshops, funded by Tamworth Borough Council, will be held at Tamworth Enterprise Centre, delivered by the council’s business development partner Digital Islands.

The following dates are available:

19 July - Crafting Compelling Narratives

Wednesday 19 July - 10am - 2:30pm.

Book via: Crafting Compelling Narratives Tickets, Wed, Jul 19, 2023 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

The workshop will help businesses to:

•           Communicate what they do in an engaging way

•           Stand out in a saturated market

•           Build trust and credibility with potential customers

•           Build brand recognition and loyalty

•           Encourage long-term relationships with customers       

26 July - Mastering Public Sector Opportunities

Wednesday 26 July - 10am - 2:30pm

Book via: Mastering Public Sector Opportunities Tickets, Wed, Jul 26, 2023 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

The workshop will include:

•           Where to find tender opportunities

•           How to register for and navigate tender portals

•           Determine your eligibility

•           Understand the requirement and what the commissioner is looking for

•           Identify potential risks

•           Determine your organisation's USP

•           Completing the Standard Questionnaire

•           Writing persuasive and impactful responses

•           Understanding the evaluation criteria

2 August - From Story to Strategy

Wednesday 2 August 2 - 10am - 2:30pm

Book via: From Story to Strategy Tickets, Wed, Aug 2, 2023 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite.

The workshop will help businesses to:

•           Stand out from the competition

•           Attract and retain customers

•           Build a positive brand reputation

•           Drive business growth  

•           Identify who your customers are, and how you can help them

•           Know how to reach your potential customers effectively

•           Maintain a consistent brand message - building trust with your audience

Councillor Paul Turner, Leader of Tamworth Borough Council, said: “We are delighted to announce the new grant scheme to support our town centre businesses during these very challenging times.

“We know many businesses, shops and restaurants are working under very different conditions with the cost-of-living crisis and inflation. Therefore, we really want to reach out and offer additional business support.

“We believe that these grants and supporting workshops, can go a long way in helping businesses market their USP, build their brand recognition, upgrade their digital support and drive their business growth.”