Grant Applications with GRA

REGIONAL GROWTH FUND
Chancellor behaves like Santa
Would you like £1M or £2M?

The second round of bidding for the remaining £940M on offer from the Regional Growth Fund received a total of 492 bids requesting an aggregated amount of £3.3 Billion. The North West of England was the highest of all the regions with 140 bids, accounting for 28 per cent of all the bids received. Overall 330 of the total number of bids received are bidding for between £1 million and £5 million, and the pattern is not too different from Round 1, where 50 successful bidders from the first round shared £450m if passing the final hurdle of due diligence.

Bids have now been evaluated and 119 winning bids have been announced details on the BIS web site here.

With a good experience of how to make a winning RGF application and proven success for clients in Round 2, GRA can help you to be a winner in

ROUND THREE OPENING BIDS in FEBRUARY 2012

Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister had announced a third bidding round for the additional £1.0Bn RGF provided in the Autumn Statement will open shortly in February 2012. GRA expects the total on offer to be in the order of at least £500M with a probable short time frame in which to prepare and submit bids in order to comply with the original RGF objective to see capital investment taking place by end 2014. There may be a fourth round later in the year for the balance and any residue from failed due diligence from Round 1 and 2 recipients.

LAST CHANCE TO APPLY FOR RGF GRANT AID

The Regional Growth Fund first bidding round of applications, which closed on 21st January, was oversubscribed with 464 bids totalling £2.78 Billion. Interestingly Round 2 seems to be not so different at 492 bids totalling £3.3 Billion although there were many more Public sectors bids as well as programme bids.

Rumours abound suggesting that more than 8 of the winning bids from ROUND 1 have subsequently failed due diligence. Since the total on offer from the fund is £1.4B over the 3 years to 2014, it seems that a THIRD bidding round deadline will shortly be announced, and this was confirmed by remarks made in April by the deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg.

GRA expects this deadline to be set for end of October meaning that work needs to be commenced soon if success with the benefit of our experience in the submission process for Regional Growth Fund grant aid applicants is to be utilised to best advantage.

Lord Heseltine is chair of the panel that will allocate the new RGF grants of one Million plus from the £1.4bn fund aimed at boosting regional economies.

The Regional Growth Fund will support projects in England offering economic growth, including the creation of jobs, especially in areas heavily reliant on public-sector employment.

Lord Heseltine, a Tory former deputy prime minister, said: "This exciting project ... builds on the experiences I've had in helping people in deprived areas to help themselves and their communities achieve aspirations that, without schemes of this sort, might be possible.

GRA understands Inward Investment projects requiring aid of £1M or more could qualify - would be grant applicants interested in bidding for Round 3 should contact GRA quickly since applications could have to meet an expected February 28th, 2012 deadline.

Launched at BERR, now renamed BIS, with effect from 1st October 2009, was a new name for SFI or SFIE formerly known as RSA by which name it had been known in Wales and Scotland, but where other name changes or scheme changes have introduced SIF (Single Investment Fund) to include RSA Cymru, in Wales, and RSA Scotland respectively.

Confused? Not at all: From today you need not be confused, just ask GRA and we'll do it all for you? £1M or £2M? How much is possible? £3M in grant aid or do you need more? There is no upper limit except as determined by the project, requirements, location, and most importantly - making a substantial and recognised case for grant support - GRA's specialty!

GBI grant opportunities abound for well constructed cases for aid to assist substantial capital investment in the eligible areas of England, Wales and Scotland.

Ask GRA, we will sort out the detail, give you plain English answers on the basis of an initial without charge assessment. Then if there's a case to be made, we will undertake preparation and negotiation with the relevant officials to take you across the winning line. We have all the expertise you need to WIN support.

Turn the latest Gib.Ber.Ish into a substantial C_A_S_H contribution to your embryonic development plans to invest in Britain.

It gets ever more difficult to persuade government officials to part with tax payers money.

We always recall at a client meeting in Birmingham, a senior official remarking to GRA... 'we don't like to say NO but all requests are subject to intense scrutiny by both UK and EU officials and MUST stand up to a public audit. We can't just give it away any more - a strong case must be made.'

Remember grants are 'public funds' - tax payers' money - gifts from the government of 'last resort'.

GRANTS are VERY DIFFICULT to get without expert assistance! Particularly if you want large sums like £1M to help fund your latest project.

After all you wouldn't be foolish enough to defend yourself in a court of law if up on on a murder charge - so why view the presenting of a case to be given a million pounds by the Government as 'not' requiring experienced and qualified professional preparation and presentation?

GRANT APPLICATIONS through GRA