Pendle Innovation and Productivity Grants
Who is eligible?
The grants are for enterprises in the Borough of Pendle who meet the required criteria for the grant programme whatever their sector. The application needs to come from a business that is trading/working out of a commercial, ie non-domestic address.
Type of fund:
The grant can be used to fund either revenue or capital expenditure.
What are the grants for?
The purpose of the grant programme is to support investment in research and development at the local level and the diffusion of innovation and knowledge activities.
This grant programme seeks to support the commercialisation of ideas, encouraging collaboration and accelerating the path to market so that more ideas translate into industrial and commercial practices.
The grant can be used to fund either the Research element OR the Development stage of the R&D Process OR both elements.
The types of activities the grants will fund:
- Part or all of the grant can be used to fund research activity with local organisations, for example universities, Catapult centres, AMRC or other organisations related to the business which you are in, including trade associations or bona-fide consultants which are expert in your line of business which will encourage and support partnership working between such organisations and your company.
- Part or all of the grant can be used to fund new equipment provided it is backed by demonstrable evidence of business innovation as part of R&D activities carried out.
Mandatory outcome requirements:
The grant must result in the following
- The Adoption of new to the firm technologies or processes which would lead to a demonstrable improvement in productivity
The programme also wishes to support a minimum of one businesses who will develop a new to market product as a result of the grant support.
Value of grants:
The maximum grant value is £18,000
The grant will support up to a maximum of 60% of eligible project costs.
Process:
In the first instance An Expression of Interest (EOI) is to be made to Pendle Council. If your project is eligible you will be sent a full application form to complete. Purchases (investments) should demonstrate value for money by the submission of at least 3 quotations. Where the nature of the R&D project does not allow for this, clear reason should be given, and is subject to the agreement of the Grants Officer.
The completed application will be considered by a grant panel. Only those deemed able to achieve the outcomes above will be considered for a grant. If the grant panel approve your grant you will be issued with a Grant Agreement. Once you have deferred your expenditure and evidenced it, the grant will be paid to your business.
Timescale:
The duration of the programme of funding is 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
All outcomes must be achieved and reported to Pendle Council by 31 March 2026. So projects must have completed earlier than this in order to realise the required outcomes. Those which cannot meet the timescales cannot be supported.
All grant claims must be made to Pendle Council no later than 28 February 2026 in order to be processed for payment before the fund deadline of 31 March 2026. Claims submitted later than 28 February risk forfeiture of the grant award.
We are setting a deadline for all applications to be received by the 31 July 2025 in order to allow sufficient time for the projects to be achieved.
PLEASE NOTE THERE ARE LIMITED FUNDS FOR THESE GRANTS.
Monitoring:
Projects will be monitored and non-compliance or a failure to achieve outcomes may result in clawback of all or part of the grant. You will be asked to provide evidence to show how this has been met. Monitoring will take place quarterly until after the programme close date or until outcomes have been achieved and evidenced, if this is sooner.
Successful Outcomes:
Exact definitions will be given when applying
- An enterprise adopting new to the firm technologies or processes
Introducing a new to the firm technology or process (through external sources e.g., procurement). A technology or process is new to the firm if it did not use a technology or process with the same functionality before, or the production technology or process is fundamentally different from those already used. This outcome is not suitable to be met by an enterprise less than 12 months old.
- An enterprise with improved productivity
Productivity refers to the gross value added per hour worked or gross value added per worker. The enterprise must be able to calculate this and show it as evidence of improved productivity, against an initial baseline prior to support being implemented, in order to meet this criteria. This outcome is not suitable to be met by an enterprise less than 6 months old
- New to market products
A product is new to the market if there is no other product available on a market that offers the same functionality, or the design or technology that the new product uses is fundamentally different from the design or technology of already existing products. Products can be tangible or intangible (incl. services and processes). This outcome can include start-up enterprises if the criteria is being met.
Local Outcomes:
The grant should support the further growth and development of a business. As such a business should be able to demonstrate how this is to be achieved by the project, e.g., through increased turnover projection and the requirement for additional staff within the business. The grants process will take these considerations into account when determining eligibility and approval for funding.
Get in touch:
If your enterprise is interested in pursuing a grant-funded project under this scheme, or if you have any questions, please contact the Project Lead, Mike Williams, in the first instance by emailing michael.williams@pendle.gov.uk or by phone on 01282 661963.
Eligible enterprises will be invited to complete a simple Expression of Interest (EOI) form.
Additional information:
Funding is limited. The grants are not retrospective, i.e., work that has already been ordered cannot be grant-aided.
The Grant is administered by Pendle Council and funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.