The Business Support and Innovation Team deliver a range of projects that support businesses across a range of different sectors. See below for a list of our recently completed projects.
Listening Ear
Listening Ear is a service that gives the opportunity to chat informally to an experienced volunteer about whatever local business owners are finding challenging due to the effects of COVID-19, not only in terms of their businesses but their wellbeing and stress levels.
We’re not here to offer business advice; we’re here to provide a friendly, impartial listening ear to talk about whatever you feel you need to.
Phase one of this project is now completed. More details about the launch of phase two are coming soon.
ERDF Innovation in Healthy Ageing
A groundbreaking programme to generate innovation and growth in the business and voluntary sectors supporting healthy ageing. The project supported the private and voluntary sectors covering medical technology and health care to fund the development of new products and services which could transform how people age healthily in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.
ERDF Growth Support Programme
The Growth Support Programme offered eligible SMEs an initial 3 hour diagnostic to support their plans to grow or expand. Businesses were offered the opportunity to access a further 9 hour support package of three modules. These are modules focused on digital, finance, HR, innovation and marketing. The support was available to ERDF eligible businesses based in Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay. More information can be found on the online enquiry form or the project page
ERDF Enhance Social Enterprise Programme
The Enhance Social Enterprise Programme supports social enterprise and social entrepreneurs to achieve their growth ambitions.
Individuals and organisations at all stages of their enterprise journey can benefit from tailored business support around themes such as digital transformation, funding and financial sustainability, social impact frameworks, change management and innovation.
The support is available to ERDF eligible businesses from Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay. More information can be found at Enhance Social Enterprise.
Making it Local
Making it Local is now closed and it has fully allocated its £1.4m budget.
We are not accepting any new applications. If you do have a project idea we are happy to add your contact and project details to an enquiry list, we will then contact you should further funding become available.
The Making it Local and REAL Devon Local Action Groups (LAGs) distributed grants to local people and businesses to develop opportunities for improving the rural economy and quality of life for people living and working in the area through a targeted grants programme called LEADER.
The grants are funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and are part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).
Making it Local area is based on the parishes of the Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs and the surrounding gateway market towns. Our overall aim is to use the outstanding environmental quality and local human potential as a ‘springboard’ for sustainable economic growth.
REAL Devon
REAL Devon is now closed and it has fully allocated its £1.4m budget for the Mid and East Devon area.
We are not accepting any new applications. If you do have a project idea we are happy to add your contact and project details to an enquiry list, we will then contact you should further funding become available.
Contact us
You can get in touch by calling 01392 383000 and asking for Mirela Doana. Alternatively, you can email:
Creative Innovation and Growth Programme (CIAG)
The Creative Innovation and Growth (CIAG) Grants Programme supports Adult Social Care businesses and organisations in Devon.
CIAG incorporates three elements: a revenue and capital grants programme; free business support; and free leadership development activities. These are available to eligible ASC organisations and businesses in Devon.
The emphasis of these activities is on developing new services, increasing sufficiency, developing new products and new innovative ways of working in the adult social care market.
More information can be found on the CIAG webpage.
Engaging Rural Micros (ERM) project
Engaging Rural Micros was a two-phase research project which engaged with micro businesses (businesses with fewer than 10 employees) to understand their needs, and how to better support their productivity.
The project is now closed. To find out more about the project, and read the phase 1 and 2 reports, visit the Engaging Rural Micros webpage.
Reconnect Rebuild Recover – Communities
This fund provided grants of up to £3,000 to community-led initiatives which identify and achieve, in a safe and confident way, the important things that matter to and help local people to reconnect, rebuild and recover their community-led facilities and/or social activity. 168 successful applications were processed since July 2021and £276,000 funding was distributed.
Find out more at Reconnect Rebuild Recover Community Fund.
Prompt Action Fund to help communities
Devon County Council launched the COVID-19 Prompt Action Fund to help provide valuable funding to organisations working in communities that have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Posted on: 27 March 2020
Devon County Council launched the COVID-19 Prompt Action Fund to help provide valuable funding to organisations working in communities that have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
The scheme, which only launched this week has had over 80 applications already. The grants of between £100 and £500 will help voluntary and community groups to tackle the social and economic impacts of the virus outbreak and help those who are most vulnerable in their communities. The funding can be used to address issues such as:
Safe deliveries of essential goods and services to people who are isolating, for example, food and medicine, Supporting people to access online information and services, Starting virtual support groups to help people who are isolated to stay connected and to improve mental health and wellbeing, Transport related initiatives, for example, the use of voluntary car schemes to deliver essentials, medicine and meals.
Applications are invited from established Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector groups, town and parish councils, charities or businesses, or a combination of these working together.
Groups, small local businesses and individuals without their own separate bank account may also apply, but they will need to have the support of a recognised organisation – such as town and parish council, local community and voluntary services (CVS) organisation, village hall or other established local voluntary groups – acting on their behalf as guarantor or as the holder of the funding.
Two Further grant funds up to the value of £3000 were launched following the Prompt Action Fund to coincide with each lockdown. A total of £625,640 was distributed to 622 successful applicants.
Doing What Matters (DWM) Community Grant Fund
The Doing What Matters (DWM) Community Grant Fund has been designed by the Devon County Council Business Support and Innovation Team in conjunction with the Communities Team to support not for private profit organisations to deliver projects which meet the strategic aim of the DWM Scheme.
A decision was made on 08/04 for the temporary deployment of the Doing What Matters Grant Fund to offer grants to eligible organisations to support and mobilise the communities impacted by COVID-19. This grant fund is also now on pause.
Strategic aim
Connecting people in a positive, fulfilling and inclusive way; tackling and reducing loneliness and undesired isolation in all their forms and across all age groups.
The Council intends the fund to be utilised for bids that help:
- to build relationships and connections locally, across all age groups
- people become more physically active
- people take notice of their local environment
- to develop opportunities for culture, creativity or learning
- to support giving across local people and communities, including volunteering
- to make people feel safer locally
For more information, please visit the Doing What Matters Community Grant Fund webpage.
Replacement Care Innovation Fund (RCIF)
Devon County Council and NHS Devon CCG have made grants of between £1,000 and £15,000 available to organisations – including adult care providers, personal assistants, and groups of carers – who can develop and provide innovative opportunities that will give carers a break, during COVID-19 and beyond.
Funds will support innovative methods of delivering or accessing replacement care, which must provide or enable carers to access breaks, education, employment, volunteering or leisure. Applications must be submitted by 6 November 2020. The project is now closed, for more information visit the Replacement Care Innovation Fund Webpage.
Growth Support Kickstart Grant Scheme
The Growth Support Kickstart Grants Scheme is closed.
We received over 1800 applications for the funding and have fully allocated the £747,364.00 that the Heart of the South West was awarded.
We have provided feedback to central government about the level of demand for these grants. If any further funds were to become available they would be announced on the Growth Hub website. We encourage all businesses to sign up for the newsletter and or to contact the team to find out the latest business support available.
The aim of the fund was to help businesses to recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The grant scheme was open to small and medium-sized enterprises based in the Heart of the South West LEP area of Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay. Grants of between £1,000 and £3,000 were awarded to eligible businesses that met the criteria on a first come first served basis.
Activities supported by the grant included:
- specialist professional advice such as HR, financial including accountancy, IT and digital
- the purchase of minor equipment to support businesses to adapt or adopt new technology in order to continue to deliver business activity.
If you have any questions please email us support.bsi@devon.gov.uk.