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16/Jul/2024 16:57:02:

 

 

 

Request:

 

 

 

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request the
following information:

1. What funding (if any) do you offer to small businesses in the local
area?

2. How many grants (if any) do you offer to small businesses in the local
area?

3. If funding or grants are offered, please can you provide the specific
monetary figures that are available to small businesses in the local area.

4. How many grants, or funding offers, were applied for and successfully
granted to small businesses in the calendar years 2021, 2022 and 2023.

 

 

 

Decision:

 

 

 

1. All details of available funding from central government, known as the
UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Fund can be found on
our website. The South Kesteven Business Growth Grants are a specific pot
of funding (from UKSPF) that local businesses can access.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: South Kesteven - Shared Prosperity Fund
Programme | South Kesteven District Council

South Kesteven Rural Fund: South Kesteven Rural Fund | South Kesteven
District Council

South Kesteven Business Growth Grants: South Kesteven Rural Fund | South
Kesteven District Council

Small businesses in the district should contact the Business and Skills
Officer at South Kesteven District Council for any queries related to
funding, as they will be able to link them to internal funding
opportunities (such as UK Shared Prosperity Fund) but are also able to
research external funding streams. It should be noted that external
funding options are less common for small businesses in comparison to
opportunities for charities and other social enterprises.

2. See above for all details of available grants and funding opportunities
for small businesses in the local area.

3. Funding from both the Rural Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund have
allocated funds aligned to specific interventions (targets) designed to
support the district. All details for allocated pots are provided on the
website below:

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: South Kesteven - Shared Prosperity Fund
Programme | South Kesteven District Council

There is currently £630,087 remaining funding available for businesses to
apply for from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Additionally, one of the interventions (targets) within the People and
Skills category is E37: Tailored support for the employed to access
courses, giving businesses an opportunity to upskill their staff. There is
an allocation of £25,000 for this intervention.

South Kesteven Rural Fund: South Kesteven Rural Fund | South Kesteven
District Council

There is currently £135,043.34 remaining funding available for businesses
to apply for from the South Kesteven Rural Fund.

Intervention 1.1 - £180,345 (capital grant funding for small scale
investment in micro & small enterprises in rural area.) – committed (
£120,301.66), Remaining (£60,043.34)

Intervention 1.3 - £75,000 (capital grant funding for developing and
promoting the visitor economy)

South Kesteven Business Growth Grants: South Kesteven Rural Fund | South
Kesteven District Council

No applications for the South Kesteven Business Growth Grants were
received in 2023, but in 2024, four applications were received; three have
been approved and the other is still under consideration. The three that
have been approved to date total £11,886.38. Records indicate there is
remaining £68,113.62 available.
4. How many grants, or funding offers, were applied for and successfully
granted to small businesses in the calendar years 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Between 2020 – 2024 grants for shopfront improvements were available to
properties within the Grantham High Street Hertiage Action Zone.
Eligibility was limited to properties which were built before 1939 on High
Street, Market Place, Westgate and Watergate, Grantham. The grants for
shopfront improvements typically benefitted small businesses indirectly as
the tenants of those buildings which benefited from those works.
Eight grants were awarded totalling £357,575.

In addition a £300,000 Grant was awarded in 2022 for restoration work to
Westgate Hall in Grantham as part of the same High Street Hertiage Action
Zone programme.

No applications for the South Kesteven Business Growth Grants were
received in 2023, but in 2024, four applications were received; three have
been approved and the other is still under consideration. The three that
have been approved to date total £11,886.38. Records indicate there is
remaining £68,113.62 available.
In addition to the information provided above, I can confirm that a number
of Covid recovery grants were applied for and that the Council holds the
information. However, the information is exempt under Section 12 of the
FOIA. This provision allows the Council to refuse the request where it is
estimated that the cost of complying would exceed the appropriate limit.
In this case the appropriate limit is £450. These limits are set out in
the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (appropriate limit and
fees) Regulation 2004; also known as the Fees Regulations. This exemption
applies where the cost of compliance would exceed the appropriate limit.

The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and
Fees) Regulations 2004 (the Fees Regulations) applies in relation to
section 12 of the FOIA. In the Council’s view the biggest cost is likely
to be staff time. The Council has rated staff time at £25 per person per
hour, regardless of who does the work, including external contractors.
This means a limit of 18 staff hours.

There are in excess of 3065 documents relating specifically to the
November 2021 lockdown grants, and this means officers would have
approximately 20 seconds to review each document, to determine if the
information is in scope, what redactions may be required and confirm the
relevant information requested within the 18 staff hour limit. This
clearly would not be feasible and therefore we are unable to provide the
detail requested on these particular grants.

 

 

 

Your right of appeal:

 

 

 

If you have any queries or concerns regarding this decision, please email:
[South Kesteven District Council request email]

 

 

 

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make a request for an internal review of the SKDC
decision, you should email: [South Kesteven District Council request email] and quote ‘FOI review
request’ in the subject line.

 

 

 

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the internal review, you may
apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally,
the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the procedure
provided by the council. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

 

 

 

Information Commissioner's Office

 

Wycliffe House

 

Water Lane

 

Wilmslow

 

Cheshire

 

SK9 5AF

 

 

 

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

 

 

 

Website: www.ico.org.uk

 

 

 

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