Would-be entrepreneurs from in and around Plymouth can apply for £15,000 and training

Early stage finance, training and business development support are all on offer to people from in and around Plymouth thanks to the Bright Ideas Fund, which is now open for applications.

The fund offers tailored support and grants of up to £15,000 to community groups, associations and organisations across England who have a great idea for a community business and want to develop it further but need some support.

Bright Ideas gives community groups the early stage finance they need to carry out local consultations, along with the support and tools to start setting it up. The programme is funded by Power to Change and delivered by Locality in partnership with Co-operatives UK, the Plunkett Foundation and Groundwork UK.

Organisers are particularly keen to hear from applicants from in and around Plymouth, as the city is one of six priority places the fund wants to target (the other places are Hartlepool, Grimsby, Wigan, Leicester and Bradford).

Sole of Discretion, a collective of small-scale fishers, are an existing grantee from the scheme. Based out of Plymouth harbour, they are committed to procuring fish and shellfish that have been caught with as little damage to the marine environment as possible.

The collective applied for the Community Business Bright Ideas Fund to move to the next stage of their small processing facility and to employ a further two people in order to meet the demands of their organic delivery box company.

In addition, they engaged with two new fishers, who were taken through their induction program which includes getting marine biologists from Exeter University onto the boats to monitor and collect catch data.

Sole of Discretion are keen to ensure that their produce is environmentally sustainable and used Bright Ideas funding to assist with research on the different yields from each fish and assess how they can best be maximised.

This will help to reduce waste and create potential new products such as marinated pollock roe for the Japanese market. Plymouth is the highest landing pollock market in the UK, and there is big demand for marinated pollock roe in Japan and in Japanese restaurants in the UK.

Locality Chief Executive Tony Armstrong said: “Community businesses generate jobs, tackle social isolation, provide vital services and boost the local economy. Whether your focus is on young people or mental health or something completely different that benefits your community – we want and need you to apply! People all over England are passionate about their community and have some really bright ideas. We’d particularly like to encourage applications from areas that need community support the most, like Leicester, Grimsby, Hartlepool, Plymouth, Wigan and Bradford.”

Kate Stewart, Director of Programmes at Power to Change, said: “We’re delighted to be continuing Bright Ideas, to provide crucial support and funding for local people who have a great idea but need some support to make it a reality. We’ve had some incredible applications come in already but we believe there are even more bright ideas out there so please do get involved and apply.”

The Community Business Bright Ideas Fund is now open, and will close on Tuesday 7 April.

Read this blog with five top tips for applicants, or access a free webinar recording about the fund, here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_y-utiuR_QYGw-lXFF9MEzQ

For further information about the fund, email brightideas@locality.org.uk visit mycommunity.org.uk/bright-ideas-fund/