DRIVE - Business Mentoring & Funding
DRIVE is a business mentoring and funding support programme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The programme supports businesses to help grow and develop Norfolk and Suffolk’s rural economy.
DRIVE provides local businesses with access to a capital grant to invest in business development that leads to job creation.
Successful applicants could receive:
- Up to 12 hours of guidance from a Business Mentor to evaluate your business plans and DRIVE application
- A grant between £5,000 and £30,000 (up to 40% of total project costs)
Open to SMEs and VCSE organisations – as long as they have growth aspirations (new job creation and impact the rural economy)
New applications accepted until September 2022. Project expenditure needs to be complete by March 2023.
Below are some examples of the types of businesses/projects that could be funded, but the DRIVE team welcomes case by case enquiries.
- Manufacturing
- Engineering
- Brewing – beer only.
- Distilling – generates 60% or more of its turnover from wholesale/B2B sales.
- Film production
- Chiller van purchase.
- Cold storage
- Carpentry
- IT systems
- Office expansion
- Food and drink manufacturing – generates 60% or more of its turnover from wholesale/B2B sales. Business is not deemed a primary processor.
- New app ideas – open to discussion and evidence.
- Cleaning services
- Manufacturer of homeware items – generates 60% or more of its turnover from wholesale/B2B sales.