One of Cornwall’s longest-running business support services has just launched a new grant fund that aims to provide fledgling businesses with the financial boost they need in order to get up and running.
Outset Cornwall, which has helped thousands of individuals across the county over the past 13 years, has launched the Outset Catalyst Fund Grant in a bid to help their clients overcome some of the financial barriers they face in setting up their new businesses.
Kate Perkin, programme director for Outset Cornwall, said: “We know how hard it can be when you’re trying to get a new business off the ground, especially during times like these when there’s so much economic uncertainty.
“Time and again, we see many of our clients hold back from launching their new businesses because they can’t afford to buy that one piece of vital equipment, or pay for an essential service in order to move forwards. We hope our Catalyst Fund Grant can help our clients purchase what they need in order to get up and running or continue trading and growing.”
Available up to a maximum of £1,250, the grant is discretionary and existing Outset clients will need to meet certain eligibility in order to apply, including registering their business and submitting a business plan and cash flow projections as part of the application process.
Those who aren’t yet Outset clients are also welcome to sign-up to the award-winning programme, and by doing so will receive full access to Outset’s workshops, dedicated business advisors, the online learning portal Outset Online, enterprise coaching and exclusive events and networking opportunities, as well as the opportunity to apply for the grant.
Perkin continued: “While this is something we’ve made available for our clients to apply for, we’d love to help anyone in Cornwall who is thinking about starting or has recently started their own business. Outset Cornwall will continue to operate until the end of December this year, but we only have a limited pot of funds available, so our advice would be to get in touch sooner rather than later.”
