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Blue Orchid have a number of immediate opportunities to support Cheshire and Warrington businesses and are keen for you to share this with the businesses you support.

Please see below information in relation to: 

• Immediate supplier opportunities - Suppliers looking for tender opportunities, please click here Other opportunities for suppliers to tender to deliver services SME grant applicants can be found here

• Cheshire & Warrington Restructure Capital Grant - https://blueorchid.co.uk/cheshire-warrington-restructure-grant/ - Portal opens 28th October 2020 See below for information sessions

• Cheshire & Warrington Recovery Grant - https://blueorchid.co.uk/cwrecoverygrant/ - Portal opens 2nd November 2020 - 12 noon – See below for information sessions

• Cheshire & Warrington Access to Finance Grant Programme - https://blueorchid.co.uk/a2fgrant/ - Apply on our webpage

Immediate supplier opportunities - Suppliers looking for tender opportunities, please click here Other opportunities for suppliers to tender to deliver services SME grant applicants can be found here

We are urgently looking for suppliers who can support Cheshire & Warrington businesses deliver any of the below services:

• Marketing including Promotional Campaigns, Branding & Design Work, Marketing Materials, Marketing Strategies and Market Research, in order to engage customers, enter new markets and communicate new trading conditions

• Digital Services including website development & build, e-commerce functions & electronic payments systems, mobile apps, search engine optimisation, web-campaigns, video material and virtual tours.

• HR, Financial & Legal Services where the business can demonstrate that these are used to restructure, adapt and address the changes to business practices arising from the Corona Virus.

• Business Management & Strategic planning consultancy including activities to support management teams in diversification into new sectors and markets, change management programmes & restructure

• Product development & Process Management consultancy including advice and guidance on the development & production of new products, changes to production lines and facilities to support social distancing; sales, product specification and marketing to enter into new markets, etc.

Cheshire and Warrington Restructure Capital Grant https://blueorchid.co.uk/cheshire-warrington-restructure-grant/

Blue Orchid is pleased to be able to confirm that Cheshire & Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership have awarded a further £1 million to provide grants to help small businesses meet some of the extra costs created by the COVID restrictions.

PLEASE READ FURTHER GUIDANCE ON OUR WEBPAGE REGARDING THIS GRANT PROGRAMME BEFORE APPLYING

Round 3: CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Round 4: Opens: Monday 7th December 2020 – Noon – Closes: Once we receive approx.. 20% of the overall budget allocation

Round 5: Opens: Monday 14th December 2020 – Noon – Closes: Once we receive approx.. 20% of the overall budget allocation

PLEASE READ FURTHER GUIDANCE ON THIS WEBPAGE REGARDING THIS GRANT PROGRAMME BEFORE APPLYING

We will be hosting online Q and A sessions to help you understand more about how to apply and further details of what a successful application looks like. We would strongly recommend you attend one of these sessions before applying:

Places at the events are limited to 100 delegates, so please arrive early to avoid disappointment

Friday 27th November at 2.30pm: access this session here

Cheshire & Warrington Recovery Grant - https://blueorchid.co.uk/cwrecoverygrant/

The C&W Covid Recovery Grant support businesses (SMEs) across Cheshire & Warrington affected by Covid 19. The 100% grant of a maximum £5,000 is to help businesses develop new business models, develop new products and target new markets or customers.

Suppliers looking for tender opportunities, please click here

The focus of this discretionary grant is to protect jobs within those sectors and businesses most impacted by the Covid 19 pandemic.

Cheshire & Warrington LEP have the following funding available for grants

• £175,000 for Visitor/ Tourism economy businesses which equates to approximately 55 grants

• £311,000 for the wider business economy, this equates to approximately 95 grants

The programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

 Round 3: Opens: Monday 30th November at Noon Closes: once remainder of the budget is allocated

If you would like any advice or guidance prior to completing your grant application for Round 3, or if you are reapplying following a rejection from Round 1 or 2 and want further advice, then please join us on our Zoom Q and A session live on Friday 27th November at 2.30pm. We will also be covering the capital grant programme in this session. If you want to only hear about the consultancy grant, please log on at approx. 3.15pm. Access the session by clicking here

Access grants of up to 100% of the cost of consultancy support (to a maximum value of £5,000). What can I claim for?:

It is anticipated these grants will be provided to SMEs for consultancy support in a wide range of specialisms which will be to assist the business in their recovery efforts. Examples such as;

• Marketing including Promotional Campaigns, Branding & Design Work, Marketing Materials, Marketing Strategies and Market Research, in order to engage customers, enter new markets and communicate new trading conditions

• Digital Services including website development & build, e-commerce functions & electronic payments systems, mobile apps, search engine optimisation, web-campaigns, video material and virtual tours.

• HR, Financial & Legal Services where the business can demonstrate that these are used to restructure, adapt and address the changes to business practices arising from the Corona Virus.

• Business Management & Strategic planning consultancy including activities to support management teams in diversification into new sectors and markets, change management programmes & restructure

• Product development & Process Management consultancy including advice and guidance on the development & production of new products, changes to production lines and facilities to support social distancing; sales, product specification and marketing to enter into new markets, etc.

Cheshire & Warrington Access to Finance Grant Programme - https://blueorchid.co.uk/a2fgrant/- Apply on our webpage

Funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Cheshire West & Chester Council & Warrington & Co, the C&W Access to Finance & Grant Programme will provide information, advice & signposting to those SMEs looking to raise significant investment in their business to support their growth plans. Alongside this advice service the project will provide SMEs with access to grants of between £2,000 – £15,000 towards consultancy projects which will help to unlock their potential and grow their business.

• Developing an Investment case to secure Financing

Marketing & Sales Strategies

Leadership & Management Development

ERP/CRM system Design & Integration

• Branding & Design

Product Development

Business Process Change

Software Integration Consultancy

Details of the programme including the eligibility criteria and the application process can be downloaded here

Opportunities for suppliers to tender to deliver services to successful SME grant applicants can be found here