The University of Warwick Science Park has been selected by Warwickshire County Council to provide the Access to Finance delivery element of the newly launched Rural Growth Network (RGN). Funded through DEFRA, the RGN in Warwickshire is one of only five pilots in rural areas around the country whose aim is to showcase new ways of helping drive and support sustainable economic growth within rural areas.

The £2.4 million project will focus primarily on businesses operating or planning to start in the low carbon, environmental and digital sectors with a package of support that includes specialist advice, coaching, management development and start up work shops.

In addition, with access to finance key to growth, there is a small grant available to micro-enterprises as well as a loan facility that can be accessed by both existing and start up businesses based in rural Warwickshire.

The Science Park’s business support team are the specialist provider of access to finance advice that will cover identifying the right source of funding and how to prepare relevant applications. This will be through a mix of one to one mentoring along with regular finance clinics at the established RGN Enterprise hubs (Stour Enterprise Centre, Stoneleigh Science Business Park and North Warwickshire Borough Council) and will also include similar activities at the Warwick Enterprise Centre in Wellesbourne.

The project will be delivered throughout 2013 and 2014 on behalf of Warwickshire County Council and CW LEP.

Further information

For more information visit the Rural Growth Network website or speak to the Science Park team on 024 7632 3000.