University announces £5,000 grants for Northamptonshire business to survive and thrive through pandemic

The University of Northampton is increasing its support for businesses and organisations to help them survive and thrive beyond the pandemic.

Organisations in Northamptonshire can now apply for a grant worth up to £5,000 to develop their business.

The Business Ideas & Innovation Grant (BIIG) enables organisations in the county to work with the institution’s academics and facilities develop new products and generate ideas for business growth.

The deadline for expressions of interest is October 9. Applicants will then be matched with the relevant academic ahead of a judging process in November which decides who will receive support.

Charlotte Patrick, key sector and knowledge transfer manager at the university, said: “The university is committed to supporting the business community, and we’ve been guiding many organisations during these difficult times, with our industry forums, webinars and adviser programme.

“But, we are keen to provide even more support, which is why we are launching our BIIG initiative, which allows organisations to access up to £5,000 worth of support.

“Applications are welcomed from all businesses in Northamptonshire. You could be looking to improve productivity processes as a manufacturing or logistics company or perhaps enhance a technical function in your family owned business or manage waste created by your food manufacturing processes.

“We have a huge breadth of expertise here at the University, from lifts to footwear, tourism to apps, waste to polymers – and we want to use our knowledge to better businesses in the county.”

The grant is on top of an existing support programme that the University currently provides in the form of industry forums, business support webinars and its business adviser programme.