Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can other public monies I have secured (InnovateUK, Research Councils, etc) be used to fund my project contribution?
A: No. A key reason for the existence of the Scale Up 4 Growth Gloucestershire (S4GG) programme is the encouragement of growth in the Gloucestershire economy through private sector investment. As a result, other public monies are not an eligible form of match funding.
Q: Does my project have to relate to Covid-19?
A: No - your project does not have to be directly related to Covid-19. The application form will ask you if Covid-19 has affected your business, but your project does not have to relate to the pandemic.
Q: How does a grant under S4GG affect de minimis State Aid?
A: S4GG falls under a separate EU State Aid mechanism (LINK) General Block Exemption Regulation and does not impact de minimis.
Q: What is the time frame for the due diligence checks and will I be liable for additional costs associated with the process?
A: Once the Recommendations Panel recommends that the project moves to the financial due diligence stage, companies will have two weeks to provide the documents requested. The time frame is dependent on the type of business and grant size. There are no additional costs associated.
Q: What is the cash flow profile? Will there be an upfront payment and then quarterly reimbursement?
A: Payments are quarterly in arrears. Your quarterly report will include details of costs incurred and associated evidence.
Q: Is there anything I need to be aware of with regard to VAT?
A: If your company is VAT registered the S4GG fund will reimburse up to 35% of the net amount you spend.
Q: Can I use my own or staff time (or other benefits in kind) to contribute to the 65% matched element of the grant?
A: No. Unfortunately, you cannot use your own time, staff time or in-kind contributions to contribute to the matched element.
Q: What size can my project be?
A: We will award grants between £10,000 and £40,000, funding up to 35% of project costs. The information below shows how this is split out.
Please note - you are not restricted to applying for the exact values mentioned below, these are reference points only:
Grant: £10,000 | Private Match: £18,571 | Total Project size: £28,571 | Jobs created: 1.2
Grant: £20,000 | Private Match: £37,143 | Total Project size: £57,143 | Jobs created: 2.4
Grant: £30,000 |Private Match:£55,714 | Total Project size: £85,714 | Jobs created: 3.8
Grant: £40,000 | Private Match: £74,286 | Total Project size: £114,286 | Jobs created: 4.7
Q: Can companies who qualify as an Undertaking In Difficulty (UiD) apply for grant funding?
A: S4GG grant funding is provided through General block exemption Regulation (GBER), so the prevailing Undertaking In Difficulty (UiD) tests are required and if a company qualifed as a UiD they wouldn’t be eligible for S4GG grant support. We would suggest that if you are unsure if this would apply to your company then do get in touch and our experienced team can advise.
Q: Is there a cost for workshops and other business support?
A: No. The workshops and other business support are free of charge.
Q: Do workshops and other business support affect State Aid?
A: Yes. This type of support fall under de minimis State Aid, an approved EU mechanism for State Aid. The De Minimis Regulation allows small amounts of aid – less than €200,000 over 3 rolling years – to be given to an undertaking for a wide range of purposes. If you use this mechanism, you don’t need to notify or get approval, but records of aid granted must be kept and all the rules of the De Minimis Regulation must be followed. The State Aid Manual gives more detail and standard text for communications: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/state-aid
Q: Can I use an S4GG grant to part fund a capital expenditure project (new property/buildings, etc)?
A: Land/building purchases are not eligible. Machinery and equipment are eligible in this grant programme. Other types of capital expenditure may also be eligible.
Am I eligible?
If your business has a presence in the Gloucestershire region you will most likely be eligible to apply for training workshops and additional one-to-one support available through the Scale Up 4 Growth Gloucestershire (S4GG) programme. The eligible areas within the Gloucestershire LEP are Gloucester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Forest of Dean, Stroud and the Cotswolds.
Scale Up 4 Growth is specifically aimed at small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) so your business must also fall into this category according to the European Commission’s SME definition. As the funding for S4GG comes through the European Regional Development Fund we use this definition which takes into account staff numbers, turnover and relationships with other enterprises.
The Scale Up 4 Growth programme is aimed at SMEs in the GFirst LEP region who can demonstrate ‘growth potential’: the potential to generate growth in job creation or turnover in order to achieve their growth ambitions. This includes support for pre-start-ups, start-ups, micro enterprises, social enterprises and sole traders as well as established companies.