Funds available now to help Dorset businesses grow

A new round of funding to help boost the productivity of Dorset businesses has been launched.

The funding, which is managed by Dorset Council, is designed for very quick projects to help shape future rounds of local Shared Prosperity Funding.

This could be for things like buying new machinery, equipment or software packages.

Businesses can apply for grants ranging from £5,000 to £40,000 to help cover up to half the total cost of a project. To be eligible, projects must be completed by 28 March 2025.

Dorset Council’s deputy leader and Cabinet member for Property & Assets and Economic Growth, Cllr Richard Biggs, said: “This is a great opportunity for businesses that have schemes ready to go to boost their productivity and just need that extra helping hand to get things off the ground.

“In April, a new round of Shared Prosperity Fund will be launched to help Dorset’s businesses become more competitive.

“This short pilot we are launching now will help us ensure the next major round of grant funding achieves great success for businesses and Dorset’s economy as a whole.”

In the last two years Dorset Council has helped distribute £6.4 million SPF funding, with a further £1.4 million to be available from April.

More than 100 businesses have already benefitted with grants ranging from £1,500 to £40,000.

From food producers to precision engineers, SPF funding is helping to create new jobs, increase productivity and bring companies more up to date with investment in technology.

One Dorset company to benefit was Cranborne Chase Cider, near Sixpenny Handley, which thanks to its £14,360 grant was able to buy a harvester and trailer – more than doubling its productivity in the process.

Owner, Bill Meaden, said: “Before the harvester it would take us two or three days to harvest 10 tonnes of apples. We can now easily do that in a day.

“This investment not only means we can double our productivity but also means we can take on more orchards and expand our offer.

“We’ve bought the harvester with very much the future in mind. We are currently growing new orchards that will come into fruit around 2028. Without the harvester we couldn’t take on extra commitments and grow as a company.”

Businesses that would like to apply for this pilot round of funding can do so by going to Business productivity grants - Round 4 (Pilot scheme) - Dorset Council

Deadline for applications is 11.59pm on 24 February.