IMPORTANT NOTE: When completing this application form, we recommend referring to the Wychavon Growth Fund Application Guidance (available at www.wychavon.gov.uk/growth). This online guidance page provides useful 'hints and tips', and explanations as to why the information is being requested.

Can you confirm that your business or organisation, as well as your proposed project, meets all of the following eligibility criteria?

(You must be able to answer “Yes” to proceed.)

Eligibility Criteria:

1. You are an eligible business or organisation

Eligible applicants are businesses, CICs, social enterprises and not‑for‑profit organisations that:

• are based in Wychavon
• generate commercial income through the sale of goods or services, and
• meet the programme’s definition of an SME (Small and Medium Sized Enterprise), including any affiliated businesses or organisations

Definition of an SME for this programme

For this programme, SME includes micro, small and medium sized enterprises:

• Micro: 0-9 employees
• Small: 10-49 employees
• Medium: 50-249 employees

A business or organisation qualifies as an SME if:

• it has fewer than 250 employees, and
• it has either:
• a turnover of £44 million or less, or
• a balance sheet total of £38 million or less

Employee and financial figures must include all affiliated businesses or organisations.

Explanation of “affiliated businesses or organisations”

Affiliated entities are those connected through ownership, control, or significant shared interest. This includes (but is not limited to)

• parent or holding companies
• subsidiaries
• sister companies with common ownership
• entities with shared governance or financial control

2. The purpose of your project is to support economic growth

Your project must demonstrate a strong, positive impact on the growth of your business or organisation.

3. Your project will be at least 50% match‑funded

4. If your application includes building works

You have contacted the grants team before submitting your application to discuss planning considerations, and you have confirmation that you are able to proceed.

5. If you are a start‑up (not yet trading or trading less than 12 months)

You must:

• have completed approved start‑up training (e.g. Worcestershire County Council affiliated training) or demonstrate equivalent knowledge through experience or alternative training, and
• have a business plan

For advice on preparing a business plan, contact the grants team.

Can you confirm that your project does not include any ineligible expenditure listed below?

(You must be able to answer “Yes” to proceed.)

 
Ineligible expenditure:

• Solar panels and their associated equipment, including batteries and invertors
• Marketing, promotional and branding activities, including website development (except for start-ups)
• Vehicles (e.g., cars, vans, delivery vehicles)
• Statutory or legal obligations/requirements
• Insurances
• Staff costs
• General operating or running costs, including recurring revenue expenses (e.g., utilities, rent, subscriptions, licences)
• Mandatory skills training
• Repaying existing loans or debts
• Reimbursement of goods/services already purchased prior to the date of an offer letter
• Projects that enhance farm productive capacity — including machinery, equipment, or any activity increasing agricultural output
• Creation or purchase of short‑stay tourist accommodation units, including (but not limited to) self‑catering accommodation, glamping units, holiday pods, lodges, cabins, shepherd huts, yurts, safari tents, or any other prefabricated or modular visitor‑accommodation structures
• Items subject to finance, credit facilities, or hire-purchase agreements
• Activities that may bring Wychavon District Council into disrepute

For the purposes of this programme, a start-up business or organisation is one that has not yet started or has been operating for one year or less.

Please provide details for the applicable identifiers and reference numbers listed below for your business or organisation. If an identifier or reference number does not apply, enter N/A.

This declaration must be confirmed by:

a) the applicant(s) in his or her or their personal capacity; or

b) where the declaration is being confirmed on behalf of an incorporated body such as a limited company;

i) all partners or directors of the incorporated body; or

ii) a partner or director of the incorporated body who is authorised to confirm on behalf of the incorporated body; or

c) where the application is being confirmed on behalf of an unincorporated body:

i) all partners, trustees or an officer of an unincorporated body; or

ii) a partner, trustee or officer who is authorised to confirm on behalf of the unincorporated body.

 

I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, all of the information contained in this application is true and correct and I accept full responsibility for it.

I understand that, should this application be successful, I will be required to supply additional information. If there is any change to the information I have provided, I will notify Wychavon District Council without delay.

I understand that any information I supply may be used by public bodies or their appointed agents in connection with the Wychavon Growth Fund and that I may be contacted from time to time, whether or not my application is successful.

I am aware of the conditions that apply to this application and have complied with them. I declare that I have read, understood and complied with all of the relevant guidance information relating to Wychavon Growth Fund.

I understand that my business or organisation may be inspected and I agree to give access, cooperate and provide such assistance as is required. I confirm that I have disclosed details of all business or organisational interests held by any members of this business or organisation.

I have declared details of any thing or person connected with my business or organisation (including employees) and this grant application that may impact on or cause a conflict between my business or organisation and any part of this grant application.

Where I am signing the application as an officer, partner or director authorised to do so, I will provide a copy of the authorisation to Wychavon District Council on request.

I understand that if my application is successful, I will be required to enter into a grant funding agreement, and payment of any grant funding will be conditional on compliance with the terms of that agreement.

I recognise that it is my responsibility to obtain all necessary permissions from my landlord, and by signing this application, confirm that I have done so.

I understand that use of an agent will not limit my responsibility to comply with the terms of that agreement, nor does it affect my personal responsibility to ensure the accuracy of the information provided in this application.

 

Your information will be stored and processed in accordance with the current data protection legislation. Wychavon District Council is the data controller for personal data you give to us or we hold about you.

We are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and other obligations under law which require us to act transparently and which grant certain rights of access to the public to information held by us. This means that, whilst we will respect the sensitivity of the information you provide, there may be legal requirements which oblige us to disclose this information.

We will use the information you provide to administer, process and assess your application for funding under the Wychavon Growth Fund and to administer any funding if your application is successful. We may publish details about this application on our website (this may include all or some of the project and applicant details).

Information may be shared with other persons or organisations helping us with the assessment and monitoring of applications. Information you provide may also be shared with other government departments, agencies and third parties appointed in connection with the administration of the Wychavon Growth Fund. Such organisations may use this information to contact you for occasional customer research aimed at improving the delivery of this programme.

Your information may also be shared with other government departments and agencies for the purpose of fraud prevention. The application and evaluation of grant funding is also subject to audit and reviews by internal auditors who may need to access the information you submit in your application.

If you supply personal information relating to third parties (e.g. delivery partners) as part of your application, you must ensure that you inform those third parties about how you use this information and inform them that this information will be passed to and processed by us as set out in this policy.

You may be asked to supply some sensitive personal data as part of your application such as information about racial or ethnic origin, political opinion, religious beliefs, trade union membership, physical or mental health, criminal offences or proceedings. We will only use this information for the purpose of processing your application and for statistical analysis. If it is shared with other government bodies for the purpose of statistical analysis, it will be shared on an anonymised basis.

We will not hold your information for longer than is necessary. We will hold the majority of your information for three years after the programme closure, unless we have a legitimate reason to hold this for longer, for instance in defending any legal proceedings brought by any person or body in relation to your application or any funding we have provided, or as required by law or any relevant code of practice.

If any information that we hold about you is, or becomes, inaccurate or incomplete, please tell us and we will correct it.

 

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