Fully-Funded Support for Local SMEs

Following the success of the original scheme, HiThrive is delighted once again to be part of the new Citylife Business Support Scheme. This new program provides fully-funded support to eligible SMEs within the local authority areas of Newcastle upon Tyne. Eligible SMEs can access:

• Up to twelve hours of free support from Business & IP Centre North East (BIPC) Citylife Experts

• Workshops tailored to specific business needs

• A free events programme based on current business challenges, the funding landscape, resilience, and innovation

The program is scheduled to run until March 2022.

Who can apply?

To be eligible, a business must:

• Be a small or medium-sized enterprise, located within the local authority areas of Newcastle upon Tyne

• Be safeguarding or creating new jobs within the business

To be classed as an SME, a business must meet the following criteria:

• Average number of employees during a financial year must not exceed 250

• Annual Turnover must not exceed £36m

• Balance Sheet total must not exceed £18m
  

What support can I get?

As a BIPC Newcastle’s Citylife Expert, HiThrive is available to provide twelve hours of free advice tailored to individual needs. This could be one-to-one advice and support, delivered online or in person, or it could be a project or piece of work that they would carry out on your behalf.

Advice ranges from business finance and cash flow to continuity planning and re-focusing business operations. What makes this service different is that it is flexible and based on the needs of you and your business. Popular support topics include:

• how to improve your business performance

• how to perform an audit of your businesses performance

• how to turn around a failing business

• business planning

• business strategy

HiThrive provides one free initial session, but, in addition, you can access up to twelve hours of free support. 

Who are the Citylife Experts?

The Citylife Experts are small businesses or business support organisations who have worked in partnership with BIPC North East, through the Centre’s Experts-in-Residence programme, or have delivered and supported workshops and events organised by BIPC.

How do I apply?

To make an application, simply:

• Go to HiThrive’s Experts-in-Residence page ↗

• Complete the initial appointment form and submit it online

• HiThrive will contact you directly to arrange a meeting (online or in-person)

• If you require further meetings or support, this will be agreed at your first meeting. The Expert will discuss your requirements with you and create a breakdown of the required work. The BIPC will then send you an application form to complete and sign, together with a short business eligibility form. These will be returned to BIPC electronically, along with proof of identity (copy of driving licence or passport photo page).

What happens next?

The BIPC will contact you to confirm your eligibility before authorising HiThrive to commence working with you. HiThrive will then be in touch to arrange to carry out the work agreed.

What happens after I have received support from the Expert?

Once your Expert has delivered the support agreed, and you’ve signed-off as completed, BIPC will pay the Citylife grant into your business bank account so that you can use it to pay the Expert.

Does the grant include VAT?

If your business is not registered for VAT, the grant will include the Expert’s fee plus VAT. If you are registered for VAT, the grant will NOT include VAT, and you will have to pay this element yourself.

What happens if the support I need takes longer than twelve hours to complete?

Larger projects of support can be undertaken, but the Citylife Business Support scheme will only fund the first twelve hours provided by the Expert. You would need to pay the balance when the work is completed. Larger projects of support must be agreed at the initial meeting with the Expert, before making an application.

What if I don’t know what support I need?

If you are unsure about which Expert might be most appropriate to support you, the BIPC team will help you to select an Expert. You can get a free session with any of the Experts, before using your twelve additional hours. So, if one Expert can’t provide all of the help you need, you can move-on and speak to another.

Can I then get support from another Expert?

Businesses can draw on the experience of more than 20 Experts. Advice ranges from digital and online capabilities, business finance and cash flow, access to new contracts and market opportunities, employment law, continuity planning and re-focusing business operations.

You can access this from one Expert or split your 12 hours between up to two experts. The service is flexible, providing access to a range of experts to suit the needs of your business.

How do I access the free online events programme?

SMEs will also have access to a free events programme, which will be primarily online. The events are based on resilience and innovation, and the challenges businesses are facing as a result of COVID-19. To keep up to date with the events programme visit this link ↗

Further information

If you have any questions about the scheme or would like to speak to someone to talk through how Citylife Business Support might be able to help you, contact BIPC ↗