Grants of up to £3,500 are being made available to small local manufacturing businesses to exhibit at UK exhibitions.
Powys Regeneration Partnership and the Welsh Assembly Government have made available an extra £35,000 of funding for the UK Exhibition Mentoring Grant Scheme, which is administered by MWMG.
The scheme is targeted specifically at micro and small enterprises employing 10 or less people to help them attend national shows to promote their products to a wider audience and ultimately increase turnover and grow the local economy.
It also aims to provide practical support through a series of workshops on how to follow up leads, how to data-capture, how to attract people to the company’s exhibition stand and what information is needed to promote the business.
To date, 48 companies have received grant support, which has resulted in extra sales and safeguarded jobs in a difficult trading environment.
“The grant scheme aims to provide advice and financial support for companies to exhibit and win new business at relevant trade shows and exhibitions,” said Ceri Stephens, manager of Newtown-based MWMG, an organisation that is run by and supports more than 200 manufacturers and other businesses across Mid Wales.
“The grant scheme was devised by MWMG whose members identified the need for companies to attend exhibitions, but many were deterred given the cost, lack of resources and knowledge of how to optimise their presence.”
Local manufacturers who have previously benefited from the grant include Leema Acoustics of Llanfair Caereinion, an award winning audio equipment company. The company’s portfolio of high quality award winning products includes amplification, CD players loudspeakers and home cinema components.
Grant support enabled the company to attend Bristol Sound and Vision Show last year year where new business was secured in the UK and overseas.
MWMG administers grant scheme in Powys as part of the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013, which is financed by the European Union and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Representing businesses of all sizes and types across Powys and the Shropshire border, MWMG can be contacted on Tel: 01686 628778, email
info@mwmg.org or visit
www.mwmg.org.