Wolverhampton Council’s business growth team directly supported hundreds of city businesses during 2024/25 to provide grant assistance, signpost to support and advice, and deliver expert reviews
Wolverhampton Council’s business growth team directly supported hundreds of city businesses during 2024/25 to provide grant assistance, signpost to support and advice, and deliver expert reviews.
Forty five businesses benefitted through its grants programme – leading to the creation of 83 new jobs and the safeguarding of a further 179 jobs in Wolverhampton.
The business growth team exceeded its targets using the £1.3 million UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) government funding it was allocated through Business Growth West Midlands to help companies with capital investment and energy efficiency measures.
The total projected growth in turnover of the businesses it supported with grants is expected to equate to around £14.5 million in the year ahead.
Also providing free local diagnostic and business support service, the team dealt with 700 business enquiries over the past 12 months and 200 diagnostic checks were carried out.
Councillor Chris Burden, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, said: “In Wolverhampton, we are utilising the UKSPF funding to support SMEs in maximising their offer and capitalising on opportunities being generated by investment in our city.
“Throughout 2024/25 our business growth team has collaborated with small but highly ambitious businesses to help them make and secure investment, create and sustain jobs, develop new products and services, and access new UK and overseas markets.
“Our city economy is underpinned by creative thinking, innovation, ambition, skills, and sheer hard work and we want to do everything we can to support this through our grants programme.
“I would urge businesses to head to the business growth webpage and find out exactly what funding is available to them.”
Gabitie and Ceandess are 2 of the Wolverhampton businesses supported by the grants.
Metal processing company Gabitie specialises in steel structures and fabrications. Grant support towards the acquisition of a laser cutter and a standing seam cladding machine will enable the business to launch new ranges such as garden offices, and to focus on entering the lucrative domestic extensions market.
Ceandess supplies and manufactures a range of fuel and oil fillers, base and filler assemblies, and fuel engine and hydraulic filter caps. The acquisition of a tube bending and forming machine will provide them with a strong platform to access the lucrative Australian and Canadian mining markets by offering formed tubes alongside their existing range.
The window for expressions of interest in Wolverhampton Council’s latest round of business grants to support city businesses with capital investment and low carbon projects is now open and will close on 30 April, 2025.
It is likely the average grant available will be up to £20,000 for projects costing £40,000 or more.
Higher grants could be available depending on the impact of the investment – but grants will be capped at no more than 50% of the project cost.
Full details of grant eligibility, impact measures and the application processes, along with details of some of the other new business support programmes, can be found at Business Growth Wolverhampton.
Applications for the grants are on a competitive basis, subject to availability of funds, and distributed at the discretion of the council.
If you need help with your grant application or have a general query, you can get in touch by emailing business.development@wolverhampton.gov.uk or calling the business support phone line on 01902 555572 between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Thursday or from 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays.