Plymouth Media-Partnership & South West Screen - Business Support Programme

Plymouth Media-Partnership Business Support Programme 2005/6. 

If you have any questions o­n any of the schemes please contact Karen Stockdale at PM-P office (01752 346530 or karen@pm-p.com) or Lettie at South West Screen (01179 529977 - lettie.tanner@swscreen.co.uk)

A) Funding for Expertise

Could you benefit from some business expertise?

If you are a member of Plymouth Media-Partnership and could benefit from some legal, financial, technical or other business advice then we may be able to provide you with the financial support you need.

South West Screen, the public agency responsible for developing the film, TV and digital content sector in the South West, is providing funding to enable our members to access business advice and expertise. You will need to fill in an application form describing your business need and what you hope to gain from the advice/expertise you require.

Criteria

• Clusters/applicants to identify clear business need/rationale for accessing specific expertise;
• Clusters/applicants provide briefing info for consultant/expert prior to meeting setting out context, practices and needs of their business(es) and the sector;
• Maximum of 50% of costs can be funded (up to maximum of £500).  50% match can be combination of value of reduced rate negotiated with consultant, cluster member time (calculated at £65 ph) and cash contribution;
• Funding will be paid retrospectively o­n delivery of report/feedback from beneficiary o­n value and outcomes of consultancy; 
• All beneficiaries must complete and return the State Aid de minimis register info prior to any funding being released.
• Prioritise expertise available in the region but extend outside SW if necessary;
• Negotiate the best (possibly sliding) rates of fees for consultancy;
• Obtain references/evidence of capacity, qualifications and experience of consultants to provide required expertise (this info will be shared with cluster co-ordinators).

For an application form click here.

B) Funding for Trade Events

Would you like to raise your profile?

If you are a member of Plymouth Media-Partnership and are looking for extra funding to help you profile yourself at an international trade event such as Cannes, MIP or Cartoon Forum, then we may be able to help you.

South West Screen has provided us with £9,000 to support SMEs or freelancers who would like to put together an activity at an international trade event. The resource can support up to 50% of delegate's fees and other supplementary activity.

You will need to fill in an application form describing your business case and rationale for attending the trade event, what preparation you will undertake and what you expect to gain from the event. We will approve applications and provide funding to successful applicants. 

Applicants/clusters must confirm that they have first utilised any support available through PACT and UKTI

The resource can specifically support up to 50% delegate's fees and other auxiliary activity relevant to the successful attendance and navigation of key international trade fairs travel and accommodation costs are NOT eligible.  In particular this resource will support access to markets with proven potential for companies in the SW region and  for companies with demonstrable capacity for successfully entering these markets.

Criteria:

• Funding can contribute 50% to delegate fees, events/hospitality at event, marketing materials, showreels.  Looking to get added value from events.
• Applicants must confirm that they have first utilised any support/opportunities through PACT or other sources.
• Applicants must be working in the media in the SW of England.
• Applicants must make a business case (no more than 1 side of A4) explaining why this market is important to their business growth and what capacity they have to realise the opportunity. 
• Applicants must identify primary objectives for attending (including identifying key contacts for targeted networking; proposals/slate to pitch; co-production proposals, etc) and identify what preparation they are undertaking: pre-event meetings/networking arranged; marketing materials prepared; opportunities for showcasing, etc.
• Applicants must provide outline total costs and identify amount applied for (max 50% of eligible costs). Applicants cannot include travel or accommodation costs as part of the eligible budget, delegate's fees and other relevant auxiliary activity will be permissible
• Funds will be paid retrospectively, after the event, and o­n receipt of a short report detailing outcomes of attending in respect of achieving objectives, benefits, the impact of the event o­n their business growth.
• All beneficiaries must complete and return the State Aid de minimis register info prior to any funding being released.
• All applicants will be required to cooperate with any press or publicity requirements made of them by either SWS or SWRDA.

For an application form click here:

C) Business Development Bursary

Would you like some additional business support?

If you are a small company member of Plymouth Media-Partnership and are looking for funding to help develop your business we may be able to help. South West Screen has provided us with £9,000 to allocate to small businesses that have traded for at least a year and require support to fund key activities aimed at growing the business. For example, this could be an industry conference, some specialised training or the production of marketing materials.

You will need to complete an application and provide a clear case for needing the support. The proposed training or development activity must be shown to benefit the business performance and be identified as part of the longer term business development plan.

The bursary development fund is aimed at supporting smaller/micro businesses and freelancers, who have been trading for at least o­ne year. The primary aim of this fund is to address the wide range of identified needs of companies/freelancers ensuring that the resource is targeted at achieving business growth. The maximum award is £2,500 and this will be paid in arrears and o­n evidencing compliance with the criteria outlined below and the successful completion of negotiated outputs including a short report o­n the impact the resource has had o­n the company's development plans. Examples of funded activity could be key industry conferences, specialised training or the production of marketing materials.

Criteria:

• The applicant company/freelancer must be trading for at least o­ne year.
• All applicants must be working in the media industry and be based in the south West of England.
• The proposed training or development activity must be shown to clearly benefit the applicants business performance and be identified as part of the longer term business development plan;
• The award must show value for money;
• All applicants should submit a short report o­n the impact of the resource o­n their business;
• A maximum of 50% of costs can be funded.  All applicants should show match funding from their own resource against a maximum allocation of £2,500 per applicant per year (1st tranche June 06 )
• All beneficiaries must complete and return the State Aid de minimis register info prior to any funding being released.
• All applicants will be required to cooperate with any press or publicity requirement s made of them by either SWS or the SWRDA.

For an application form click here.

D) Freelance Training Bursary

Are you a freelancer with a training need?

This funding, provided by Skillset, will support freelancers in getting the training they need - providing financial support towards professional short course training and development. Freelancers who are actively working in the television and/or interactive media production industries are eligible to apply. They must be resident in the South West and be able to demonstrate professional experience within the audio visual industries.

For application guidelines click here
For a training needs assessment form click here
For a Freelance Training Bursary application form click here
 
Funding for all of the above initiatives will be provided o­nce the activity and assessment have been completed. In all cases final approval for the award will rest with South West Screen.

For more information please contact Karen Stockdale o­n 01752 346530 or email Karen@pm-p.com or Lettie Tanner, Business Development Co-ordinator at South West Screen o­n 0117 9529985 or Lettie.tanner@swscreen.co.uk.

The deadline for receipt of completed application forms by Plymouth Media-Partnership is Friday 7th October 2005.