Local MP Caroline Dinenage helped to launch a £2.1 million fund for the region's firms on Friday.
The Gosport MP teamed up with the Solent LEP, the Portsmouth News and Portsmouth University to unveil the new 'Bridging the Gap' fund. Over 200 people gathered at the Lakeside Business Park in North Harbour to hear about how the fund will help small and medium businesses in Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant create jobs and grow.
The fund is the result of a bid led by the Solent LEP to the second round of the Regional Growth Fund, in which the Government distributed £2.4 billion to projects to support growth. It'll be promoted and distributed by the Portsmouth News.
Commenting on the fund, Caroline said:
"This fund reaches out to those people which conventional business networks miss. It will open up the business world to hundreds more people in our local area, and show that entrepreneurship is a real and viable alternative to getting a job or being unemployed."
The grants available the businesses will be between £5,000 and £50,000, but there is potential for firms to be given £100,000 if they are truly exceptional.
More details about the launch can be found here: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/business/local-business/gosport-mp-s-m…
All the information and downloads for businesses wishing to apply can be found here
