Clegg reveals latest winners of RGF bids

MORE than a dozen companies and business organisations are to share £50.4m from the sixth and final round of the government’s Regional Growth Fund before the general election in May.

The 13 successful applicants for the money include four chambers of commerce,  South Manchester-based vehicle trailer manufacturer Cartwright, Fylde-based Stock Market listed polymer maker Victrex and the University of Manchester.

Since RGF was launched in 2010 by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg,  some £430m has now been invested in 89 projects across this region, which the government says has created or safeguarded around 117,000 jobs and attracted £2.5bn of further investment from the private sector.
 
Clegg said: “After decades of regional economies being neglected, I set about investing directly in local businesses via the Regional Growth Fund. This investment has allowed regional businesses to be more ambitious than ever before and gone a long way in creating a stronger economy.
 
“A stronger economy means providing equal opportunity for everyone across the UK, rather than solely relying on the City of London to bolster UK business. The success of the RGF is proof that putting money in the hands of local businesses helps them flourish, and creates opportunities for more people to work locally.”

Ministers will be visiting RGF projects across England. Environment, food and rural affairs minister Dan Rogerson will visit H2 Energy, a bio-refinery company in Liverpool, which secured a RGF grant in an earlierr round to assist them with the costs of setting up their central manufacturing and support facility in Liverpool.
 
The bidders with conditional offers from Round 6 are:
 
St Helens Chamber (programme covering the Liverpool City Region)
Economic Solutions (programme covering the North West and parts of the North East)
Cumbria Chamber of Commerce (programme covering Cumbria)
East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce (programme covering Lancashire)
Victrex (Thornton-Cleveleys)
MSIF (programme covering the North West)
M Sport (Cockermouth)
HPL Prototypes (Location TBC)
Hanson Springs (Rochdale)
S Cartwright & Sons (Coachbuilders) (Altrincham)
Barnfield Investment Properties (Brierfield)
The University of Manchester (programme covering Cumbria)
BioCity Nottingham (Alderley Edge)  
Reform Energy  (Fleetwood)