OVER £1.5-million European grant funding has been awarded to small and micro businesses across Cornwall for projects to help them grow, resulting in job creation and a boost to the local economy — with one Launceston business having benefitted previously.

Many industry sectors have benefitted — from food and drink to forestry, and from farm productivity to tourism. Taken with contributions from the businesses themselves, the total investment in the Cornish economy is currently £3.5-million with an additional £4.7-million of projects invited to submit full applications.

There is still time to apply for grants, which range from £2,500 to around £150,000, and grant rates are usually 40% of total project costs.

Eligible projects should include, ideally, job creation and should fit with themes such as increased farm productivity, micro and small enterprise development and farm diversification, rural tourism, provision of rural services, cultural and heritage activity or increased forestry productivity.

Martyn Ham, owner of Launceston-based Cornish Natural Spring Water, secured a £33,876 LEADER grant from the Atlantic and Moor Local Action Group. The business filters and bottles Cornish spring water for many different brands for customers such as Pure Blue, Life Water and Coastal Spring — a brand that supports the RNLI.

The funding enabled the purchase of a new bottle blowing machine so the company can make its own bottles, rather than buying them in. Not only does this save the environment as it negates the need for lorry loads of bottles to be delivered to the site, but it has saved money so Martyn can remain competitive and bid for larger contracts.

It has made a huge difference in the ten months since it has been in place. Martyn said: “Without the machine I wouldn’t be able to compete with larger suppliers. Now I can look forward to the future.”

The increase in production has an impact on local suppliers that Martyn uses for labels and packing materials. He added: “I now buy more labels and recently bought 1.2-million labels from Citrus print solutions in Hayle and I buy all my packaging materials from Carters in Redruth.”

The LEADER programme in Cornwall runs until March 2019. Further information is available at www.localactioncornwall.co.uk or contact Josyanne Clark on 01872 326735.