Local businesses benefit from AVDC grants

More and more businesses are being given a helping hand with grants from Aylesbury Vale District Council.

The AVDC business grants panel recently awarded four grants to new and existing businesses, a total amount of £16,000. It brings the grand total for 2009 to £22,000 of grants from the council for local firms.

The grant scheme is just one of the ways in which AVDC is helping local businesses during the recession.

Councillor John Cartwright, Leader of the Council, said: “We are very keen as a council to support local businesses and the grants scheme has been an excellent way of encouraging new enterprise. A huge range of local businesses have already benefited from it and feedback from them has been very positive. The scheme forms part of a package of measures we have put in place to help the economy during the recession.”

Next month marks the fifth anniversary of the scheme’s launch, and the council has provided grant assistance and support to more than 60 businesses across the Vale, totalling almost £240,000. The grants of £3,000 to £5,000 have been used to support all kinds of growth in the companies, ranging from buying new machinery, expanding premises, marketing and promotion, and training staff.

The businesses who are the latest to benefit from the scheme are Baker Sales and Lettings, Skill Centre UK LLP, Teknomat UK Ltd and Caremark.

Baker Sales and Lettings, a newly formed sales and lettings agency located in Kingfisher Exchange, Aylesbury, was awarded a £3,000 grant towards staff training.

Skill Centre UK LLP provides vocational training for 13 to 16 year-olds who have emotional, behavioural and social problems. The company received a grant of £5,000 towards a mini-bus which will enable them to take students to and from courses without relying on external organisations.

Teknomat UK Ltd, who sell imported coffee, coffee machines and related supplies, received a £5,000 grant towards a new van and infrastructure improvements, which will allow them to widen their distribution channel opportunities.

Caremark provides care services to the elderly, disabled, people with learning difficulties and those recovering from hospital treatment within their own home. The business was awarded a grant of £3,000 towards new equipment including computers and printers.

Find out more about the AVDC business grant scheme at www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/business or call 01296 585657.