Around £2 million has been given to projects to help boost businesses, create jobs and improve the career prospects of residents in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales following Derbyshire County Council’s bids for government cash.
Funding from the government’s UK Community Renewal Fund has been awarded to the following.
Better Futures project – £500,000
This pilot project will help unemployed people primarily in the Derbyshire Dales to improve their skills and find work locally. It will also help to improve the skills of residents who have recently found work, are at risk of unemployment, in part-time roles but wish to go full-time or are highly skilled but in low paid, low-skilled jobs.
Derbyshire Accelerator project – £1.48 million
This will help fund initiatives in the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales including:
- DE-Carbonise – extra funding for this existing project to help more businesses to reduce their carbon emissions with grants of up to £8,000 to help businesses put carbon reduction recommendations in place
- Digital Market Town Accelerator – a project to help small to medium sized businesses to start trading online, with a digital advisor offering hands-on support and access to financial support, digital events and peer networks offering help and advice. Grants of up to £8,000 will be available to help businesses adopt new technology or business processes
- D2 starter programme – extra funding for this existing project, a mentoring and support network for new businesses with grants of up to £2,000 available to help them get started
- Kick-start accelerator – support the government’s existing Kickstart programme for apprentices by providing online training support as well as financial support to turn job placements into a permanent role or recruit graduates looking for work. Grants of up to £8,000 will be available to help businesses subsidise wages for a new Kickstart role or graduate
- upskilling the workforce – grants of up to £8,000 will be available to help businesses to provide specialist training to boost staff skills
- COVID support – funding of up to £2,000 for businesses in need of consultancy advice to address resilience or growth challenges in the wake of the pandemic
- funding for feasibility studies to look at the design and use of apps to support the development of leisure tourism across the Peak District
Councillor Tony King, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, said: “We welcome this funding which will help us to support local businesses, create jobs and provide residents with the skills needed to either find work or improve their career prospects in the wake of the pandemic.
“We’re committed to helping to reduce carbon emissions generated within the county to net zero by 2050 or sooner and so we also welcome the opportunity to reignite our successful DE-Carbonise programme to help local businesses on their Journey to Net Zero by supporting them to cut their carbon emissions.
“Government identified the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales areas as priorities for funding, but we’re determined to continue pushing Westminster for further funding to ensure similar support can be offered in other areas where there is a need.”
