Boost for Derbyshire businesses

Derbyshire’s food and drink industry is set for a major boost with the introduction of a pioneering package of business support for small and medium-sized producers and manufacturers.

Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership is injecting £276,300 over two years into the programme, to be run by The Food & Drink Forum.

Regionally, the food and drink manufacturing sector accounts for 16% of the economy, is worth 6bn and supports 60,000 jobs.

The Forum – the East Midlands organisation that champions and promotes the food and drink industry – will deliver a raft of different initiatives to help firms find new customers and create new routes to market both locally and further afield.

A dedicated business development manager has been appointed to run the programme, which aims to help about 100 existing or start-up firms and farm diversification projects over the next two years.

The new project means that for the first time, food and drink businesses in some parts of Derbyshire have become eligible for support from The Food & Drink Forum.

A capital grant scheme will also be available to eligible firms to help with costs towards new product development, marketing and equipment.

Interested parties should contact Paul Sheppard of the Food and Drink Forum on 07971 852 977 or e-mail him at psheppard@foodanddrink.co.uk