FLEDGLING businesses in Oxfordshire are being offered a helping hand from a new scheme offering grants and expert advice to get them off the ground and boost their growth.

The Elevate programme, which runs for two years, will be launched tonight at an event at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, addressed by Stig Abel, one of the founders of organic food delivery business Abel & Cole.

Start-ups and small businesses can apply for a share of £200,000 in grant funding, get ideas at dozens of free workshops being held across the county and receive one-to-one guidance from a mentor.

The Elevate scheme is being run by Oxfordshire Business Support (OBS), the growth hub of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) and is funded by a £2m grant from the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund, with extra resources coming from the Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industry Strategy and OxLEP.

It builds on OBS’s network navigator mentoring scheme and successful programme of business start-up and growth workshops, covering topics including finance, marketing, taxation, making sales and managing growth, which will continue to be offered under the new scheme.

Grant Hayward is one of the team of network navigators, who provide help to people taking their first steps in business.

He said: “My role is as feet on the street. I will meet people like Anna Richards – see case study - spend an hour or so with them to understand their aims and aspirations and what the challenges are, and then work with them as things develop.

“Often it’s about making connections, so as people set up in business it’s about putting them in touch with the right resources.

"It could be accessing funding or pointing people in the direction of people that can help them, or could become clients, business partners or suppliers.”

He added: “People are quite envious of what we’ve got in Oxfordshire, the fact we have got a support service for businesses to start up and grow that’s free is extremely valuable.

"That’s not true for some other parts of the country.”

Under the Elevate programme, start-ups that are in the early stages of development or less than a year old can apply for grants of between £1,000 and £3,000. Existing small businesses that have been operating for more than a year and need help to grow can get grants of up to £8,000.

The grants are available on a match-funding basis, with companies asked to show they have money in place from other sources. Applications open on Monday.

For more information about the Elevate programme of free workshops, help from network navigators and how to apply for grants, see oxfordshirebusinesssupport.co.uk or call 0345 241 1196.

Anna Richards, the founder of new social enterprise Maymessy, in West Challow, near Wantage, has turned a disused cowshed at her home into a state-of-the-art training kitchen.

It will offer cookery courses to generate income to pay for fun food and cookery sessions to help young, vulnerable people learn about nutrition and how to take care of themselves.

She said: “I’m applying for Elevate funding, as it will help me move forward. I plan to apply for a few thousand pounds. That will be great if I get it.”

Anna, 43, who is married with twin nine-year-old daughters, moved to Garlands Farm in September last year, three years after the family bought the dilapidated property and began to restore it.

A former special needs teacher in London, she has extensive experience working with children who struggle to secure traditional qualifications.

She said: “These are the kind of kids who don’t get GCSEs or won’t pass exams and need a bit of help.

"Maymessy is about doing something practical and vocational to get kids involved a bit and interested in something.

“Food is so important. This is basic food for kids who don’t have much to spend. I’m trying to show them they can have fun making something to eat, rather than go to McDonald’s.

"To give them an education and show them how they can eat well and get better grades by eating well.”

Most of the young students are expected to be referred by youth workers or schools.

Anna attended a workshop on crowdfunding run by Oxfordshire Business Support and used what she learned to help raise £10,000 on the Crowdfunder website towards the cost of fitting out the kitchen.

This was matched by a £10,000 grant from Santander Bank’s charitable foundation.

Abingdon-based Miele supplied a discounted oven and dishwasher and the Daylesford Foundation, based near Kingham, is offering advice on growing fruit and vegetables.

Anna said the advice she had got from network navigator Grant Hayward since first contacting Oxfordshire Business Support while developing her ideas for the business was invaluable.

She said: “Grant has been so supportive. I phone him up and he’s incredibly helpful. Sometimes you need someone to run things past. There’s no way I would have done this without his help.”

For more information about Maymessy, see maymessy.com or call 07960 489677.