SE-GAS shows East Kent companies the money

What could a grant of £64,000 do for your business? It is a question worth giving thought to. That's how much Kent Waterjet Cutting Ltd in Ramsgate were awarded when they applied for a European business grant from the South East Grant Advisory Service (SE-GAS).

With the grants system changing in September this year, SE-GAS is appealing to all eligible companies to consider applying before this deadline.

To date, across the whole of Kent, 300 successful applications have been made, creating over 5,000 new jobs. However, on an individual level, it can make all the difference to a company looking to start up or expand their current offering.

Owners of Kent Waterjet Cutting owe the setting up of their business to the receipt of their SE-GAS grant. In just over a year the company has expanded from one employee to three. Plans to add a further member to the team will come to fruition shortly when a second waterjet cutting machine is purchased, thanks to the second instalment of the grant.

The company uses high-pressure water mixed with garnet sand to cut through any material up to 150mm in thickness, including metals, ceramics and glass. The materials cut can be used for a multitude of different client needs. Most famously, Kent Waterjet Cutting produced the archway on behalf of Blaze Neon (another Thanet company), welcoming visitors to 'Space Mountain' at the Euro Disney Park in Paris, but the Company has also supplied Ramsgate town centre with Christmas decorations. Small and intricate products are also a speciality, the smallest of which being the internal components of amusement machines.

To qualify for the grants, organisations need to be located or looking to relocate within an assisted area of East Kent and be able to clearly demonstrate the potential to create skilled jobs and increase productivity. The financial support can also be used to cover the cost of equipment, plant and machinery, including office equipment as well as the purchase of commercial buildings and associated land.

Paget CNG Ltd in Broadstairs is another East Kent company to have recently benefited from a SE-GAS grant, this time of £750,000, which is to be released in stages - one part of which will in fact be used to purchase a new plot of land. The company has developed a technology that allows natural gas to be used as a fuel. The technology is highly advanced and is designed to benefit the environment, being the only natural clean fuel, with a much lower carbon monoxide content and ozone-forming potential than either petrol or liquid petroleum gas. It is also cheaper than any other form of fuel some 60% cheaper than petrol or diesel and increases the life of a vehicle's engine. The new land will enable the company to construct a purpose built refuelling station in addition to more manufacturing space and offices for their growing workforce.

Applying for these grants can seem like a daunting prospect and may even put smaller businesses off the idea. In order to combat the problem, Locate in Kent is assisting both existing and inward investing companies within the eligible areas of East Kent. The inward investment agency will be combining its experience of what companies need to expand with SE-GAS's expert knowledge to advise prospective applicants.

SE-GAS, Locate in Kent and Business Link Kent worked together in March to host an event aimed at promoting and explaining the grants process to attendees. The event was a success with many companies enquiring about their eligibility. More information about the grants system can be obtained by visiting www.locateinkent.com or www.se-gas.co.uk.

.

Kent International Airport takes off

With a new owner and almost £10 million pounds worth of investment over the next few years, the expansion of Kent International Airport looks set to significantly increase East Kent’s business offering.

Turning things around

After the well-publicised collapse of Kent's first budget airline EU Jet in July 2005, it is difficult to see how another company could turn things around so dramatically and in such a short space of time for Kent's International Airport (KIA) at Manston, East Kent. However, with the knowledge and experience of running several other similar-sized airports in Europe and Australasia, including Glasgow Prestwick, Infratil has done just that.

Having been involved in discussions from the outset, when previous owners the Wiggins Group and Planestation were looking for investing partners, the company knew the airport well and had a feel for the great potential that was there to be capitalised on.

Just six months on and freight carriage is already going strong at KIA, however the longer-term goal is to attract just as much passenger traffic as cargo. In fact, the company has recently announced that Kent Escapes, part of the Seguro Travel Group, has confirmed that from May this year it will be operating passenger routes from Manston to Barcelona and Faro airports. In the near future Infratil is hoping to build on this success and attract other low cost European carriers. There are also plans to link the business community in East Kent with other UK business destinations, for example Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin - something that is expected in as little as 12 months. However, the long-term plans are even more impressive - long haul flights to Asia and the US are on the agenda in addition to increasing the short haul offering.

Growth potential

At 2,752m long and 61m wide, the runway at KIA is typical of one found at a large international airport, so it clearly has the capacity to support such ambitious plans. The site itself covers 296ha, so there is plenty of land for further development of facilities such as car parking and hotel accommodation for passengers.

A total of £700,000 has recently been spent upgrading the runway, which is now in excellent condition along its full length. It is proposed that a further £9,000,000 will now be spent on renovations that include replacing the radar system and developing the current fuel facilities.

It is also expected that much of the land belonging to the airport will be used to support aviation-related businesses such as maintenance hangers, aircraft overhaul and engine manufacturers among others. The airport's growth will also have a positive effect on the rest of East Kent, attracting businesses that thrive on having an airport close by, for instance distribution companies. The creation of new jobs will be a significant bonus. For example, Glasgow Prestwick airport, another site owned and managed by Infratil, currently employs 450 staff directly at the airport and a further 3,000 people are employed by businesses on site.

Making it work

The connectivity an airport brings to a business community is invaluable. However the airport's owners do have to take into consideration the environmental impact the expansion will have on the surrounding area. Infratil is working with the community to address issues such as noise pollution, emissions and water catchment and quality. The company is also working extensively with local planning authorities to improve road and rail transport links so as to manage the extra traffic generated by the airport.

In all, work to expand Kent International Airport's offering is well underway and the benefits to both the freight companies and domestic passengers are already starting to be seen. East Kent is an excellent location for conducting business with its close proximity to mainland Europe and London and it is an attractive place to live. Infratil is looking forward to becoming an even more significant part of East Kent's attraction to growing businesses.

East Kent refurbishment programmes underway

East Kent is fast becoming an ideal location for businesses looking to set up or relocate outside London. Now two recently announced refurbishment programmes in East Kent will provide another 37,000m² of office space for new and growing businesses.

The proposed serviced offices at St Augustine's at Westgate on Sea have now received planning permission and will cover 1,100 sqm. The programme is due to be completed in August 2006 and at present is scheduled to include 15 separate offices, but interested businesses would be able to take more than one unit.

The offices are due to be fully serviced meaning the site will be perfect for small businesses and start-ups. Rates will include networking (telephone, email and broadband); photocopying and faxing facilities; security systems; a serviced reception area; kitchen and onsite catering facilities; posting/franking/collection of mail services and onsite management. Other benefits include ample onsite parking and preferential rates for the conference suites downstairs - facilities that are of course also available to the public for functions.

However, by far the most beneficial factor is that tenants will not have to take out any contracts. The rates paid for occupancy will include use of all services, which will be taken on by the building's management team. Also, the lease agreements are fully negotiable, as are the rates. Leases can be anything from monthly agreements, up to five years, catering for start-ups that don't necessarily want to commit to long-term leases as well as those wanting the security of a five-year contract.

Site location is an additional key feature. With it close proximity to Thanet, which boasts a well serviced high street, and the Westwood Cross Shopping Centre it is also supported by comprehensive local transport networks which makes it incredibly accessible.

There is plenty of room for further development at the site, the 1,100m² area is just 25% of the available space in the building. With half a dozen businesses already having made enquiries about this first stage of refurbishment, a second stage could well be on the cards in the not too distant future.

In Dover, the Coombe Valley industrial estate has benefited from the refurbishment of a large area on Poulton Close that includes office space and two warehouses.

40% of the site is already occupied by companies that have expanded, moved or started up in Dover. The remainder can be split into any number of units depending on the requirements of prospective tenants.

The offices are serviced by 220 incoming telephone lines enabling the building to have full broadband access. Included in the tenancy rates are all utilities for instance water, electricity, gas and business rates which means once again it is perfect for new businesses. Boardroom facilities are also on site and available for hire to tenants and other businesses. At the entrance to the main office building there is a reception area that will be manned in the near future and security systems operate, including CCTV.

There are plans for further development for the site - the landlord is looking into the possibility of offering hot desks, virtual offices and an enterprise zone in conjunction with Business Link Kent.

The Landlord offers a personal service, being visible onsite and willing to make reasonable alterations to the units to fit the individual needs of tenants and with no agent involved, it is possible to negotiate directly with the landlord.

Dover is a fantastic location for businesses with its obvious transport links to the continent and being situated on the edge of the M20. Parts of East Kent will also benefit from the proposed Channel Tunnel Rail Link domestic services in the near future.

For more information on these developments please contact Jeff Elliot on 01732 770991 for St. Augustine's and Karl Dodd on 07967 442518 for Dover.

Innovation Centre looks set to draw further investment to Canterbury

Plans for a 3,000m² Innovation Centre at the University of Kent, Canterbury Campus are now well underway, with the announcement that the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has agreed terms to acquire a site for the project.

This will be the first phase of development for the University's Technology Park at the Canterbury Campus. The University hopes to use this centre to capitalise on its specialisms and promote the business benefits of linking with an academic institution. The University's capacity to assist businesses with research and development will be key to attracting new companies, or those wishing to relocate, into the East Kent area.

Four key Kent organisations have come together to develop these exciting plans, hoping to encourage new and relocating businesses to invest in the county. Kent County Council (KCC), Canterbury City Council (CCC) and inward investment agency Locate in Kent will assist the University, in a bid to attract national and international business to the newly proposed innovation centre.

Canterbury as a city will also benefit greatly from the plans. The proposed Innovation Centre will enhance the growth of the local economy, create hundreds of new jobs, help to retain graduates in the area and improve the perception of Canterbury as a business location.

KCC has provided initial support and funding for the project, which will be used to identify specific target sectors, develop a global marketing programme and to support a series of international visits to the site. It will also be used for the recruitment of international 'enterprise champions', who will be selected members of the University's alumni, living all over the world, acting as advocates within the industries in which they now work.

The university is clearly pleased to have the opportunity to work with KCC and Locate in Kent on this exciting project for Canterbury. It pitches the city as an ideal location for an innovation centre of this kind, with excellent proximity to Europe and innovative research in new sectors, particularly software security, informatics and biotech R&D already being carried out at the university.

Among other specialisms, the university believes it will particularly attract companies in the medical devices, healthcare, security and telecoms industries - four sectors that have seen great expansion in recent years.

There is clearly plenty of weight being thrown behind the project. In addition to the funds already committed to the project, KCC is fully supporting Locate in Kent's plans to attract new technology-based businesses to the area. The investment promotions team at the agency are already working hard to promote the benefits of East Kent, and in this instance Canterbury, as a perfect location for businesses considering relocation or setting up a technology-related enterprise. Locate in Kent believes the Innovation Centre is an ideal opportunity for forward-thinking companies to set up and grow.