Please could you help me with a few queries about how your council is supporting small businesses under the FOI act, please?
Funded programmes:
* Number of funded programs provided by the council each year
Total amount of money dedicated to funded programs per year
Proportion of the council’s budget allocated to funded programs
Loans:
* Total amount of money loaned by the council each year
* Number of loans provided by the council each year
* Average loan size
Access to funding:
* Total amount of funding available for access each year
* Number of funding opportunities (grants, loans, etc.) available per year
* Percentage of applicants that successfully secure funding
Investment:
* Total amount of investment facilitated by the council each year
* Number of businesses or projects receiving investment each year
* Proportion of the council’s budget dedicated to investments
Initiatives:
* Number of initiatives providing discounts or financial incentives for local businesses
* Total amount of money saved by businesses through these initiatives each year
* Percentage of local businesses participating in such initiatives
How many businesses council has helped set up:
* Number of new businesses set up in the council area each year
* Number of new businesses receiving direct support (funding, loans, one-to-one support) from the council
* Percentage of new businesses that attribute their establishment to the council’s support
In response to the above questions, we can confirm that in 2022/23 we transferred £86,127.79 of our levy to support apprentices across 16 different employers in Devon. So far in 2023/24, we have transferred £31,641.65 to continue funding the apprentices in the same 16 employers, as well as 1 further new employer this year. Levy funding comes out on a monthly basis for the duration of the apprenticeship qualification. We currently have a levy transfer pledge open on the Government website, which means that we will be funding further apprenticeships/employers as we go through this financial year.
We hold no information in relation to any of the other questions.