Horsham District Council is pleased to announce a new £27K funding boost for small businesses to support the creation of new tourism experiences in Horsham District this summer. Small businesses across the District will be able to apply for funding of up to £5,000 each.
Horsham Visitor Experience grants are an injection of funding aimed at micro to small businesses to fund new projects which generate visitor footfall in the Horsham District. Businesses will receive support from a mentoring programme including idea development and business toolkits to help them achieve their goals. Successful applicants will receive their grant funding in September 2024.
Horsham District Council in partnership with Experience Sussex are inviting early expressions of interest prior to the application stage.
Designed to help businesses and organisations create new or significantly enhanced experiences to the Horsham tourist offer, preference will be given to smaller independent businesses with a business plan that features a regular offer for visitors rather than for one-off events.
This initiative will offer long term and sustainable benefits to the Horsham rural economy by encouraging businesses to drive visitors to the area, with the potential to increase jobs in the domestic tourism sector. It will support Horsham District as an attractive visitor destination and enhance the array of experiences for partners promoting tourism in Sussex. Horsham District is within easy connection of London mainline train stations, with journey times of just under one hour.
Horsham District Council in partnership with Experience Sussex will invite applications for a broad range of projects, such as creating experiences focusing on accessibility and inclusion, running trails, tours, festivals, walks and experiences showcasing the cultural and natural environment of the Horsham District, or creating immersive experiences involving overnight stays.
This grant campaign has received £27k from the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund.
To be eligible to apply, businesses must be based in or operating in the Horsham District, be registered with Companies House or HMRC and have fewer than 50 full-time employees. Businesses will have to meet the 25% match funding requirement and provide a business plan.
To register an early expression of interest please see: Horsham Visitor Experience Development Opportunity Survey
For more information on Horsham Visitor Experience grants, contact: getinvolved@experiencewestsussex.com
For information and business toolkits see: Business Toolkits & Resources | Experience West Sussex
Horsham Visitor Experience Grants have been designed to deliver two UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund objectives:
- Funding for the development and promotion (both trade and consumer) of the visitor economy, such as local attractions, trails, tours and tourism products more generally.
- Strengthening local entrepreneurial ecosystems and supporting businesses at all stages of their development to start, sustain, grow and innovate, including through local networks.