Developing Community and Business Workspace

An element of the AMLAG LDS is to drive business growth in the area, through the encouragement of increased investment in the existing facilities of local companies, to promote sustainable growth and job creation.

Furthermore, anecdotal evidence suggests there is ongoing demand for communal co-working and hot desking facilities in AMLAG, fuelled by the prevalence of entrepreneurs in the area.

First hand evidence from current AMLAG funding applicants confirms the business growth benefits that such facilities offer including; • Increased productivity ( over homeworking ) • Ideas exchange & Networking • New business referrals • Cost management The LDS also states a desire to enable community development through the enhancement of community facilities, their functionality and usage.

Such activity will also lend itself to the programme's legacy aims in building community capacity, and encouraging community cohesion through their ongoing use.

Projects are sought that create or refurbish buildings for new or increased commercial activity that provides an economic benefit to residents of the Core areas of AMLAG.

This may take the form of the construction of new, or the refurbishment of existing, business units, coworking spaces, hot desking facilities or any other form of workspace that meets the local need.

We are looking for: • Projects that provide communal coworking facilities which are accessible to new enterprises and 'kitchen table' businesses looking to expand into premises. • Projects that provide new business units. • Projects that provide business growth and job creation through the refurbishment, or expansion of existing company facilities. • Projects that enhance community facilities and their usage through the internal refurbishment of community buildings.

Indicatively, the Local Action Group has allocated the following amount: £300,000 (ERDF) ERDF investment in the CLLD target areas is intended to make a significant impact on local employment, skills and enterprise.

The expected minimum application level for funding is £50,000 Typically projects should plan to deliver activity for a minimum of 6 months and can plan to deliver up to June 2022.

However, the LAG reserves the right to vary the minimum and maximum durations, upwards or downwards.

Outputs to be delivered ERDF: 215m2 (P12) See the attached Calls Proposal for more information