Bexhill Chamber of Commerce launches £25k centenary fund

Bexhill Chamber of Commerce is marking its centenary in 2025 and in celebration of its 100 years it has launched a £25,000 Centenary Grant Fund to support businesses in the town.

The organisation said businesses, charities, social enterprises and other associations are being invited to apply for small grants that will drive projects that have a positive impact on the business community.

The applications can be for projects needing anything from a few hundred pounds up to the limit of the fund, it added.

The chamber said this is a capital fund only, which means there must be a tangible output from the project like a piece of public art or a renovated shop front or improved accessibility to businesses.

Howard Martin, president of Bexhill Chamber of Commerce, said: “We appreciate that this fund is quite small but we are looking for ideas and proposals that will have a big impact on our town. We are open to any suggestions and the chamber team will offer help and support to applicants like businesses who may not be familiar with the usual grant application processes. We are also open to discussing match funding or shared funding projects.”

The Bexhill Chamber of Commerce Centenary Fund has been allocated to the chamber by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of the Government’s Levelling Up funding for Bexhill.

The Centenary Fund is backed by Bexhill MP, Dr Kieran Mullan and Rother District Council.

All proposals submitted will be independently assessed by a panel of local business and grant funding experts.

Although bodies from outside Bexhill may apply for funding the benefit of the application must be within the nine council wards of Bexhill, the chamber said.

Howard said: “We look forward to working with the business community of Bexhill to deliver some great improvements to the business environment of our town.”

For full details of the fund visit www.bexhillchamber.org/centenary-grant.