Funding
Phoenix Fund
Phoenix Bursaries are a new facility available under the Small Business Service's Phoenix Fund. They will support development activities in organisations, which provide enterprise support in disadvantaged areas and/or to under-represented groups.
The Phoenix Bursaries aim to develop the capacity of these organisations. A bursary could develop the skills of an individual member of staff, or the professionalism and capabilities of the organisation as a whole.
Phoenix Bursaries will be available from 1 April 2004 until 31 March 2006. However, should demand be higher than anticipated, the fund may be closed before March 2006
Guidance notes
These notes will help you decide whether your organisation is eligible for a Phoenix Bursary.
Download: Guidance
Notes for Applicants 
PDF
(58 kB)
Applicants will need to satisfy the Small Business Service's (SBS) that:
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The activities would not go ahead without the support of bursary and will enable their organisation to deliver the Government 's enterprise agenda more effectively and professionally.
The bursaries will support development activities, which will improve the capacity of an organisation by:
a) improving the quality and depth of support provided to an organisation 's existing clients; and/or
b) enabling the organisation to support new client groups within its area.
The activities will achieve this by:
a) developing the skills and training of an individual member of staff; or
b) raising the level of professionalism, capability or credibility of the organisation as whole.
The SBSs is looking for a good mix of high quality activities that will really make a difference to the capacity of an organisation to deliver support and encourages imaginative and innovative applications that are not limited to "tried and tested" development activities.
Examples of the kind of activities eligible are:
course fees
books, videos, software packages and other learning materials contributing to an individual 's development
attachments or visits to other organisations
attendance at conferences and seminars
mentoring, one-to-one training, shadowing and job swaps
accreditation's, quality awards, up-skilling and other activities that increase the professionalism and capacity of the organisation as a whole
travel, subsistence and care costs to make any of the above possible.
Bursaries will not be available for:
Purchasing computer hardware or other capital equipment; and
The Phoenix Bursaries must operate within the European Union rules on State Aid.
Who may apply?
Any organisation which has an established track record of providing support in disadvantaged areas and/or to under-represented groups and which is becoming increasingly involved in providing that support in co-operation with Business Links.
Eligibility to apply for a Phoenix Bursary is not related to whether an organisation has received support previously from the Phoenix Fund.
The Bursaries are available both to organisations as a whole and to individual staff members.
The Phoenix Bursaries are only available in England.
Who can't apply?
Organisations, which do not have an established track record of providing enterprise support.
Fully commercial businesses (e.g. sole traders, partnerships, plc's)
Mainstream business support organisations that could reasonably be expected to fund their own development activities
How much to apply for?
This should be based on the predicted costs of activities.
A Phoenix Bursary will contribute a maximum of 75% of the gross costs of the activities.
An organisation must contribute at least 25% of the gross costs of the activities.
The maximum Bursary for an organisation as a whole is £10,000.
The maximum Bursary for an individual member of staff is £3,000.
An organisation may apply for more than one Bursary, either for the organisation as a whole or for individual members of staff, as long as the combined total of all Bursaries does not exceed £10,000.
For further information:
Tel: 0870 458 4161
E-mail: phoenix@mci-group.com
Send completed application forms to:
Phoenix Bursaries Team
Durford Mill
Petersfield
Hampshire
GU31 5AZ
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