FAQs

Who is responsible for Selective Finance for Investment in England (SFI) grant funding?
The South West Regional Development Agency(SWRDA) is responsible for administering SFI in Cornwall, including appraising applications and awarding grants.

What is Cornwall Pure Business?
Cornwall Pure Business was designed as a red carpet service to target and attract inward investment in key sectors through a coordinated one stop service for businesses. The service brings together all marketing and support activity for inward investment to promote a clear and positive image of the county as a place to do business. Cornwall Pure Business has been developed to work in close liaison with Business Link, the South West Regional Development Agency, the Combined Universities in Cornwall and the range of other business support initiatives which are available in the county.

What are the transport links like in Cornwall?
Cornwall now has dual-carriageway access to the whole of the UK, with typical journey times of 3.5 hours from Bodmin to Birmingham and 4.5 hours from Truro to London. First Great Western is the mainline train operator serving Cornish destinations. Typical journey times are 4.5 hours From Truro to London Paddington and 4.5 hours from Bodmin to Birmingham. British Airways and Ryanair operate daily flights between Newquay and London Gatwick and Air Southwest operate daily fights between Newquay and London Gatwick, Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Bristol, Plymouth, Jersey, Dublin and Cork. There are also regular aeroplane, helicopter and sea services between mainland Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

What business services are available to someone wishing to relocate to Cornwall?
Cornwall Pure Business acts as a one-stop shop for businesses looking to relocate. We provide a one-to-one service which will help investigate all your requirements. Cornwall offers a variety of other business services, specialising in specific fields ranging from financial advice to IT training and support. For links to some of these agencies please click here.

What business sector networks are available in Cornwall?
There are a range of networks for specific business sectors in Cornwall and the South West. For more information please follow the links to our individual sector pages:

How can I find suitable premises in Cornwall?
Premises can be located using this website's Property Finder.

What is Objective One?
Objective One is one of three programmes set up to help reduce differences in social and economic conditions within the European Union. (These three funding programmes are the biggest area of European spending after the Common Agricultural Policy.) Of the three, Objective One is the highest priority designation for European aid and is targeted at areas where prosperity, measured in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per head of population, is 75% or less of the European average.

What is Convergence funding?
Convergence is the next round of funding supplied by the EU for Cornwall. While it has been agreed that the SW RDA will be responsible for the distribution of funds at this stage, there is no indication as to how this will be managed, therefore it is too early to predict what direct support may be available to individual businesses. However, business growth is still integral to Cornwall's development and therefore inward investment support is likely to be available in some form.
It is currently envisaged that convergence funding will support:

Premises build/up-grade
Communication infrastructure
Skills training, including technical and management/leadership
Graduate recruitment

Does Cornwall Pure Business offer any financial assistance?
No we do not directly. However, as an element of our overall service we will help locate the most suitable financial package to suit your company needs. For more details on what assistance is available click here.