A ‘talent’ scheme to provide grants of £2,000 to encourage new businesses to make use of empty shops in the Pokesdown area of Boscombe will be launched on Monday.
Four grants will be provided in a competition to find people who have business ideas that show commitment to the area and innovative flair.
The scheme is part of a programme called ‘Talent’ and is designed to develop the Boscombe area as the Art and Culture hub of Bournemouth.
Cat McMillian, Community Regeneration Officer for Bournemouth 2026 said she wants to attract “unique, exciting and vibrant businesses to fill empty shops in the area.”
Ms McMillian is enthused by the area and aims to utilise the existing and emerging creative community to create stimulating and vibrant opportunities to showcase the area’s finest.
The scheme will help start-up businesses find accommodation in a commercial property in the Pokesdown area of Boscombe. It will also signpost entrants to business support such as business plan writing, customer service training, mentoring, networking, workshops, selling on the internet and merchandising. £1,000 will be released when successful applicants sign the lease to the property and a further £1000 after 6 months of successful trading.
Participants will be required to enter into a contract with the Council committing them to the project. Participants will be fully responsible for all the cost incurred with opening and running their shop. The community regeneration arm of Bournemouth 2026 are looking for people who are serious about setting up in business. On their website they describe the opportunity as “one for people who are already planning to open a shop as this grant would help them achieve this a bit earlier”.
Application forms are available on Monday via the ‘Talent’ section of Bournemouth Council’s website.
For more business news about successful start-ups click here.
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