BUSINESSES and public bodies are being urged to come up with ideas for projects which would boost Dorset’s productivity.

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is urging the private and public sector to get in touch with suggestions.

It is organising workshops to explain more about the proposal, which is looking for projects that would require grants of at least £250,000.

The LEP has already secured £98.5million through the government’s Local Growth Fund, as part of an overall investment programme worth £234m.

The LEP has no grant funding available at the moment, but says it wants to create a “pipeline” of capital projects which can be given the go-ahead as funding opportunities arise.

Such funding could come from the government’s industrial strategy or from other sources.

Applications are welcome from any public, private or third sector organisation which has a project which has the potential to deliver increased productivity.

Business case workshops will take place at Kingston Maurward College on Monday, June 25, and at Bournemouth University on Thursday, June 28. LEP representatives will outline the request, go through the application guidelines and answer questions.

Dorset LEP director Lorna Carver said: “We want to capture proposals for capital projects that will boost productivity in a way that is relevant to our place. For example, Dorset has high levels of employment and so the key to boosting productivity in our county might not be in creating new jobs, but in making those already in employment more productive.

“This could be through investment in new machinery or increasing production capacity through building additional workspace.

“If your project has potential to deliver increased productivity in the Dorset LEP area then please get in touch or come along to one of our workshops.

“Dorset LEP currently has no grant funding available but sometimes opportunities do come up and we would like to be in a position to respond in a timely manner.”

The Dorset LEP Pipeline Projects initiative is for capital projects with a minimum grant funding request of £250,000.

Further information, along with a copy of the Dorset LEP Outline Business Case form is available from the Dorset LEP website at dorsetlep.co.uk/funding/dorset-lep-project-pipeline/