Marine businesses and Coastal communities across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will be supported to grow thanks to new funds that have been awarded to Cornwall Marine Network
Announced today by Mike Kane, Maritime Minister, CMN has been awarded £124,100 by the Department for Transport to invest in developing new on-line business support resources and business skills workshops to support marine businesses of CMN to improve productivity and management skills. The DfT grant will be matched 100% by CMN and its member businesses to create a £250,000 investment.
The DfT award is the largest of 9 grants that have been awarded across the UK to support cluster organisations who, like CMN, exist to improve the economic prosperity of their member businesses and drive growth in jobs, skills and improvements in local Cornwall Coastal communities.
CMN CEO, Paul Wickes MBE said ‘I was delighted to meet our Maritime Minister, Mike Kane, in London to receive news of the grant won by CMN, as part of a UK wide £1 million investment by the Department for Transport and we are proud that in making the announcement the government recognised the importance of CMN as a leading UK example for being a driver of economic improvement, having created 4,750 new jobs that have added £630 million of value to Cornwall’s growing marine sector. Our flourishing sector has the entrepreneurial spirit to grow significant new opportunities and this important investment will enable Cornwall Marine Network, as the sector’s trusted impartial support organisation, to further help our members to identify productivity improvements, sustainability and growth, as well as preparing the current and future workforce for high quality, well-paid sustainable jobs in our local sector’.
Maritime Minister, Mike Kane said:
“The UK is a proud maritime nation, with our coastal communities being vital in unleashing our full potential and unlocking economic growth across the country.
“By investing in our excellent maritime clusters, we can deliver jobs, skills and training for local communities and turbocharge growth by delivering investment into the sector.”
Chris Shirling-Rooke MBE, Chief Executive of Maritime UK, added:
“Today is an incredible milestone for the maritime industry across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Maritime Cluster Development Fund will create real impact and make a tangible difference to our most precious of places – our coastal communities.
“Having been on this incredible journey with partners at the Department for Transport for more than six years, this labour of love for all of us is testament to the power of collaboration and partnership. I look forward to seeing all of our maritime clusters thrive and creating those vital jobs and growth where they’re needed most.”
The maritime sector is key to unlocking regional economic growth, and this targeted support aims to revitalise coastal towns and cities, help build the UK’s economy and breakdown barriers to opportunity, as well as driving innovation in the sector.
Putting CMN’s member businesses and the wider marine sector in Cornwall along with economic opportunity at the heart, this fund will help local entrepreneurs, business owners, managers and young people.
Managed for the Government by Maritime UK, the Maritime Cluster Development Fund will bolster the already transformational work delivered by Cornwall Marine Network, which has already added £630 million of value to Cornwalls economy, as well as generating £42 million of private investment into skills in the last 20 years.
NOTES TO EDITOR:
IMAGE: Following the Cornwall Coastal Powerhouse Summit in November, Cornwall Marine Network took a delegation of DfT to visit and hear from CMN members Cockwells about their growth plans, their apprenticeships delivered through Cornwall Marine Network and the good growth investment, which will see their Falmouth boatyard double its manufacturing capacity and create 38 new jobs.
About Cornwall Marine Network
Cornwall Marine Network was established in 2002 by local marine businesses to give identity to, and improve the economic prosperity of, businesses in Cornwall’s world-class marine sector.
Cornwall Marine Network is a private not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee and owned by more than 350 local marine businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The CMN Team provide expert specialist support which helps member companies to grow, by improving marketing, skills, bringing innovation to market and improving productivity in the workplace. Since 2005, CMN has supported local businesses to create 4,600 new jobs, adding more than £500 million of Value to Cornwall’s economy.
CMN CEO, Paul Wickes MBE is available for interview or comment on request
For any further information or questions, please contact Sam Winters, Strategic Communications sam.winters@cornwallmarine.net
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