Free or discounted commercial property space will be offered to businesses in Birmingham, as part of a new city investment programme.
Business Birmingham is set to offer 800 sq ft of space in Digbeth's Custard Factory - Birmingham's arts and media quarter - through its 'Business Catalyst' programme, in the hope that this will not only bring potential investment in the area, but it will encourage other businesses to offer similar opportunities in the future. The space that will be offer is part of Zellig, which is a £10 million, 100,000 sq ft restoration of Bird's original Custard factory.
As part of the scheme, eligible investors will be able to enjoy free or discounted space for six months in order to help them set up and create new jobs in the city. Investors will also enjoy six months of free membership as a commercial partner of Marketing Birmingham.
Chris Loughran, who sits on the board of Marketing Birmingham, said: “Birmingham must continue to develop its offer for job-creating investors, and ensure that it remains competitive internationally, not just in the UK. By offering tangible incentives that will help investing businesses to locate and grow quickly, I am confident that Business Birmingham’s Catalyst programme will make the city an even more attractive choice.”
Wouter Schuitemaker, investment director at Business Birmingham, added that the scheme would help investors to look for new locations while also establishing a healthy client base for themselves. It is by making these initial steps easy that businesses are able to expand in a sustainable manner.
Other businesses that have pledged their support towards the programme include financial firm KPMG, Deloitte, Lloyds TSB, and the Royal Bank of Scotland.