FUNDING is available to help small businesses across Dorset adapt and survive the coronavirus pandemic as part of a crowd-funding scheme that has already seen tens of thousands of pounds handed out.

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) set up the Crowdfund Dorset Business campaign in response to the first wave of coronavirus pandemic to help support local businesses.

The initiative offers micro, small and social enterprise businesses up to £5,000 of match-funding, provided they can raise an equivalent amount from 10 or more supporters.

Since May 2020, the scheme has pledged more than £36,000 in match-funding to nine businesses and projects across Dorset. Among them is Nothe Fort, which raised £5,000 through crowdfunding, which was then matched by Dorset LEP, to make the heritage attraction Covid-safe, enabling more than 35,000 visitors to safely enjoy the attraction in summer 2020.

James Farquharson, chairman of Nothe Fort, said: "Nothe Fort costs a lot to run, even when it is closed.

"When Covid-19 struck we were faced with a choice: either shut to fort and use our reserves - enough for about a year - in the hope we could ride out the pandemic, or invest in adaptations to enable the fort to open.

"We applied to Dorset LEP's crowdfund campaign and managed to secure the full match-funding of £5,000 which gave us the confidence to make the changes needed to open safely."

Crowdfund Dorset Business has been developed as part of Crowdfunder UK's national pay-it-forward campaign which was launched at the start of the pandemic to help any small business or community project reovery from the financial hardship caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

Lorna Carver, Dorset LEP director, said: "While there has been a substantial amount of government funding available to businesses in Dorset throughout the pandemic, there are inevitably businesses and organisations who fall through the cracks or that have been, and continue to be, affected more than others.

"Along with a range of other business support schemes, we created Crowdfund Dorset Business as an additional opportunity to help local businesses and organisations - from sole traders through to larger SMEs - adapt to the challenges of trading through the pandemic.

"We have seen how it has made a difference to some businesses already and, while restrictions remain in place, we're sure it can benefit others as well."

For more information, visit www.dorsetlep.co.uk/crowdfunder