(EMAILWIRE.COM, January 16, 2001 ) More than £100 million earmarked to help British businesses is going begging because of lack of awareness and red tape. The cash is part of a potential annual multi-million pound grants' pot, designed to help Britain's 3.7 million companies* flourish. But many businesses which could benefit from the money simply don't know they can claim it, or are put off by the confusion, complexity and time involved in finding out what is available. Access Grant Information Online Now a new website is set to revolutionise the process and close the "grants gap" - offering a free grant search service that gives results in seconds. The site, www.j4b.co.uk, is the brainchild of Nick Jaspan, who set up the successful Newsco publishing group, and former Financial Times journalist, Ian Hamilton Fazey. It has the most comprehensive, up-to-date information on business grants currently available - and uniquely, it is free to use. Sophisticated technology means a search takes just seconds to complete. Hamilton Fazey believes j4b ("just for business") will help companies both large and small to identify sources of free cash within the maze of grants currently available. However, small and medium-sized businesses in particular will benefit. Hamilton Fazey said: "A staggering 93% of SMEs are not taking advantage of the grants available to them.** Most are reliant on bank overdrafts, loans or family savings. "It's often hard enough for them to keep up with all the bureaucracy that surrounds running a business, they don't have time to tackle the jungle of researching grants. "This is a terrible shame because it is precisely these smaller enterprises which many grants are designed to support, and which can often go under through a lack of capital." Website to Save Time and Money j4b believes its site will also save taxpayers' money. Currently millions of pounds are spent each year on the advertising, promotion and distribution of grants, including the production of explanatory leaflets and brochures, all varying from region to region. "Our service complements the traditional methods of promoting grants, saving time and money in the early stages by making a comprehensive range of grant information available to searchers in a quick and easy fashion," added Ian Hamilton Fazey. Grant Information at Your Fingertips The site contains information on around 5,000 capital ("hard cash") grants. These range from Regional Selective Assistance grants, which can run to several million pounds, to small, localised grants, such as the Shetland Ram scheme, which gives grants of up to £60 for the purchase of pure-bred Shetland rams and ram lambs at the yearly Flock Book Sale in Shetland. Newly-developed software will prompt searchers through the maze of grants, so that their final list is specific to where they are, what type of business they are, and what they do. The four-step search process takes the user seconds to complete, with detailed results available immediately. Once searchers have found a grant for which they would like to apply, j4b directs them to their most convenient grant administrator. Registered users of the site will also be entitled to receive a free grants alert service giving tailored updates on new developments. The j4b site has won encouragement from Patricia Hewitt MP, Minister for Small Business and E-Commerce at the Dept of Trade and Industry. Writing to j4b, she said: "I was very interested to read about your proposals. Initiatives such as yours, aimed at helping small businesses gain access to the appropriate finance, are very welcome." The site carries some support advertising, but will not be dependent on advertising for its future profitability. The company plans to offer a range of cost-effective services to grant providers along with a range of business consultancy services to the private sector. j4b can be found at www.j4b.co.uk. Grant details are available with the downloadable press release at the right. * Source: DTI ** Source: Federation for Small Businesses report, October 2000 Notes to editors j4b is the only website to offer comprehensive information on around 5,000 capital grants currently available to British businesses, free of charge. The company has developed sophisticated search technology to allow users to complete a detailed search of grants, specific to them, in seconds. ---------------Produced for j4bContact:Staniforth Public RelationsLinda Isted, Ph: 0161 274 0115Libby Down, Ph: 0161 274 0111j4bNick Jaspan, Ph: 01625 628007Ian Hamilton Fazey, Ph: 07836 601563---------------

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