WOOD FUEL COLLABORATION EVENT

Wednesday 15th November, 2017

Bore Place, Chiddingstone, nr Edenbridge, Kent TN28 7AR

9.30am-3pm

Do you own or manage a woodland or work in the forestry, wood fuel or timber sectors?

Are you seeking to invest in your woodland or business to generate business growth and employment?

The Wood Fuel Collaboration and Business Finance Event has been created to help SMEs navigate the range of public grant finance that is currently available. Advisors will be available to discuss project ideas and to help initiate expressions of interest and develop project ideas. The keynote presentation will be delivered by Euroforest, whose representatives will be available to provide information on their fuel supply-chain and collaboration opportunities.

• Learn about the fuel supply-chain that Euroforest is establishing for the new biomass power station at Sandwich
• Find out about the range of grant finance that is available now for capital investment for SMEs
• Meet other SMEs in the forestry, woodland and timber sectors.

At the end of the event there will be an opportunity to join a tour of Bore Place with John Waller – owner of the Green Wood workshop and under woodsman at Bore Place.

A number of advisors will be available to provide one-to-one advice on all the topics covered in the presentations including Forestry Commission, LEADER, Kent County Council, Countryside Productivity Scheme (CPS) and Local Enterprise Programme (LEP), also known as the Growth Programme.

Places are limited.

Please register at: www.woodfuelbusiness.eventbrite.co.uk

Alternatively, please email lowcarbon@kent.gov.uk or call 03000 415111.

The deadline for booking a place is Tuesday 14th November, 2017. Due to the anticipated demand the number of tickets per booking is limited to four.

There is plenty of free car parking on site. The nearest train stations are Edenbridge and Leigh.

Kent County Council (KCC) is currently helping to deliver one of the best funded SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) business support programmes for many years. This includes LoCASE, LEADER, CPS, LEP, the Kent and Medway Business Fund, innovation and start-up loans. This support is designed to help all SMEs improve performance in terms of resilience, profitability and competitiveness.

KCC and its partners are already supporting multiple businesses in the forestry, timber and biomass fuel sectors. This sector has seen growth in recent years and there are good opportunities for future development.

A prime opportunity currently is the new biomass power station that is currently being constructed at Sandwich in Kent. Euroforest, Britain’s largest independent timber harvesting and marketing company, has secured the long-term contract to supply this power station which will require 240,000 tonnes of ‘wood raw material’ per annum. It is anticipated that much of the volume required will be sourced from under managed broadleaved woodlands of Southern England and this will lead to a step-change in demand.

The new biomass power station at Sandwich provides a unique opportunity for woodland owners and managers and for investment in the forestry sector more widely.

Event Aims

• Provide detail on Euroforest’s biomass fuel requirements
• Inform SMEs about business support and grant finance
• Provision of one-to-one advice on how to apply for grant finance.

Event Programme

Matthew Woodcock from the Forestry Commission: The Forestry Commission provides support to the forestry sector via its woodland officers and grant programmes, including woodland creation, which are open now for applications.

Councillor Matthew Balfour from Kent County Council: Cllr. Balfour will summarise the finance options currently available to support SME business growth within Kent and the wider Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area.

The keynote speech will delivered by Euroforest manager for Kent, Ben Manterfield: Ben will focus on Sandwich biomass power station project and will provide the latest information on Euroforest’s needs including volumes, specification, collection and collaboration.

Event Timings

09.30:  Event opens / registration
09.30-10.15 Refreshments / networking / one-to-one advice
10.15-11.15 Presentations
11.15-11.45 Q+A session
11.45-12.30 One-to-one advice sessions
12.30-13.30 Buffet lunch – one-on-one advice sessions continue
15.00  One-to-one advice sessions end – site tours commence

Who should attend?

• Woodland owners and managers
• Agents and advisors
• Cutters, harvesters and processors
• Biomass fuel producers and wholesalers
• Forestry contractors and machinery dealers
• The owners and operators of SMEs looking to grow and develop their business