DEVELOPING high-tech small and medium-sized businesses in Huntingdonshire can get free advice on how to find funding to expand commercially. From next month, Walter Herriot, managing director of St John s Innovation Centre Ltd and visiting professor at th

DEVELOPING high-tech small and medium-sized businesses in Huntingdonshire can get free advice on how to find funding to expand commercially.

From next month, Walter Herriot, managing director of St John's Innovation Centre Ltd and visiting professor at the University of Hertfordshire, will hold one-to-one clinics at Wyboston Lakes.

They will be aimed at early-stage, high-growth/high-tech SMEs that need expert advice to identify funding.

"Funding for this project has been provided by Cambridge Business Services and EEDA under the Enterprise Hub Initiative," he said.

"We have been offering this exclusive service to businesses in the Cambridge area for the past 15 years, but we want to spread our expertise further afield to help companies in Huntingdon, who are currently unable to access this specialist advice."

Each clinic at Wyboston Lakes lasts an hour and companies can attend as many sessions as necessary to achieve their business objectives.

Places will be reserved on a first-come first-served basis and clients should take business plans to the meetings.

Companies can get advice on funding grants or be introduced to individual investors. Participants can also get access to mentors and councillors for business and technology, as well as links to the University of Cambridge and the Institute of Manufacturing.

Mr Herriot said: "We help, on average, 300 businesses each year and 95 per cent of those come to us through personal recommendation.

"We have found that companies who use this service are five times more likely to raise funding and achieve their target growth than those who don't."

CONTACT: Walter Herriot on 01223 420252 or you can e-mail wjherriot@stjohns.co.uk, or call Miranda Edwards on 01223 421988 or e-mail medwards@stjohns.co.uk