Andover flower grower gets £750 Test Valley council grant

An Andover grower who raises flowers from seed and bulb has received a £750 Business Incentive Grant from Test Valley Borough Council. Edith Robert, founder of Edith Robert Botanical, says the money paid for the supplies she needed to carry on into next season.

Andover is about 12 miles north-west of Winchester. The same grant is open to new businesses across the borough, which has council offices in both Andover and Romsey.

What she grows and sells

Edith grows plants and fresh flowers for sale, many of them from seed or bulb. She also produces dried and pressed flowers for local customers.

She regularly sells cut flowers and plants at local markets, including Second Sundays. The council describes her as a familiar face at the Hawk Conservancy Trust.

She is now preparing for winter and plans to attend the trust’s Christmas Market, the council said. The release gives no date for it. She plans to sell:

• herbs
• bulbs
• festive evergreens
• dried flower arrangements

She also plans to make ornaments and jewellery from resin and dried flowers.

“For some time”

Edith said: “I have wanted to start my own business growing and selling my own flowers for some time. I’m grateful for both the Test Valley Borough Council small business support service and the grant which has enabled me to have the funds to invest in the supplies I needed to continue for the next season and into the future.”

Councillor Maureen Flood said: “It’s fantastic to see local entrepreneurs like Edith turning their passion into successful businesses. I am pleased that our Business Incentive Grant and our wider business support services have been able to help Edith grow her business, and we wish her every success in the future.”

The council set out the award in a news release this week.

Who can get the grant

The rules are on the council’s Business Incentive Grant page, which we checked on 4 November. Each grant is £750 and goes to new start-ups only. To qualify:

• the business must be located in the borough of Test Valley
• the owner must work in it permanently and full time, at least 30 hours a week, as their only job
• you must apply no later than eight weeks after you start trading
• any planning permission, building control approval or licence must be in place

A business under new management or a new name does not count if it carries on the same activities as an existing one. Nor can one business receive this grant and the council’s Independent Retailer Grant together.

The money does not arrive up front. The council pays it once the business has traded for at least six months, or nine months if it opened on a reduced rent agreement. A decision normally comes within 20 working days of the first meeting.

A councillor visits and has a photograph taken with the owner when the grant is paid, and the council publicises it in a press release. Businesses with premises open to the public must display a window sticker for at least a year.

What it means for you

• Starting a business in Romsey, Andover or the Test Valley villages: the eight-week clock starts when you begin trading, so ask the council early.
• Starting a business in Winchester: this grant is for businesses located in Test Valley, so a firm based in Winchester would not qualify.
• Looking for Christmas greenery: Edith plans to bring evergreens and dried flowers to the Hawk Conservancy Trust’s Christmas Market. Check the date with the trust before you travel.