An Ipswich initiative to fund independent traders' improvement projects is aiming to inject £20,000 into the town centre economy.

The Independent Business Grant Scheme Improve, the brainchild of Ipswich Central, offers grants to independent traders for ideas that will attract more people to their shop and their part of the town.

The scheme is for the Ipswich Business Improvement District (BID) - which covers the central area of the town.

Any independent trader within the area is eligible to apply for a grant of between £500 and £5,000 to improve their profile within the town centre.

The application form can be found at the bottom of this article.

Short-listed applications will be judged by a panel that includes East Anglian Daily Times editor Terry Hunt, Marks & Spencer chief executive Sir Stuart Rose, and chief executive of Ipswich Borough Council James Hehir.

The winning ideas will be featured in the East Anglian later in the year and with the closing date for entries 31st March, there is another fortnight for businesses to complete their applications.

So far, around 20 applications have been submitted and at least another 20 are expected to arrive before the deadline.

The applications are wide ranging from new shop blinds and fascias to entire interior refits, planters and paving schemes. The level of grant applied for is currently ranging from the £700 mark (minimum amount available is £500) to the maximum £5,000.

Paul Clement, Executive Director of Ipswich Central said "We have been encouraged by the response to this scheme by the town centre's independent businesses and look forward to receiving many more applications before the end of March. The £20,000 is there to be spent and I would encourage all eligible businesses to think about how they could use a cash injection to enhance their business and the trading area. I am very much looking forward to the judges' final selections and seeing the schemes implemented."

Down load your applicatiion form by clicking on the pdf below