CENTRE FOR FASHION ENTERPRISE - APPLICATION FORM
GVA (9b+9c+9d) / Registered Company
No. of Jobs at Risk (FTE) (6c) / London Based
SME Signed Declaration / State Aid Declaration Complete
Diversity Declaration Complete
Programme / New Fashion Venture / Date taking place: / June 2015
Application Deadline: / 13th April 2015 / Interview Dates: / 11th May & 20th May 2015
Minimum eligibility criteria for New Fashion Pioneer Programme:
- Trading for at least 4 seasons
- Businesses will consist of at least 1 full time member of staff, supported by freelancers/interns.
- Annual sales between £40k–£100k, made up of 10-20 stockists.
- The brand attracts significant interest from buyers/press.
Please complete this form to your best knowledge so that we can assess your businesses suitability for the programme.
Email with any questionsor call 020 7514 2295.
*As you have shown interest in our CFE programmes, you will be signed up to our monthly CFE e-newsletter to keep you informed of all CFE news and programme activity. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Have you participated in any other CFE (or other similar) programmes? Please enter X in relevant boxes if you have:
CFE New Market Entry / CENTA (e.g. Jewellery Connections) / British Fashion Council (Newgen)
CFE New Fashion Pioneer / CSF London Style / Other, please state:
Fashion Bootcamp / DISC
1 / About the business
a / Limited company name / StateCompany Reg No: / C:
b / Trading name or label (if different) / UTR(unique taxation reference).See HMRC docs. / UTR:
Product. i.e. Men/Womenswear, Jewellery, RTW, Luxury etc. / Date label launched(MM/YY)
c / Website Address / www.
d / Legal status of business (Delete as appropriate) / Limited company / Sole trader / Partnership
e / If a limited company, who are the share holders and what’s their % / Share holder 1:
Share holder 2:
f / Business address(inc Post Code) / London Borough
g / Studio / Office Telephone: / Mobile no:
h / Business Email address / Other email
2 / More about the brand
c / How many garments in your latest collection?
d / Describe your brand essence in 8 words?
e / Describe your customer in a few bullet points:Lifestyle, aspirations, gender, age, etc.
f / Who are your Brand Adjacencies?
g / List industry supporters or champions you have.
3 / Business Owner(s) / Founders
a / Full Name / Email
Job Title / Role / Telephone
Personal Address
Education/training / College: / Year: / Course:
List designers worked or interned with. If none, what’s your background?
b / Full Name / Email
Job Title / Role / Telephone
Personal Address
Education/training / College: / Year: / Course:
List designers worked or interned with.If none, what’s your background?
4 / Trademarks
a / If your label (or other name used in the business) is registered as a trademark please state in which territories? UK / EU, etc... Registering a trade mark is different to registering a company/domain name.
c / List the trade mark registration number’s and classes of goods/services
5 / Your Team
a / No.of employeesexcluding you: / List staff names below indicating whether they are an Intern, Freelance or on Payroll.
The CFE aims to support businesses where jobs are at risk of being lost. Tell us which jobs within your business are at risk. *Can the business, given its current order book, guarantee to fund the job/role for the following 12 months? If not, the job should for this purpose be considered as being at risk of being lost within the next 12 months:
b / Full Name / Job title / Role / Payroll, Intern or Freelance? / Hours per week / Job at risk?* (Y/N)
6 / Production
a / Who does your sampling? (In house or External)
b / Please list your manufacturers
c / How will you be funding your production next season?
7 / Marketing, Sales, PR and Social Media Strategy
a / How do you currently promote your label? (PR agency or in house)
b / PR Strategy: What are your objectives? (4 bullet points):
c / What digital social media platforms are you utilising to promote your label? EnterX or state if using other platforms: / Twitter / Pinterest / Tumblr
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook
d / Social Media Strategy: What are your objectives? (4 bullet points):
e / What is you Sales Strategy? (4 bullet points):
f / Do you currently sell via your website?
g / List what other websites you sell through:
h / List catwalk shows/presentations you’ve shown at in last 12 mths.
i / List exhibitions/trade fairs you’ve participated in the last 12 mths.
8 / Sales and sample costs
a / How much did the sample collection cost to produce last season? / Total : £
b / Please describe your last 4 season’s sales starting with most recent season:
Season / No. of stores / No. of privateorders / Total sales £(ex VAT)
AW15
SS15
AW14
SS14
c / Please provide details of any; overdrafts, significant financial liabilities, previous bankruptcy, contractual or legal disputes currently taking place, or that have taken place in the last 12 months or that may arise in the near future in relation to your business:
d / List your top 3 stores/stockists by sales / 1. / 2. / 3.
9 / GVA (Gross Value Added in relation to previous 12 months)
a / Net profit: £
b / Wage costs: £
c / Depreciation: £
d
10 / Consultancy, collaborations etc.
a / What’s your strategy for developing consultancy/collaborations & licensing?
b / Provide details of freelance, consultancy, collaborations, licensing or cash sponsorships you are benefiting from:
Client / Date/season / State: i.e. Sponsorship / consultancyetc. / Income / Description
£
£
11 / Your aspirations and objectives for the business
a / What do you want to achieve in the next 2 years?
b / Describe your businesses strengths in a few words.
c / Describe your businesses weaknesses in a few words.
d / What areas of your business do you identify as needing improvement?
e / Would you like to be referred for specialist support from the Centre for Sustainable Fashion?Delete / Yes/No
f / The CFE has developed an Environmental Action Plan to improve the environmental and social impact of businesses. Would like information about how to include this in your business plan?Delete / Yes/No
12 / Legal / Funding declaration - De Minimis State Aid
In order to avoid public funding distorting competition within the European Single Market the European Commission regulates the levels of assistance which the public sector can provide to businesses (“the State Aid rules”). You should note carefully the requirements needed to comply with the European
State Aid rules and, if need be, refer to the relevant legislation. It is proposed that the assistance provided through the CFE Innovation Agency Project will comply with the State Aid rules by applying the De Minimis exemption (in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013 of 18 December 2013, as published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 24 December 2013). Under the De Minimis exemption, an undertaking can receive up to €200,000 of De Minimis aid in the current financial year and the two previous financial years, subject to the amount of such assistance it has already received during that period.For your information, the value of de minimis state aid support you will receive through the project is unlikely to exceed *£50,000 (c. €65,000). See below for a full breakdown of the value de minimis support.
CFE Programme Value of De Minimis State Aid Support
New Market Entry Programme Oct 12- Mar 15: £6,000 (€7,500)
New Pioneer Programme Oct 12- Mar 15: £16,000 (€20,000)
Building Brand Equity Oct 12- Mar 15: £12,000 (€15,000)
New Venture Programme Oct 12- Mar 15: £30,000 (€37,500)
You may need to declare this amount to any public body that requests information from you on how much De Minimis aid your business has received. Therefore we strongly recommend that you maintain a record of this De Minimis assistance for future reference. If you are in any doubt as to whether previous assistance received was granted as De Minimis assistance please raise your concerns as soon as possible. Having read the above, please complete the Statement of Previous Aid received under the De Minimis exemption and arrange for a director of your business to sign the declaration. Using this information and the other information in this application we will assess, and confirm in writing, your eligibility to receive assistance through the CFE Innovation Agency project.
Please note:
- This amount is the notional value (for State Aid calculation purposes only) of the support through this service (how much it would cost in the absence of any public funding)
- This is not a cash award- this service is provided free of charge
De minimis aid: Potentially any assistance you may have received from a public body might be de minimis aid. This could be from central, regional, devolved governments or agencies or a local council. However, in this declaration you must only included aid that was strictly classified as de minimis (or was specifically granted under the Small amounts of compatible aid scheme). The following are examples of possible forms of aid (this is not a comprehensive list). It should give you an indication of common forms of aid which you may have been given over the past three fiscal years. If you are not sure whether or not any public assistance you have received is classified as de minimis aid please contact the body which granted the assistance to get clarification.
- Grant from public bodies
- interest rate relief;
- tax relief;
- tax credits;
- State guarantees or holdings;
- State provision of goods or services on preferential terms;
- direct subsidies;
- tax exemptions;
- preferential interest rates;
- guarantees of loans on especially favourable terms;
- acquisition of land or buildings either gratuitously or on favourable terms;
- provision of goods and services on preferential terms;
- indemnities against operating losses;
- reimbursement of costs in the event of success;
- State guarantees, whether direct or indirect, to credit operations preferential re-discount rates;
- dividend guarantees;
- preferential public ordering;
- reduction of, or exemption from, charges or taxes, including accelerated depreciation and the reduction of social contributions;
- deferred collection of fiscal or social contributions;
- assistance financed by special levies;
- capital transfers;
Less obvious examples where State aid might arise include:
- consultancy advice provide either free or at a reduced rate;
- advantages resulting from the activities of agencies for urban renewal;
- assistance to help companies invest in environmental projects;
- assistance to help a public enterprise prepare for privatisation;
- legislation to protect or guarantee market share;
- public private partnerships and contracts not open to competitive tendering;
- Receipt of landfill tax credit funding.
- free advertising on State owned television;
- infrastructure projects benefiting specific users.
Please contact CFE Project Officer Kobirul Islam on 020 7514 7974 or email for further guidance on completing De Minimis declaration.
De Minimis State Aid Declaration - I confirm that [the business as named in section 1] has received the following De Minimis aid during the previous 3 fiscal years (this being the current fiscal year and the previous two fiscal years):ENTER ‘0’ If nothing received
Organisation providingthe assistance/aid / Nature of assistance / Dates of assistance / Value of assistance (de minimis)£ / €
PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE THIS SECTION BLANK- Please enter “£0” if you have received no such aid.Should you have any questions regarding this section please contact the CFE Project Officer, Kobirul Islam on 020 7514 7974 or by email:
I acknowledge that I am authorised to sign on behalf of the business and understand the requirements of De Minimis (EC Regulations 1998/2006). I acknowledge that if the business (as named in section 1) fails to meet the eligibility requirements, it may become liable to repay the full price that would otherwise be payable in respect of the services received.I confirm the business is not a business “in difficulty” as defined at 2.1of the Community Guidelines and State Aid for Rescuing and Restructuring Firms in Difficulty (2004/C22/02) at the date of this declaration. The information set out above is accurate for the purposes of the De Minimis exemption.
13 / CFE Diversity Monitoring- Please answer the following in respect of the majority owners of the business.Please Note: Completion of this section will not affect the chance of your business being supported. It is used for internal monitoring purposes only. All information will be kept confidential. Enter X in the relevant boxes
a / What is your ethnic group?
I am White / British / Irish / Other White background / Please state:
I am Mixed / White & Black Caribbean / White & Black African / White and Asian / Other Mixed background: / Please state:
I am Asian or Asian British / Indian / Pakistani / Bangladeshi / Other Asian or Asian British background: / Please state:
I am Black or Black British / Caribbean / African / Other Black or Black British background / Please state:
I am Chinese: / Chinese / Other ethnic group - Please state:
Prefer not to say:
b / Gender - Indicate the gender of the majority ownership of the business / Female / Male
c / Disability / Do you suffer, or have you previously suffered, from any of the conditions listed below, or any other physical or mental impairment which has an adverse effect on your ability to carry out day to day activities?
Please don’t leave blank - Put an X at bottom if answer to all is NO / YES / NO
Dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia or other cognitive conditions?
Diabetes or thyroid condition?
Skin conditions, e.g. eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, sensitive skin?
Arthritis, rheumatism or other joint problems?
Back trouble, including sciatica, lumbago, and slipped disc?
Heart disease, high blood pressure?
Asthma, tuberculosis, bronchitis, pneumonia?
Epilepsy, fits, blackouts, fainting?
Frequent indigestion, gastric/duodenal ulcer bowel problems?
Mental illness, nervous breakdown, stress, depression, drug or alcohol dependence?
Other (Please state)
I do not consider myself to be disabled. Put an Xhere, if all above is a NO.
Data Protection
All personal data collected from you by the CFE is processed in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. This personal data will be processed by employees and contractors of the University of the Arts London of 272 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7EY (of which the CFE is a part). This personal data will be processed in order to (i) assess your application, (ii) provide you with information, material and services that the CFE (the University) agrees to provide to you, (iii) carry out any obligations the CFE (the University) might have to you, (iv) communicate with you regarding your relationship with the CFE (the University), and/or (v) for various administrative matters relating to your relationship with the CFE (the University). The CFE may also disclose this personal data where it is under a duty to do so in order to comply with any legal obligation, or to protect its rights, property or safety, or those of others. Some of the information that you provide on this form, and business data we subsequently request from you, will be sent to the project sponsors (GLA), their agents and other statutory bodies and used to allow GLA to analyze it’s interventions; to provide management information that will be used by the GLA to monitor progress of individual projects related to the programme and its interventions; to inform programme level monitoring and evaluation; to support the achievement of ERDF performance indicators and the completion of the Project and ERDF Programme-level Evaluation. By signing this form you consent for your data to be processed accordingly.
Terms and Conditions
The CFE is part funded by The European Regional Development Fund. To ensure maximum impact through this Programme and for our funders to be assured that their money is being used within the governing European legislation for publicly funded projects, we request that you agree to the following terms and conditions by agreeing to all the terms and conditions.
Communications - It is essential that you make appropriate time available for CFE and its associates to visit, guide and assist you. If any problems occur, we need to know immediately so that we can support you by providing access to the right advice to assist you.
Business updates - We will ask you from time to time to sign various paperwork as evidence to our funders that we have spent their money on the purposes it was given to us; and also to demonstrate to them that businesses we support are growing their staff teams and sales. This information is for project purposes only and will always be treated with utmost confidentiality.
Marketing- It is important that we promote the success of CFE as widely as possible in order for us to continue to attract funding. We may from time to time use your name in communications about CFE. We will always aim to seek your approval first.
Compliance - The business agrees by signing this form that they are compliant with all UK labour laws; the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act; the Health and Safety at Work Act; and all other UK legislation which applies to SME businesses.
Losses and liabilities - CFE and University of the Arts London (UAL) are providing you and your company with advice on a pro-bono basis. CFE and UAL shall not be liable for any losses or liabilities incurred by you or your company as a direct or indirect result of you or your company acting on the basis of advice provided by the CEF / UAL.
I agree to all terms and conditions Put an Xhere, if you agree.
If a business does not comply with any of these terms, CFE reserves the right to withdraw its support with immediate effect and cannot be held responsible for any loss of business which may occur as a result of this termination.
Your signature – To be signed at Interview stage.
I confirm that I am authorised to sign on behalf of the business. I agree to all terms and conditions, and declare that the information provided on this form - including that which relates to De Minimis aid received by our business - is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I confirm that I am an SME business – employing fewer than 250 persons; annual turnover below €50m (approximately £45m); balance sheet below €43m (approximately £39m); and that the business is less than 25% owned by entities not meeting these criteria.
Full name [incaps]: / POSITION:
Signature: (required in person) / Date:
Your Signature: Please don’t scan signature in. We require your signature if we progress your application to interview stage.
Ensure you have completed all sections of the form fully to the best of your knowledge
For Office Use Only – To be signed by CFE StaffPROJECT DECLARATION: Based on the information supplied I confirm that the business is eligible to receive ERDF support through the CFE project:
Full name [incaps]: / POSITION:
Signature: / Date:
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