A York firm is revealed to be one of the most successful in the region at applying for government grants.

Crop Health and Protection (CHAP) at Sand Hutton has received £13.78m over the past fives, the third highest in the region, behind the University of Sheffield, who received £126.8m and Sheffield-based Glass Futures Ltd, who received £16m, over the same period.

The figures come from innovation funding specialist Catax, who says Yorkshire and Humberside firms have been getting two-thirds less government funding than some other parts of the country.

CHAP, however, explains its success, describing itself as a 'facilitator' for SMEs and innovators, who can help such ventures unlock funding/

Head of Marketing and Communications, Janine Adamson, said: “CHAP is one of four Agri-Tech Innovation Centres, bringing together industry, academia and government to answer pressing issues from the world of crop science and arable farming. One element of our work is bringing people together to form consortia, and guide them through processes such as applying for grant funding.

“Admittedly this can be daunting, but backed by our team of experts, we’re here to work with the likes of SMEs and innovators to help unlock such opportunities.

“There’s no exact recipe for success as each grant application is bespoke, but as an independent not-for-profit organisation, we are here to help businesses in Yorkshire and beyond access this valuable funding.

“We’re very proud of the joint successes we’ve achieved alongside the many innovative agri-tech businesses that we work with.

Nationally, Catax found firms in Yorkshire & the Humber claimed an average £2,204 in Innovate UK grants per business compared to a UK average of £2,563 since 2003.

Catax says the results of its study is a wake-up call to firms across the UK to ensure they are taking advantage of funding opportunities on offer, as a lack of awareness continues to hold back applications.

Karen Taylor, Group Head of Grants at Catax, said: "Yorkshire & Humber has not been making as much use of government innovation funding as it should be and it’s disappointing to see its position sink further behind more recently.

“Grants are a vital source of funding for businesses, giving many the financial resources they need to invest in new research and innovations. It might be that there is still a prevailing lack of awareness of these grants in the region, and this needs to be addressed.

“These findings should serve as a call to action for businesses in Yorkshire & Humber to take a look at what grants are on offer which could help them get their project ."

Catax, who can help firms with grants and tax relief ,are at: www.catax.com