AN expanding IT company is set to move to new town centre premises, thanks to the financial support received from the St Helens Jobs and Growth Fund.

Neticonic received a grant of £15,600 from the fund, enabling it to acquire larger premises on Claughton Street, as well as employ four additional support engineers.

The business specialises in managed IT services for small and medium-sized businesses, including IT support, data backup, disaster recovery and consultancy.

“The funding has enabled us to acquire new premises a lot sooner than we would have been able to,” said Nectonic managing director Steve Webster, who set up the company in 2007.

“Not having to rent for a prolonged period of time has also saved the business money and, as a result of that, we are able to move things forward more quickly and take on more staff.

“The application was actually very straightforward and any advice we needed we received from the chamber. In fact, I have now told other clients about the fund.”

The fund initiative, backed by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, is managed by St Helens Chamber and aims to stimulate private sector investment in the borough, enabling local businesses to reach their growth potential and create employment.

Grants of up to £70,000 are available for projects that will create employment opportunities, such as purchasing new premises, expanding existing premises, or investing in plant or machinery.

All applications for funding are assessed on a competitive basis by an investment panel, with businesses able to apply for grants up to 20% of their total project value.