KEIGHLEY-district companies can share in a £28 million European funding pot.

Any projects that will help boost innovation or growth, or strengthen export expertise, could be eligible.

The funds are available to firms across the Leeds City Region, which includes Keighley.

Companies have until April 20 to bid for a slice of the money, being stumped-up by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The pot is being administered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, in conjunction with the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Roger Marsh, the partnership chairman, said: “Leeds City Region businesses operate in a global marketplace and by funding projects that can help them to be more innovative and efficient and better digitally, we are helping to give them the edge they need to compete.

“Boosting innovation and harnessing digital technologies are core themes of the LEP and we’re looking forward to receiving bids for projects that not only create more and better jobs, but also increase the economic strength of the City Region as a whole.”

The latest funding is part of the Leeds City Region’s £308m so-called European Structural and Investment Funds programme, secured in 2014.

The LEP was the first local enterprise partnership in the country to launch such a programme.

Figures released last month show that since then nearly 90 per cent of the region’s ERDF funding allocation has been assigned to business-boosting projects.

The latest grants will be awarded to projects falling under various categories.

They include schemes that promote research and innovation, help develop IT products and services for businesses or increase the number of small and medium-sized enterprises making use of digital technologies, boost levels of entrepreneurship particularly among under-represented groups, support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises and help increase their levels of innovation, and promote greater use of renewable energy.

For more details and to apply, visit gov.uk/european-structural-investment-funds.

The LEP works with organisations across the public and private sectors, providing investment and support.

With an overall aim of transforming the City Region economy, it focuses on four areas – supporting growing businesses, developing a skilled workforce, increasing energy efficiency and improving the region’s infrastructure.

For further information about business support and funding schemes run through the LEP, visit the-lep.com, e-mail businessgrowth@the-lep.com or call 0113 348 1818.