Grant for new life science facility agreed

An enterprise partnership has announced a grant worth £6.5 million towards a new life sciences complex in Nottingham.

The grant will be added to support the project’s costs. The facility – worth £31 million – will create about 250 jobs in the short term in the life science sector and create another 700 jobs over a 30 year period.

David Ralph, Chief Executive for the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Life sciences have proved a boom sector in Nottingham over the last ten years and it needs room to grow. D2N2 is committed to aiding the growth of its key sectors, life sciences being one, and so we were happy to make this major investment in the plans put forward by our local authority partner, Nottingham City Council.”

The Nottingham City Council is planning to build the life science complex next to the BioCity Nottingham facility. It will provide 4740m2 of floor space and over five storeys mainly for new and recent start-up companies working in the life sciences and bio-sciences sector. The construction is expected to begin this summer and is due to be completed in spring 2017.

Councillor Jon Collins, Nottingham City Council Leader, added: “We are pleased that the Local Enterprise Partnership has approved this grant. It will ensure that that we can expand the BioCity complex, which is one of the most successful in the country. It will help create jobs, regenerate the east side of the city, and keep Nottingham at the forefront of life sciences’ research and development.”