The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has announced the first allocation of funding through the £2m Superfast Cornwall Fund.

The project aims to help companies grow their business and create new jobs by maximising the use of superfast broadband.

Doble Quality Foods will use their funding for a £6,000 project to provide an interface between their own software and the preferred online ordering system for the further education sector, in Cornwall and beyond. The funding will help create three new jobs and will put the company in a better position to secure more business and promote themselves as a technologically capable supplier.

Chris Pomfret, Chair of the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership said “Superfast broadband is a great opportunity for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, giving us a competitive advantage over other areas, but what’s really important is that businesses utilise it to its full potential.

The first investment of this fund is really good news, but we would like to encourage more companies to submit an application and harness the opportunities superfast broadband offers their business.”

Ian Doble, Managing Director of Doble Quality Foods, said “We are very excited to be the first recipient of this funding; we will use it as part of our growth strategy to build on our existing client base within the education sector.”

Doble Quality Foods is one of Cornwall's leading and rapidly growing independent wholesale distributors of frozen, chilled and ambient foods. Customers include local pubs, hotels and visitor attractions as well as workplace catering, schools, colleges, hospitals and the care sector.

Chris Ridgers. Cornwall Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy & Regeneration said: “Superfast broadband creates the potential for any business, irrespective of its size or business sector, to widen and strengthen its relationships with its current and future customers.

"Access to superfast broadband aligned to changes in business practices, as available in the Business Boost programme, create meaningful opportunities for business success.”

The Superfast Cornwall Fund is part ‘Business Boost’, the £17m suite of investment funds announced in May of this year by the LEP and delivered by Cornwall Development Company.

"The Fund can be used by any business in any sector to maximise the use of superfast broadband, leading to job creation.

"Projects could include taking advantage of e-commerce and cloud computing, video conferencing or installing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), which provides communication services using the internet rather than the telephone network.

To find out more go to www.cornwalldevelopmentcompany.co.uk/sfc