Newquay Business Improvement District has been successful with its application for £7,545 of funding to launch the Love Newquay Digital Project.

The application to Cornwall Development Company for European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has been approved to launch the new website, app and integrated beacon system. The Love Newquay platform will be the first of its kind in England and will bring innovative and new technology to the forefront of the town experience. The system is being designed by Newquay based software developers Flowmoco, who successfully won the tender last year.

The platform itself will hold listings for all BID businesses, as well as surf & tide reports, event listings, blogs and historical/places of interest information. The beacon technology will allow users to receive direct communications and information to their mobiles/tablets, and will be an ‘essential resource’ for both locals and visitors to Newquay for information on the town, whether in Newquay or elsewhere!

The system will also provide visitor data, such as footfall and demographics, as well as mapping hotspots and highlighting the customers physical journey through the town. The project is due to launch in June and a marketing campaign will follow to encourage downloads of the app.

The platform will strengthen the Love Newquay brand which was created, and is being managed by the BID to promote Newquay as the ultimate seaside destination.

Gemma Taylor, BID Manager, said: ‘We are really excited about the project and its possibilities, and delighted that we have been able to secure this funding as it means we can maximise the potential for the platform and further benefit businesses.’

‘It is important that the BID continues to secure additional funding like this because it means that the money that Newquay businesses have invested into their town goes further and we can achieve a higher impact with our projects, and further support businesses.’

Work will now begin on developing the software, which will be rolled out in key phases. The platform itself will continue to grow and develop from launch, as there are multiple possibilities for the technology to expand and offer more for both users and businesses.