THE future is bright for two hi-tech companies which between them are almost £300,000 richer thanks to the Chamber of Commerce and Business Link.

Pulsar Process Measurement, in Malvern, and Q-Par Angus Ltd, in Leominster, have been awarded research and development grants totalling £284,000 through the Advantage West Midlands R&D scheme, delivered locally through the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber.

Now the firms can proceed with their plans to take their innovative projects to the next stage.

Pulsar Process Measurement was formed in 1997, and has grown rapidly to become a leading measurement instrument manufacturer, measuring and controlling the level and flow of substances ranging from water through to powder and rocks.

By taking a massive step forward in 'echo processing' technology, the company, based on the Enigma Business Park, has been able to address applications previously thought to be beyond the scope of non-contact measurement.

Keith Beard, managing director, said the 30-employee firm intended to use the £93,000 grant to "create new worldwide opportunities for the company.

Q-Par Angus, in Barons Cross, near Leominster, designs and manufactures antennas and complete systems across the radio frequency spectrum.

Nowadays, a high proportion of the 30-strong company's products are sold overseas and the firm will use the £191,000 grant to develop a small, high-resolution radar, which will have applications in environmental observations and homeland security.

Business Link West Mercia client account manager David Reid said the R&D awards were "fantastic news".

He said: "It has been particularly rewarding as major changes to the way the awards are delivered means the scheme is now administered on a competitive basis.

"So what this meant was that all the companies in the West Midlands who applied for grants went into the same pot and were judged against each other - and two of our members came up trumps."