Building a resilient enterprise culture to drive long-term economic growth.
Healthy growth and productivity improvements are the lifeblood of a successful economy. Growing companies means more jobs, more revenue to the exchequer and a virtuous cycle of investment, whilst for workers a better standard of living and improved life chances are the clear rewards.
But there can be many obstacles to growth. Whilst government and international bodies control the economic and legislative levers at the macro-level, there's still much that can done at the local level to create resilient business environments. Providing access to finance, addressing lack of know-how in key areas, bolstering weak networks, tackling supply-side fragmentation, sharing best practice, better connecting employers and employees, investing in efficient premises…the list goes on.
Since Ngage launched 20 years ago, we've delivered many high value programmes which invest in innovation and tackle the roadblocks to success.
The Growth Programme is a cornerstone of the support we provide at Ngage. Through the delivery of Growth Grants and Growth Advice, more than 600 businesses received bespoke support, with 98% taking action towards growing their business and 77% of participants increasing their turnover as a result of the programme. This resulted in a collective increase in forecasted turnover of £43 million and in forecasted GVA of £15 million. The Growth Programme was found to have “again delivered beyond its original remit” according to independent evaluators, despite much of the programme delivery taking place during the pandemic, proving growth is still possible in tough times.
In association with DEFRA and local action groups, we have rolled out the LEADER Programme in The Chilterns, Clay Vales, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire making a £9m+ match-funded investment into the rural economy, supporting forestry, farming, tourism and heritage businesses.
Programmes like Get Online-Trade Online (Go-To) incentivised small businesses in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to develop their web presence and take advantage of social media. Signature helped fragmented European security clusters to come together to share expertise and boost their international trade. Bidding For Gold engaged with the notoriously hard to reach construction sector, helping to set up a consortium of UK SME businesses to address the skills shortages which had stopped them previously bidding for larger contracts. MD Ngage and Peer Networks provide peer learning to enhance and develop skills, giving participants invaluable opportunities to share experience and ideas. We also provided Business Link services for nine years, helping over 26,500 enterprises and entrepreneurs.
Our programmes continue to make a big difference in the local communities we serve. By encouraging businesses to keep innovating, raising standards, overcoming inefficiencies and telling the world about their offer, Ngage wants to bring the benefits of growth and improved productivity to all.
The Growth Programme has a proven track record of helping organisations become more resilient, more prosperous, and more innovative. We've seen first-hand how support can make a significant impact on business growth.
"Bucks LEP and Ngage worked closely to establish a solid framework for the Buckinghamshire Recovery and Investment Fund. Three years on from this investment, the long-term benefits can be clearly seen in terms of jobs growth, innovation and the development of new products and services.
"The team’s professionalism, enthusiasm and commitment shine through even when given a tough brief or tight timescale. I appreciate how they often challenge the initial proposals, invariably leading to a better outcome."
"The Growth Programme has again delivered beyond its original remit. These achievements are particularly notable in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and associated restrictions. Of the 36 months delivery period, 16 were heavily impacted by the pandemic.
"The programme team were able to continue delivering the Growth Programme whilst simultaneously handling a large volume of enquiries from SMEs with little additional resource, plus managing and delivering 116 Restart Grants.”
“Ngage has delivered an excellent result for the LEADER programme in the Chilterns AONB. The team have been enthusiastic, professional, and empathetic, working in partnership with the Local Action Group and managing the relationship with Defra and the Rural Payments Agency. Financial monitoring has been exemplary, as have the opportunities to obtain additional grant money.” - Geoffrey Adams, Chiltern LAG Member
“Ngage already had a strong reputation for promoting and supporting business in Buckinghamshire and this reputation provided us with a sound foundation.” - David Campbell OBE, Chair, Aylesbury Vale LAG/Clay Vales LAG
With the help of a £26,800 Leader grant, Farrington Oils were able to improve the quality of their land by adopting a minimum tillage approach over traditional intensive cultivations, increasing the soil organic matter by 66%.
They have also seen sustainable growth in the business, with an increase in income, productivity and employment, far exceeding their growth expectations for the year.
"The benefits could be enormous; it has been estimated that agriculture could reduce global CO2 emissions by between 10% and 30%."
“As a result of the Get Online, Trade Online (GO-TO) voucher, we have increased our understanding of social media and have raised our profile worldwide.”
The Visit Buckinghamshire: Boost project supported the recovery of the hospitality, leisure and tourism sectors in Buckinghamshire during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was achieved by helping businesses and their employees through several key areas of activity:
Community Renewal Fund, HM Government and Buckinghamshire Council
Despite the challenging circumstances in which the programme was delivered, the programme successfully met almost all of its targets and over-delivered on several key outcomes, while we were able to reach and support some businesses that had not received business support before.
Key support outcomes:
The Visit Buckinghamshire: Boost project was delivered and branded under 5 key areas:
A successful marketing campaign enabled us to get the attention of businesses in the target sector, with social media activity, email campaigns, podcasts, local radio features, and magazine advertising among the activity.
Attracting individuals such as Simon Calder (journalist and broadcaster) and Juliet Kinsman (travel writer, sustainability expert and broadcaster) to the initial launch event helped to raise the profile of the programme.
The creation of the online Net Zero Collaboration Circle for businesses in Buckinghamshire was well-received and will prove useful moving forwards in our aim of creating a net zero Buckinghamshire economy. The Collaboration Circle was developed to facilitate discussions amongst businesses with a shared ambition to reach net zero. The group, which is growing all the time and currently includes over 80 businesses, is used to pool knowledge, resources, and ideas. On the same theme, a net zero-focused episode of our Talking Heads podcast explained clearly and concisely how businesses can measure and reduce their carbon emissions and what support is available to help them do it.
Thanks to work carried out for the programme, new guidance designed by experts in accessibility and inclusive practice is now available for businesses on the Visit Buckinghamshire website. The guides, developed in collaboration with Buckinghamshire Disability Service (BuDS), help businesses become more confident about providing services to disabled people and their family and friends. Complementing this guidance is the new Accessibility Hub, also on the Visit Buckinghamshire website, which provides visitors to Buckinghamshire with an easy way to identify the accessible destinations in the county, along with inspiration and ideas about places to stay, eat and visit.
Among the events delivered throughout the course of the programme was a Talent Showcase which brought together Bucks College Group students and local and national employers in the tourism, hospitality and leisure sector. Businesses were also provided with support in their attempts to diversify and innovate through a series of workshops that were followed up with 1-2-1 advice.
Over six years, the Growth Programme has become the cornerstone of the business support landscape in Buckinghamshire.
In providing the stimulus for economic growth in a way that is aligned with the governments strategy to remove barriers and deliver sustainable economic growth, the support has created employment, enabled exciting innovations, greatly boosted business turnover, and increased the GVA of the local economy.
By delivering tangible results for businesses and contributing to overall economic development, the Growth Programme plays a crucial role in driving success and prosperity wherever support is needed.
Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities/ERDF
By June 2023, the Growth Programme will have supported approximately 625 businesses and delivered 116 Covid Restart Grants. This includes businesses from deprived wards, female-owned businesses, and businesses run by people from ethnic backgrounds.
Highlights of the support outcomes:
Enhancing the support provision already provided by Buckinghamshire Business First, the Growth Programme delivers either grants (£1,000-£5,000) or bespoke one-to-one business advice, access to exclusive masterclasses and peer-to-peer sessions to local SMEs with growth potential.
This includes the expertise of Growth Advisers who assist business leaders in building confidence and acquiring new skills in areas such as finance, digital marketing and strategic planning. Furthermore, the programme encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing through peer-to-peer support, recognising the value of learning from and supporting fellow business leaders.
Specialised LEAN workshops for manufacturers provided tailored guidance to ensure optimal efficiency throughout businesses’ work protocols.
Those running the programme continuously listen to, adapt to and reflect the needs of business owners, proven by the impressive outcomes and high satisfaction ratings (91% satisfied with the outcome; 93% satisfied with the service; 88% likely to recommend the support).
An independent evaluation report found that participants in the Growth Programme would value further support from the programme in order to continue their development. With over 31,000 businesses in Buckinghamshire, of which 91% are micro businesses who are shown to be the main recipients of this support, there are clearly many other businesses that would benefit from the Growth Programme or similar support in the future.
With the ending of European funding, the continuity of an alternative high intensity support programme is key to the economic growth of small businesses in Buckinghamshire. This economically vital support should be continued seamlessly so that local businesses can continue to thrive and grow.
25 businesses supported · From its first inception in 2017, the MD Ngage programme is now in it’s fourth year of delivering peer-to-peer networking and support for business leaders with growth ambitions. The surveys undertaken after each event have shown that 93.67% of members rated MD Ngage ‘Excellent’ overall up to the end of March 2021.
The full benefit of being a member of the MD Ngage group was demonstrated as participants regularly connected between meetings, using their expertise to support other members of the group. WhatsApp groups that were in place for both groups became extremely valuable tools as members offered their support to their peers within their field of expertise e.g. solicitors, accountants, commercial property agents were able to quickly interpret messages coming out through government and offer support on questions raised.
To add a further level of support during COVID-19, the group Chair held additional weekly online ‘check-in’ sessions with the group which were reported to be extremely valuable during the fast-changing climate.
During the 2020/21 programme we have allowed members to invite guests from their business to the speaker sessions. This has enabled the intelligence gained to be shared with another member of the business, allowing further discussion after the event and possible implementation within the organisation.
The allocation of 120 grants of between £1000-£3000 to businesses with a minimum turnover of £50,000. These grants funded activity as a direct response to the impact of COVID-19. Activity included; accessing specialist consultancy or professional advice, the purchase of minor equipment or technology, adapting existing technology in order to continue to deliver business activity, diversification.
MHCLG
116 businesses supported · £307,369 grants delivered · 76 jobs created · 89 new products/services created
Peer Networks is a national peer-to-peer networking programme for SME leaders that want to grow and develop their organisation for future success, enabling them to make connections that go far beyond networking.
BEIS
110 businesses supported · 84 jobs created · 36 new products/services created
We created diverse cohort groups of individuals to collaboratively work through common business issues through a series of virtual high impact group sessions, with a trained facilitator.
The Visit Buckinghamshire Business Advisory Service (VBAS) was a project funded by HS2 through Groundwork to support businesses, including those in the supply chains of affected retail and tourism businesses, that face disruption from the construction of HS2.
HS2
254 business supported · 55 jobs created whilst safeguarding an additional 233 · £568,945 grants delivered
“This diversification is crucial to our growth plans and so the support I received from VBAS that helped me upskill and focus on being a manager was really important. Without this time for me to spend focusing on growth, it will be harder to achieve.
It’s businesses like mine that are ‘doing the doing’ and propelling the economy. If the new campsite comes off, it can create more jobs at the farm and increase visitors to the local area, something that benefits all local businesses and attractions.”
Velocity provides small and medium sized businesses in Aylesbury Vale with a platform for growth. Offering a mixture of business advice and support, workshops, revenue and capital grants and help with accessing finance and investment.
SEMLEP, ERDF
190 businesses supported · £74,882 grants awarded · 27 jobs created · 8 new products or services created
Velocity Growth revenue grants (£1,000-£10,000) funded up to a maximum of 33% of the total price of the goods or services. This type of grant supported specialist consultancy, projects, goods and services related to increasing sales, improving productivity and profitability and improving business processes. Grants were also awarded to support market research, website design, re-branding, marketing collateral, customer relationship management software and recruitment for hard-to-fill posts. The amounts awarded were based on a maximum of £5,000 for each job that was created by the project.
Maximum Velocity capital grants (£5,000 to £50,000) funded up to a maximum of 25% of the total price. Project funded had to facilitate growth and create jobs, such as plant equipment, new machinery, and an extension to land or premises. The amounts awarded were based on grants of £5,000 for each job that was created by the project.
“We had decided that 2015 would be our year for accelerated growth and in order to achieve our objectives we had to get our products in front of more retailers and consumers. We had identified eight large trade and consumer events that we wanted to attend but the cost of entry was close to £20,000. Because of this, Buckinghamshire Business First thought we would be an ideal candidate for Velocity Grant funding and after applying for the grant we were able to offset £6,630 of the costs of the events, meaning we achieved a full programme of Event Marketing through 2015.
In 2015 we intend to employ two extra full-time equivalent staff to meet the demand and wider availability of our products, generated in part by attendance at these premier events.
The application process was simple and probably involved no more than 6 hours work. Buckinghamshire Business First were on hand to advise me and help shape the application in order to ensure that it met the criteria. Once the application was entered, it was quickly approved.
I would recommend any SME to look at the Velocity Grant scheme and apply; there are no difficult hoops to jump through and it can only benefit a growing business like Ugg Foods.”
Project funding for farmers, foresters, small rural businesses and community groups based in the Chilterns area of Buckinghamshire. Grants up to €200,000 were available between 2015-20 to support projects that created jobs, helped businesses to grow and benefited the rural economy.
Rural Development Programme England (RDPE); Department for the Environment, Food and Public Affairs (DEFRA); EU
46 businesses supported · £1.6m grants awarded · leveraged additional £2m in private sector investment · 55.5 jobs created
The Chilterns LEADER area broadly followed the outline of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), one of the most heavily visited landscapes in the UK with 55 million leisure visits a year. The fund aimed to enhance farm productivity, support small and medium size businesses and farm diversification projects, strengthen rural tourism, culture and heritage, and forestry productivity.
Projects had to be environmentally and economically sustainable and support at least one of the following themes:
Website: https://www.leader-programme.org.uk/
"Ngage has impressed me with the professionalism and empathy that the staff have applied to projects. They have been enthusiastic and successfully encouraged many excellent applications through to fruition. Preparation and monitoring of the budgets has been exemplary and opportunities for obtaining additional grant money have been sought and been successful. The relationship with the Local Action Group has been excellent drawing on the members’ experience and, at the same time ensuring they were fully informed and guiding them so as to ensure that the actions supported complied with the relevant regulations. The project leaders maintained an effective relationship with Defra and the Rural Payments Agency.
All in all, Ngage has delivered an excellent result for the LEADER Programme in the Chiltern Hills AONB."
Project funding for farmers, foresters, small rural businesses and community groups based in Aylesbury Vale, rural Milton Keynes and South Northamptonshire. Grants up to €200,000 were available between 2015-20 to support projects that created jobs, helped businesses to grow and benefited the rural economy.
Rural Development Programme England (RDPE); Department for the Environment, Food and Public Affairs (DEFRA); EU
56 businesses supported · £1.7m grants awarded · Leveraged £3.2m in private sector match-funding · 69.2 jobs created · 56 new products/services
The Clay Vales LEADER fund aimed to help establish a thriving local rural economy underpinned by a strong tourism offer, high- quality local food businesses and enhanced agricultural and forestry productivity.
Projects had to be environmentally and economically sustainable and support at least one of the following themes:
Website: https://www.leader-programme.org.uk/
"LEADER offered the opportunity to me to support local farmers and community groups many of whom were much in need of assistance, and it was refreshing to me to be involved again in local grass-roots development.
The presence of a strong accountable body was very reassuring. We worked with Ngage to secure the programme contracts and employ staff. Then, of course, Ngage provided the financial management of the programmes. Without this support we would have had many difficulties particularly as we were all volunteers with strictly limited free time. Ngage also related direct to RDPE."
Project funding for farmers, foresters, small rural businesses and community groups based in the North and West areas of Northamptonshire. Grants up to €200,000 were available between 2015-20 to support projects that created jobs, helped businesses to grow and benefited the rural economy.
Rural Development Programme England (RDPE); Department for the Environment, Food and Public Affairs (DEFRA); EU
46 businesses supported including 12 start-ups · £1.6m grants awarded · Leveraged additional £2.65m in private sector investment · 53.2 jobs created · 46 new products/services
The North & West Northamptonshire LEADER programme aimed to promote the sustainable economic growth of businesses throughout its area, particularly micro and small businesses. It particularly focused on rural areas reflecting the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the county such as Rockingham Forest, the Nene Valley, and the inland-waterways network; whilst empowering rural communities to be more resilient.
Website: https://www.leader-programme.org.uk/
A voucher scheme helping micro businesses in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to capitalise on digital opportunities and increase their on-line trading presence.
Small Business Digital Capability Challenge Fund; Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS); Buckinghamshire Thames Valley and Oxfordshire LEPs
375 grants delivered worth £56,250 · 466 businesses engaged
Part of a national government campaign to raise digital capability in hard-to-reach small businesses, Ngage designed its roll out around a voucher model to harness the marketing potential of suppliers and partners and achieve the widest possible market reach. Utilising the well-respected Buckinghamshire Business First brand, social networks, an effective multi-media campaign, and the pre-identified potential customers of digital suppliers, each £150 grant leveraged a minimum net £500 spend.
The GO-TO vouchers contributed towards the cost of building websites, taking payments online, social media marketing, staff training and addressing process inefficiencies.
“As a result of GO-TO we have increased our understanding of social media and have raised our profile worldwide.”
LEADER was a source of funding for farmers, foresters, small rural businesses and community groups to enable them to strengthen their support for the local economy. Grants of up to €200,000 were available. Ngage delivered two programmes in the South East between 2008 - 2012.
Rural Development Programme England (RDPE); Department for the Environment, Food and Public Affairs (DEFRA)
107 businesses and 124 projects funded • 117 jobs created • 206 jobs safeguarded • 39 new businesses launched · £3m grants awarded
Projects had to be both environmentally and economically sustainable and had to support at least one of the following themes: Farming, food and woodland; improving farm economics; developing environmentally sustainable tourism; conserving environmental and cultural heritage; meeting the challenges and opportunities of climate change; community development.
Examples of projects financed included a new community bus service, a village shop, a cycle path, new premises for an apiary, a farm cutting room, purchase of a log-splitter for a forester, wood chip machinery, and the set-up of a new farmers market.
Website: https://www.leader-programme.org.uk/
The European Security Innovation Network aimed to increase Europe’s security and global competitiveness by integrating European security sector clusters into a leading European security network. It addressed the fragmented supply side of the market.
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); INTERREG IVB NWE programme
Created an online directory and marketplace for the NW Europe Security Sector • Established a shared classification of organisations • Set up a multi-regional network of security experts • Built toolkit for SMEs to participate in transnational cooperation • 6 Security Transnational Interest Groups (STIGs) • 190 people attended transnational events
The European Security Innovation Network was set up to facilitate collaboration between companies and experts in different areas of security in the UK, France, Belgium and Germany. In a series of interactive workshops, security experts were challenged with current and future potential threats. For the first time, these activities focused on a converging landscape and cross state borders. Some results led to the development of new research & development programs or joint development activities between companies and experts. Other outcomes were shared amongst the enterprise and SME markets throughout the region.
Formerly the primary route to publicly-funded business support in England, Business Link was a crucial part of the government’s drive to promote enterprise and growth. Ngage provided Business Link services to Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes for 9 years on behalf of the SE England Development Agency.
South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)
Supported over 26,500 businesses and entrepreneurs · Achieved a 92% customer satisfaction rating from service users · 1,071 start-ups launched
Ngage pioneered the development of the Information Diagnosis Brokerage (IDB) model of business support and were the first to introduce a number of IDB innovations. These innovations are now enshrined in mainstream business support philosophies.
For example, we were the first Business Link to employ dedicated Partnership Managers and to develop a Supplier Matching Service.
While the 2012 London Olympics was good news for British sport, for the UK construction industry there was a problem – a shortage of SME businesses with the skills to bid for larger building contracts. This project opened the doors of opportunity to firms in the South East.
Learning and Skills Council (LSC); European Union Social Fund (ESF)
130 companies engaged • 100+ companies attended Bidding for Gold events • 25 companies agreed to work as members of a flexible consortium
The construction sector is notoriously difficult to reach and engage with. However, by providing a quality offer, utilising networks and supply chains, and the combined power of social media and word of mouth, Ngage was able to connect with a wide selection of construction sector SMEs from across the South East. A series of Bidding For Gold events were organised were opportunities were presented, and the bidding process explained. To meet minimum size criteria a group of 25 companies formed a consortium to combine their strengths and capacity into a compelling supply-side offer.
One-year project providing funded access to industry-leading management development and business growth methodologies to small companies with less than 50 employees in the South East of England.
South East England Development Agency (SEEDA); European Union Social Fund (ESF)
69 businesses supported of which 60 developed robust new growth strategies meeting the challenge to achieve growth in 12 months · Workshops and one-to-one training with delivery partners
The challenge for Ngage was to establish a partnership-based delivery model that enabled the different organisations involved to work as an effective project team. A strong partnership ethos was adopted emphasizing common organizational values of innovation, continual improvement, and building trust through shared commitment to increasing human capital. Supporting partners needed to identify potential candidate companies and refer them on to the programme, while Ngage carried out targeted marketing to identified groups.
A programme offering ICT solutions to SMEs in Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire in order to promote the adoption of digital technologies and create a more competitive business community.
South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)
Free seminars on the business benefits of broadband organised across the region • 220 businesses engaged • 278 grants awarded to encourage broadband take-up including 220 Broadband Exploitation grants for existing users and 20 Connectivity grants for new users • 38 Specialist technical grants.
The Broadband Partnerships promoted the use and exploitation of ICT to help businesses achieve greater productivity, review and refine business processes, enable flexible working practices and increase competitiveness within the UK and global markets. A series of free seminars were organised across the region explaining the business benefits of broadband. And grants to incentivise take-up of broadband services were awarded including Exploitation grants (£250) for businesses looking to improve their broadband usage; Connectivity grants (£150) for businesses connecting to broadband for the first time; and specialist technical grants were awarded to businesses requiring more detailed technical guidance.
Recognising the impact that out-of-town shopping centres were having on small town independent retailers, RON conducted a study of 10 towns in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes and launched a suite of support and training to help them fight back.
South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)
Developed town centre assessment plans for 10 towns · Ran free workshops and mentoring for shop owners • Helped form retail associations in 7 towns • 130 businesses engaged · Mystery shoppers sent to 150 shops • 50 referrals to the local Skills Advice Service
The RON initiative was designed to help embattled retailers by giving them the support they needed to attract customers back to the High Street. It was later extended to include Bletchley in Milton Keynes (ROB value £9,982).
Harnessing the power of collaboration, The Manufacturing Consortium built a self-funded network of SME manufacturers in Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, to support growth and encourage profitable inter-working amongst its members.
The European Union Social Fund (ESF); Learning and Skills Council (LSC)
Establishment of the Manufacturing Consortium as a self-funding network • 350 business supported · 12 network meetings with 72 attendees • 100 delegates undertook training of 3+ hours • 10 businesses undertook Utilities Analysis Projects • 240 businesses attended 4 best practice events
Acting as a voice for members, the Manufacturing Consortium addressed issues at both a national and local level and raised the profile of Manufacturing in Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The Consortium offered guidance and expertise on new and existing initiatives within the industry and worked to improve skills identified within each sector.
Addressing the lack of provision for business support to the BME sector (black, minority and ethnic) in the High Wycombe district, Ngage worked with the Asian Business Council to offer business advice and training to businesses and micro SMEs as well as unemployed, hard to reach individuals.
European Union Social Fun (ESF)
275 businesses supported · 123 companies completed Organisational Needs Analysis (ONAs) • 125 individuals completed Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) • 105 ONAs and 125 ILPs were reviewed at least once • 70 employed and 55 unemployed beneficiaries completed training identified in the ILPs • 55 further beneficiaries were assisted
The need for the project arose due to the demise of the Ethnic Chamber of Commerce in the Thames Valley region, which had left a gap in BME business support provision.
Activities included start-up advice, business development support, workforce development and training, export advice and mentoring. The project employed one part-time business adviser who worked with the Asian Business Council, and another adviser who worked in the Milton Keynes area.
An exciting enterprise project which encouraged young entrepreneurs to develop new business concepts and pitch them to a panel of investors.
South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)
120 entrepreneurs (aged 14-30) engaged · 30 participated in Investment Readiness workshops · 6 pitched for investment funding · 3 were selected for investment, plus 2 more earlier participants · £1.6m investment secured · 4 new products launched
The programme was designed to mentor young entrepreneurial individuals to the point where they were an attractive proposition to outside investment capital. It consisted of a number of half-day workshops run in conjunction with many of the main partners forming the MKOB Education Business Link.
Bespoke business advice to the creative industries sector based in and around Milton Keynes.
European Union Social Fund (ESF); Arts Council England; NatWest; Aylesbury Vale District Council; Milton Keynes Council; Soundsorb; Bucks Economic Partnership; Wycombe District Council; Aylesbury Vale Advantage and Milton Keynes Learning Partnership
32 workshops and events for pre–start and early-stage businesses facilitated by 25 inspirational role models · 397 attended • 856 individuals completed the individual training needs analysis • 217 supported with one-to-one advice and counselling • Creation of training diagnostic tools and a project progression map
Start was delivered through a series of workshops, seminars and events. A peer mentoring programme was developed and opportunities for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) were also available. A series of small-scale events, to promote enterprise creation, were delivered to excluded communities, under-represented and disadvantaged groups in the Milton Keynes area.
Reflecting the importance of training for SMEs to help them survive and thrive, the project aimed to increase their competitiveness through the development and provision of a range of learning and personal support.
The European Union Social Fund (ESF); Learning and Skills Council (LSC)
667 businesses supported · Developed a diagnostic tool kit for assessing learning needs • 167 beneficiaries achieved units towards NVQ levels 1 – 5 • 500 people participated in short courses on business competitiveness • An interim and final evaluation report and sustainability plan
The first step was to review how work-based learning could support these businesses and make them more competitive. Once this was ascertained, a range of short courses was developed along with innovative delivery methods. This included the development and use of a unique diagnostic tool kit, to help assess learning needs.