Friday 8th April 2011 - Published by Robert Trigg - Communications Executive
Free Help is at Hand for NW Businesses
Businesses in the North West are being urged to seek out the free help and advice available to them.
The Lancaster University Management School has successfully completed the first year of a £3.8 million Innovation for Growth project – part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
The project still has two years to go and owner-managers of small to medium sized businesses in the area have been urged not to miss out on the crucial help available.
Around 300 firms could benefit from the free support available, which aims to boost management and innovation in order to develop better products, processes, and ultimately business growth.
The project gives local businesses the opportunity to utilise the University’s world-class research in entrepreneurship. Access to management school students and academics, as well as online resources will also be available.
Businesses can be supported for up to nine months. Other benefits also include customised action plans to address the specific needs of businesses, while the project also provides a network of like-minded businesses to share and mobilise resources.
The Lancaster University Management School has helped more than a thousand regional businesses in recent years.
Helen Fogg, project manager from Lancaster University Management School, said: “Innovation for Growth will drive sustainable innovation within 300 regional SMEs. The focus is predominantly on priority sectors, through the delivery of a tailored programme of in-depth knowledge exchange and support delivered by the Institute for Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development.”
She said companies participating in Innovation for Growth will get help creating and implementing growth plans and improving their business through practical, interactive management workshops.
Topics for this summer include; harnessing collaborative software and social media for innovation, developing a people and HR strategy, innovation through improved service design and managing the innovative family business.
More information is available at www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/ifg. Alternatively, you can call 01524 510 769.
Innovation for Growth - a pr2go story
