MANY businesses with aspirations to grow don’t necessarily know what they need to do to achieve the growth they are seeking.
Having started with great ideas and boundless enthusiasm, they often start to struggle as the business progresses and the founders often do not appreciate how they could actually benefit from external expertise.
By contacting the Growth Hub an aspiring business can expect to receive information and guidance from an experienced adviser and, where appropriate, a referral to an external provider for more detailed assistance.
For example, the team of Growth Hub advisers who are based in the University of Northampton Innovation Centre, work with start-up clients to develop effective business plans and research possible sources of funding
Another area of available help is the Northamptonshire Marketplace. This is an online database of external service providers, covering all key areas of business support. Although the online facility is normally a chargeable service, the Northamptonshire Growth Hub, in collaboration with Enterprise Nation, is offering its clients a free six-month subscription for local consultants and advisers as well as new clients who are looking to search for help from external service providers.
Access to Finance is often a key requirement in any businesses growth plan. The Growth Hub currently administers two major projects which are part funded by the European Regional Development Fund:
Ready2Grow offers comprehensive support in Northamptonshire to growing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and for any individual with the capability and aspiration to start and grow a new business.
Innovate Northamptonshire, the second of our EU funded projects, is designed to help SMEs to unlock potential through innovation by promoting collaboration between established Northamptonshire businesses and research expertise anywhere in the UK.
The Northamptonshire Growth Hub was established in November 2013 to fulfil an obvious need for business support for SMEs in the county and in that time has helped over 3,500 businesses since it opened. It is based in the centre of Northampton in the Innovation Centre – a state-of-the art facility offering office space and meeting facilities. The Northamptonshire Growth Hub handles over 500 calls per quarter, 70 per cent of which are established businesses but with a significant portion from pre-start and start-up enterprises.
To enquire about assistance for your business call 01604 212696 or email
European Regional Development Fund
The project is receiving up to £1,431,974 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund
Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.
