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Objective: to support projects that aim to accelerate the growth of business start ups and expansion that demonstrate an enterprising culture

Achievements

Involvement in the programme will present a range of opportunities to each participant and outcomes from this will include the following:
The establishment of a ‘knowledge pool’ to increase foresight of trends that will impact on core business activities and to facilitate a learning programme designed to make Lincolnshire companies robust and sustainable.
A Business Summit will be organised in partnership with Business Link and the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), and 6 Briefings Sessions convened around the County in conjunction with each District Authority,
A “membership network” for ‘co-producing’ knowledge, briefings and impact assessments of the downturn on the Lincolnshire economy, sharing intelligence on economic trends & outlooks that might impact on core business.
Action learning sessions on creating a robust future for my business including:
Developing models of resilience;
Ideas for managing the business in uncertainly - agility, sustainability, evaluating change; sharing intelligence;
Action planning - testing options & robustness; consolidation in practice; sharing intelligence.
Assigning specialists from the ‘knowledge pool’ to work alongside business providing additional resource and expertise to work on the actions needed for a desired future. This would be typically up to 30 hours with each company over a six month period.
Supporting member businesses in the implementation of the robust future plan, facilitating the access to:
Other appropriate sources of assistance such as Manufacturing Advisory Service, High Growth programme and Grant for Research and Development.
Follow up and aftercare for participating firms which will be web based and face to face with the specialist.

Project contact

Project Contacts:

Contact Name: Paul Parkinson
Position: Robust Futures Project Leader
Tel: 01522 886274 (Office)
Email:pparkinson@lincoln.ac.uk
Address: Faculty of Business & Law, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln. LN6 7TS.

Innovation Advice and Guidance

The project will be delivered by the University of Lincoln and will work with SME’s in all sectors on a countywide basis.

Project aims:

The primary aim of the project will be to provide business research and action learning support to forward thinking companies in Lincolnshire to inform, advise and facilitate the development of robust future plans in response to the economic downturn.

These companies will be existing, established Lincolnshire trading companies that meet the EU definition of an SME, but not micro or start-ups, from any sector which offers the potential to respond to the current circumstances, including, but not limited to, local “target” sectors, such as food and drink, construction, creative and media.

Participants will be targeted through a relationship marketing strategy centering on the interactions of the key partners – Lincoln Business School (LBS), Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) and Lincolnshire Enterprise (LE) (now known as Enterprise Development Team, LCC) with:

· Professional advisers, accountants, law practices and banks.

· Business Links & Enterprise Agencies

· Innovation hubs and clusters

· Corporate organizations with strategic supply chains and networks

· Business Champions, Business Incubators, EMIN and Innovation Centres.

The impact of the engagement of specialist expertise will be to ensure that considerable resources of the University, its Associates and key stakeholders are made accessible throughout the county to increase the resilience of SME’s across the region to respond to the economic downturn.

The project is designed to assist firms to survive the downturn, to plan a robust future for their development, and to contribute to the sustainability and increase in competitive advantage across the region.

Typical impacts being:

· Increased employment rates, business growth and expansion.

· Enhanced value- added of business activity through innovation and productivity gains.

· Relocation/improvement of premises

· Wider employer engagement in leadership, training and development.

The knowledge exchanged through the project and intervention of the University staff and associates will enable businesses to better progress their strategic planning and access investment finance for their future.

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