Universities ramp up support for SMEs

Universities across the Midlands are supporting SMEs in a variety of ways, from programmes to help businesses identify their skills and talent needs, to sector specific projects tasked with making business greener.

Nottingham Trent University’s Big House Elevator celebrates ten years

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) will launch the tenth instalment of its Big House Elevator workshop series, which will take place virtually in January 2021.

The recurring series features themed workshops designed to support small and medium enterprises within the creative and digital sectors in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Since 2017, the Elevator series has supported over 230 SMEs to review their business plans and models, as well as helping them to refresh key strategic areas such as marketing, sales and finance. Events have been made available online, through real-time interactive sessions on Microsoft Teams since March this year.

Read more here

University of Wolverhampton academic behind new Covid-19 process to help small businesses

Professor Peter Walton from the University of Wolverhampton has been instrumental in the creation of a new form which aims to provide support with debt for small and medium-sized enterprises during the current pandemic.

It is designed for use by companies whose businesses have been hit by Covid-19 and which need some time to get their businesses fully operational. It provides for a breathing space period followed by a delayed payment of the company’s debts and will hopefully help save jobs.

Read more here

Climate friendly project at the University of Wolverhampton supports six new enterprises

The University of Wolverhampton’s Built Environment Climate Change Innovations (BECCI) project has launched its new Innovation Incubator programme with the aim of supporting climate friendly business ideas.

The UK government funded incubator programme is designed to support and nurture the development of new ideas and new enterprises using low carbon innovation, delivering a step change in the sustainability of the built environment with a primary focus on climate change and buildings.

The programme supports early-stage entrepreneurs, providing them with the skills, mentoring and networking opportunities to turn their ideas into viable businesses.

Read more here

Barclays partner with the University of Lincoln and launch the Eagle Lab Farm

Barclays is launching a new Eagle Lab Farm at the Riseholme campus to support the UK farming sector.

Opening this week, the Lab and the surrounding farm will offer entrepreneurs and researchers access to cutting-edge Agri-tech resources – to support farmers as they tackle ongoing challenges and help rural farming communities become leaders in applying technology to agriculture.

The partnership between Barclays and the University of Lincoln will support the UK farming sector to innovate, grow and thrive and become the most digitally enabled farming industry in the world.

Read more here

University of Derby collaborates on SME challenge to make rail freight transport cleaner and greener

A new challenge for SME businesses is being launched to help make transporting goods on the UK’s railways cleaner and greener.

The University of Derby, Rail Supply Group, Rail Forum Midlands and Tarmac are spearheading the challenge to identify Opportunities for Decarbonising Freight by inviting SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) to put forward ideas for solutions and find opportunities to work together.

Read more here

NTU High Level Skills programme supports local and diverse businesses

The High Level Skills (HLS) programme supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire with a package of free and subsidised support to help them identify their skills and talent needs, and benefit from graduate talent in the region.

As part of the programme delivery, they engage with a number of groups that are under-represented in business support programmes and this includes Black and BAME-led businesses.

Read more here

Academic partnerships at University of Wolverhampton could help with business recovery

The University of Wolverhampton is all set to share its management expertise via the Government’s Management Knowledge Transfer Partnership (mKTP) programme which could help businesses with their post-Covid recovery.

Like the highly successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme, a Management KTP will create a unique three-way partnership between a company, a team of experienced academics and a qualified graduate. The projects can last between 12 months to three years.

Read more here