Nearly 800 Nottinghamshire businesses have already benefitted from free support to improve their energy efficiencies and growth, thanks to the Accelerator project.
The project, which started last autumn and which is funded by UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, is already making a tangible difference to businesses across the county. So far, 795 businesses have received an hour or more of business adviser support which guides them in accessing the most appropriate support, whether it be the raft of initiatives that make up the Accelerator project, or local authority or national grant funding.
A total of 65% of businesses supported so far are based in urban areas with the remainder in rural areas. Some 46 businesses have tapped into growth vouchers of up to £2,000 towards specialist training or consultancy advice and the same number have taken advantage of fully subsidised energy audits.
Of the grants so far awarded to participating businesses, it is anticipated that 73 jobs will be created or safeguarded as a result of this support.
East Midlands Chamber Deputy Chief Executive Diane Beresford said: “Accelerator is such a diverse programme. It offers business growth workshops, decarbonisation support and premises audits. There are dedicated forum meetings for manufacturers via the East Midlands Manufacturing Network and access to innovation and technology experts plus funding as part of the Made Smarter and Innovate UK Business Growth programmes.
“I truly believe Accelerator offers something for every business, regardless of size. We often think of grant funding being the catalyst for growth, and that is certainly the case, but an energy audit carried out by an expert can also make a sizeable difference to cost reduction. The fresh pair of eyes too from a business adviser too can identify valuable opportunities that those fully absorbed in the business might otherwise miss.”
Nottinghamshire County Councillor, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Asset Management Keith Girling said: “Small and medium sized businesses are at the heart of our local economy and so it’s great to hear how successful this scheme has been. Ultimately it is helping businesses save money by paying less on energy bills. As a county council we are always keen to help local businesses and their supply chain as much as we can by spending money locally.
“We also offer a free, independent advice for those businesses just starting up or expanding. To complement the Accelerator programme, our expert business advisers can be booked for a one-to-one chat plus we have local business surgeries happening around the county.”
Nottinghamshire businesses benefitting from Accelerator support so far include:
A business diagnostic with East Midlands Chamber identified that the long-standing hair and beauty salon needed improvements to reduce its carbon footprint, reduce costs and improve energy efficiency.
The first step on this journey was for owner Tracy Wealthall to attend the Broxtowe Energy Grant Reduction Workshop and she later applied for and was successfully awarded an energy grant of just under £4,000 from Broxtowe Borough Council.
Glamour Hair and Beauty Owner Tracy Wealthall said: “The installation of a new Mitsubishi air conditioning cooler/heater system gives me confidence that we are using a product from a world-leading manufacturer, which ensures superior energy efficiency and will result in the reduction of negative environmental impact.
“The unit has a series of air filters which remove allergens, bacteria and dust, improving the air quality for customers and staff. The double-glazed front window has been a huge benefit to improving heat retention and reducing draughts when compared with the existing single-glazed window we had. Also, our new composite back door has improved heat retention and removes the penetration of damp issues caused by the previous door.
“The above not only improved the condition of the business for both staff and customers but reduced the carbon footprint as well. This will also reduce utility bills which will enable the business to grow and re-invest further in the future. My monthly bill from Eon has gone down by £150 since I received the grant!”
Tracy is continuing to work with Chamber Business Adviser Sonny Lakhani on further growth plans including seasonal promotion to boost footfall.
Working closely with Tybro’s Managing Director Mandy Tyler, Chamber Business Adviser David Smith has identified the right support to meet the challenging growth plans of this fourth-generation, high-quality precision engineering business. His introductions to key partners such as the University of Derby’s apprenticeship team and Made Smarter for automation advice & funding have been particularly important.
The injection of a Made Smarter grant will support the business to invest in new machinery, thereby helping to increase its manufacturing speed and efficiency. The end result will be an increase in capacity, a reduction in lead times and, ultimately, reduction in production cost.
An energy audit has also been commissioned and the business is looking forward to acting upon the findings to identify how it can take further steps to reduce its carbon footprint.
Tybro Managing Director Mandy Tyler said: “Our grant will help us increase our manufacturing capability. Our new machine has additional features that our current turning machines don’t, enabling us to undertake multiple operations in one setting rather than manufacturing on multiple machines.”
Facial Aesthetics and Skin Treatments Specialist Dr Bethany Rushworth sought support from the Accelerator project to help grow the reach of her non-surgical cosmetic and skin treatments business.
Renave Clinic’s Dr Bethany Rushworth said: “Chamber Business Adviser Alex Gardner helped me understand where the blockages were in the business. She gave us a bird’s eye view and we saw an immediate upturn in business. Within two weeks of my time with Alex, my turnover was six months ahead of target and my new client uptake was more than 25% ahead of where we planned to be. This gave me the confidence to expand sooner than anticipated.”
The business has since taken on larger premises to enhance the client experience as well as a new member of staff to help Dr Bethany Rushworth focus on more complex treatments.
Businesses interested in signing up for Nottinghamshire Accelerator can do so by selecting their local authority area and completing the Expression of Interest at: www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/accelerator.
