Multi-million-pound business start up programme set to create 1,000 new Cornish businesses
A multi-million-pound business start up programme dedicated to helping around 1,000 new businesses start in Cornwall before the end of 2018 has been launched.
The £7 million Breakthrough programme is the largest funded business start up programme ever to be launched in Cornwall, designed to support and enable people in the county to explore how to turn their business ideas into a solid, viable opportunity.
Delivered by business support specialists Oxford Innovation in partnership with Unlocking Potential, the ERDF-funded programme will act as a catalyst to support a diverse range of new Cornish businesses from micro and lifestyle through to innovative, high growth businesses with the potential to develop national and international markets.
Delivered through a series of regular, fully-funded, two-day workshops running throughout the county, Breakthrough’s unique programme provides a mix of one-to-one coaching for delegates with highly experienced business coaches and specialist mentors, follow on support, ongoing workshops and peer-to-peer support.
A series of evening and weekend courses will also be delivered through the programme with over 200 people having already signed up to Breakthrough.
“Securing this funding is absolutely fantastic news for Cornwall and the business support landscape here. The Breakthrough Programme is going to make a huge difference, providing a unique mix of dedicated help and support to budding entrepreneurs wanting to take their ideas and turn them into a reality,” said Sarah Wilkinson, Breakthrough Programme Manager, Oxford Innovation.
“The Breakthrough programme is not there to preach or tell people what they should be doing. Instead, it has been designed to cultivate natural capability by sharing knowledge and practical experience, instilling confidence to turn ideas into excellent new businesses, and facilitating and enabling that through a range of dedicated, tailored support,” she added.
Key to the Breakthrough programme are the team of highly experienced business coaches and development managers who between them have a wealth of skills and front line commercial experience built up at senior levels nationally and internationally across a diverse range of industry sectors.
This experience is used to provide invaluable one to one support for delegates on the programme both at the initial two-day programme and beyond.
According to Unlocking Potential Programme Director Allyson Glover, Breakthrough provides a springboard that is set to create thousands of new jobs and generate many millions of pounds in new revenue here in Cornwall.
“We believe that the lives of people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly can be transformed through this programme and Breakthrough is there to kick start a new generation of dynamic growth businesses in the county.
“We’ve got ambitious targets but already, we’ve seen some really fantastic commercial ideas and early stage businesses that clearly demonstrate how much potential and talent there is right here in Cornwall,” said Allyson.
“We’re delighted to be working with Oxford Innovation to deliver the Breakthrough programme and would encourage anyone who is running an early stage business or who has a business idea they want to develop and explore to get in touch to see how Breakthrough can support them,” she added.
Between them, Oxford Innovation and Unlocking Potential have helped hundreds of people in Cornwall launch and develop their businesses, creating over 3,000 new jobs and boosting the local economy by over £60 million.
For more information on the Breakthrough Programme visit www.breakthroughcornwall.co.uk or call Jen Ayres on 0845 600 3660.
ENDS November 2016
Potential on 0845 600 3660; graham.buckley@unlocking-potential.co.uk
For more information, images or interview opportunities contact Graham Buckley or in his absence Milly Knight – milly.knight@unlocking-potential.co.uk/0845 600 3660.
Notes to editors
European Regional Development Fund: The project is receiving up to £ 5,890,645 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 https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.