New project set to Propel marine SME’s forward in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
The Cornish marine industry is set to benefit from a new £771,682 project that will help small and medium marine businesses become more competitive and address issues preventing their growth.
Propel Cornwall will be holding a series of information sessions around the County over the next few weeks,so businesses can come along to see how the project will be able to benefit them.
The project will give mentoring and grant support to marine businesses to improve areas of their business activity, which may include: measuring and improving productivity, implementing new systems and products, improving marketing and digital knowledge and insights, increasing quality, improving supplier management, managing change, growing outputs and increasing staff and skills .
Sam Winters – Marine Innovation Mentor with Propel Cornwall said: “We’re excited to have this new opportunity to support Cornwall’s marine businesses. We will work closely with owner managers to identify which area(s) of their business are priority for improvement, then use our expertise to help them find solutions. If we need to purchase specialist help there is grant support available. This is an exciting new opportunity to help our marine businesses grow.”
Paul Wickes MBE – CEO of Cornwall Marine Network said: “As a County we are rightly proud of our marine heritage with our expertise and processes being adopted in many businesses around the globe and as a sector, we still continue to grow. Cornwall remains home to some of the most innovative, cutting edge and forward thinking marine businesses and this new project from CMN will provide services and expertise that ensure we maintain this momentum of growth to the benefit of the local marine sector and the wider Cornish economy”
There are more than 700 small and medium sized marine businesses in Cornwall who employ more than 10,000 people, generating £345 Million to the GDP of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Cornwall is home to 1 in 7 of the UK’s Marine sector business base. Economically they are very important to Cornwall’s economy.
Julian German, Cornwall Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy said: “Cornwall’s marine sector is hugely important and I’m really pleased we have secured this European investment to support growth and productivity. Propel Cornwall further enhances the sector as it follows the recent Marine Hub announcement which draws together Cornwall’s marine expertise.”
Propel Cornwall is an initiative by Cornwall Marine Network, a private not-for-profit company owned by marine businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The CMN staff team only exists to support improvements to the economic prosperity of their member businesses. Specialist support has been through marketing, skills and training and since 2005, has supported 3,000 people into jobs, including 1,200 new Apprenticeships through their subsidiary, the Cornwall Apprenticeship Agency. CMN is now the largest employer-owned marine cluster in the UK. Propel Cornwall is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
You can find out more (and register for one of the planned information days) at www.propelcornwall.co.uk or by following @propelcornwall
Notes to editor
Cornwall Marine Network is a not-for-profit membership organisation working with Cornwall’s vibrant marine industry. It supports more than 350 companies, helping the marine sector grow through specialist business support. Visit: www.cornwallmarine.net
Press Contact:
Sam Winters
Marine Innovation Mentor
Propel Cornwall
Tel : 01326 211382
Tel : 07957 448247
@propelcornwall
European Regional Development Fund
The project has been awarded £615,058 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for ERDF. Established by the European Union ERDF funds help 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