Small and medium-sized businesses in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire will be able to access free research, innovation, and productivity support as a result of a new £4.6m project being run by the University of Nottingham.
£2.3m funding is being awarded to the University via the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), using funds secured by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with an additional £2.3m being invested in the project by the University.
D2N2 Support
The funding call the University of Nottingham was successful in applying for focuses on promoting research and innovation and was recommended by the D2N2 European Structural & Investment Funds Committee in November 2019.
The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership is the private sector-led partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community and voluntary services which promote economic growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Its work is partly funded by a European Union allocation of around €250million in European Structural and Investment Funds (or ESIF). This is made up of the European Social Fund (ESF), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) funding streams.
Driving Research & Innovation
Driving Research & Innovation is a three-year collaborative programme involving the Precision Manufacturing Centre, Chemistry Innovation Laboratory, and Food Innovation Centre at the university which will provide support to 240 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire regions.
The project is available to SME businesses from all sectors, and as a collaboration between three centres includes a focus on food and drink, chemistry using businesses, and engineering and manufacturing. Driving Research and Innovation will help businesses improve their innovation culture, competitiveness, and productivity through utilising the knowledge, skills, and technology accessible to SMEs through the University.
The innovation and productivity challenges of every business will be addressed through collaborative R&D projects to produce new products, processes and services, interactive workshops, dissemination events, and one-to-one consultancy designed to help businesses innovate, explore new ideas and grow.
For more information on how the Driving Research & Innovation project might benefit your organisation, contact the University of Nottingham’s Project & Business Manager Dr Daniel Symes or on 0115 748 6717.
