Around 80 delegates attended today’s (December 7) second ‘birthday’ event for the D2N2 Growth Hub – which has dealt with more than 3,000 businesses since it was launched.
The D2N2 Growth Hub – part of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership; the private sector-led partnership which promotes economic and jobs growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – was officially launched by the then Business and Enterprise Minister, Matthew Hancock, on December 5, 2014.
Since then it has provided free training, funding opportunities and advice on accessing finance, workshop sessions on a range of topics, and hosted and attended a wide range of events; to help start-ups and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) across the D2N2 LEP area to grow.
Today the D2N2 Growth Hub’s business support agencies, and university and local authority partners were invited to the second annual celebration of its successes; and to promote the key benefits in their business offers.
The event held at Nottingham’s Council House in the Old Market Square today was attended by around 80 delegates.
Main speakers included:
- Peter Richardson, Chair of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership
- David Williams, Chair of the D2N2 Growth Hub and D2N2 LEP Board member
- Simon Hall, D2N2 Growth Hub Manager.
Nottingham’s Creative Quarter, the University of Derby’s Invest to Grow programme, the EMB Group and the Enterprise Europe Network were among those explaining how they’d worked with the D2N2 Growth Hub to help area businesses.
In 2016 the D2N2 Growth Hub has seen:
- The number of businesses it has engaged with pass the 3,000 mark.
- A further investment of £1.27million in its services by the Government’s Department for Communities and Local Government, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); enabling it to guarantee Growth Hub services for the area until March 2019 and improve its offer to businesses in its area.
- A phone survey of 200 Growth Hub clients find that 88% (176 clients) of those would recommend its services to another business and that 77% (154 clients) rated its services or advice as either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.
Lindsay Allen, D2N2 Senior Programme Manager (Sector Development), said: “There are a wide range of business support programmes now available across the D2N2 LEP area. It’s vital businesses are made aware of these and that those managing support programmes are also aware of each other’s offer to business, so that clients receive the best possible service which answers their individual needs.
“One of the D2N2 Growth Hub’s main roles is to facilitate that exchange of information. Our anniversary event today, attended by a wide range of different organisations dedicated to helping economic growth and the enterprises who’ve received support, is testament to its success in this area.”
For more on the D2N2 Growth Hub’s services see its website at www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk or call the Helpline on 0333 006 9178, or email info@d2n2growthhub.co.uk . Follow the D2N2 Growth Hub on Twitter at @D2N2GrowthHub
