EU Funding - 15 June 2020

SME productivity programme re-purposed to help businesses prepare for Covid-19 economic recovery

SMEs in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire can now benefit from fully funded University of Nottingham expertise through a programme which has been re-purposed to help businesses prepare for economic recovery following COVID-19.

Productivity Through Innovation, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via D2N2, gives SMEs within our region the opportunity to access the University’s postgraduates who work remotely for their organisation through 100-hour or 200-hour project placements.

Companies from any sector can receive strategic planning and operational insight in areas such as business continuity, future markets research, product development support, digital technologies, and digital marketing strategies.

Dr Megan Ronayne, Programme Manager, said: “Productivity Through Innovation was first launched last August, building on our highly-successful Postgraduate Placement Scheme which delivered over 1,000 placements for SMEs in the East Midlands, so we know this is a model that works for business.”

She added: “With the immediate challenges presented by COVID-19, but also now firmly thinking about economic recovery as we hopefully emerge from the pandemic, we wanted to give SMEs a high-impact, low-cost intervention to develop their organisation, enhance a project or take a fresh look at their business processes. Our postgraduate students are available to help firms navigate through this difficult period, and support their future planning by examining how innovation can enhance productivity.”

Productivity Through Innovation

SMEs can contact the University to propose projects that they would like assistance in delivering remotely. Dr Ronayne said: “Our postgraduates are highly intelligent but are generally not experienced in the world of business, so organisations need to have the capacity to manage the placement and time to answer questions and keep the project moving.

“Most businesses tend to schedule key weekly update calls with our students, who would typically spent 6 to 12 hours per week on their placement. The programme is extremely straightforward, though, and with a clear brief agreed at the start of the project we will find the student or students who can deliver the requirement.”

Productivity Through Innovation academic champion Professor Richard Kneller added: “Productivity, the ratio of outputs to inputs, has been an issue well before COVID-19, and research shows that in 2015 the D2N2 region had a productivity gap of more than £8.2 billion.

“Collaboration between academia and business has never been more important, and we are delighted to be able to offer SMEs additional support for improving firm-level productivity and growth during this extremely challenging time when minds will inevitably be focused on the present.”

ERDF logo

European Regional Development Fund

The European Regional Development Fund is one of the five European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF).

ERDF is focused on reducing economic disparities within and between EU member states by supporting economic growth, regeneration, and safeguarding jobs.

In England, the ERDF is managed by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government supports the UK Government’s growth priorities of rebalancing the economy and supporting key initiatives such as the Midlands Engine and the Northern Powerhouse.

Latest News & Events

19 July 2024

Local business support boosted with launch of Early Stage Angel Investment Fund

Read Article

21 June 2024

Spotlight on our Board: Scott Knowles, Chief Executive, East Midlands Chamber, on the D2N2 LEP transition and East Midlands devolution

Read Article

11 June 2024

The D2N2 LEP staff team joins the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA)

Read Article

07 June 2024

Becky Rix, Marketing Director at Roadgas, explains why Roadgas is a proud member of the East Midlands Hydrogen Consortium

Read Article

05 June 2024

Spotlight on our Board: D2N2 LEP Board Member Natasha Johnson, Director of Partnerships at Global Entrepreneurs UK

Read Article

05 June 2024

Free Expert Business Advice and Support available through East Midlands Chamber’s Accelerator Programme

Read Article

03 June 2024

Spotlight on our Board: D2N2 LEP Board Member Professor Edward Peck CBE, Vice-Chancellor and President, Nottingham Trent University

Read Article

24 May 2024

Focus on the East Midlands: our time is NOW!

Read Article

24 May 2024

D2N2 LEP CEO, Will Morlidge, shares our East Midlands Hydrogen ambitions at UKREiiF

Read Article

24 May 2024

East Midlands Freeport and Freeport East Sign Green Freight Corridor Initiative at UKREiiF

Read Article

Get in touch.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up
Address

D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership
8 Experian Way
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
NG2 1EP

Social

Our Partners