Groundbreaking digital initiative celebrated and extended
Business and council leaders have hailed the impact of a pioneering programme which has enabled 1,300 businesses across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to embrace digital technology.
The Digital Growth Programme gives local SMEs access to fully-funded workshops, financial support and free one-to-one advice to help them introduce new digital technology to their organisations.
More than £6.8m of funding was invested into the programme by the European Regional Development Fund, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), and Derby City, Derbyshire County, Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire County and Rushcliffe Borough councils.
It has provided 1,300 businesses with more than 31,000 hours of free digital support, as well as distributing grant funding of more than £1.88m to 310 eligible businesses, which has helped to unlock an additional £2.7m of private sector investment from the SMEs which received support.
It has also delivered 340 action-planning workshops and 48 awareness-raising seminars about a host of digital subjects, including cloud computing and cyber resilience, ecommerce, email marketing, CRM, Search Engine Optimisation, social media and website planning and development.
Recently, more than 300 local businesses attended a major conference, at the Nottingham Belfry Hotel, to get the latest insights and advice from keynote speakers and local digital experts, as well as celebrate the successes of the programme.
It was also announced at the conference that the digital support provided by the programme will continue for the next three years and will be delivered by the D2N2 Growth Hub.
Chris Pook, D2N2 Growth Hub Manager, said: “Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire SMEs have forged a really strong reputation for digital innovation and it’s crucial that they continue to be supported so they can enhance their capabilities to help the local economy to grow.
“The Digital Growth Programme has provided fantastic support to local firms overt the past three years and we are delighted to be able to continue this in the years ahead, via the D2N2 Growth Hub.
“I’d urge all businesses who need digital advice and support, or are looking at ways to get a new project off the ground, to get in touch with one of our advisers.”
Diane Beresford, Deputy Chief Executive of the Chamber, added: “The Digital Growth Programme to date has been a huge success and we have been delighted with the response from the business community.
“More than 1,300 local businesses have engaged with the programme, which is great, and it was fantastic to see so many of them at the Digital Conference as we celebrated the achievements of the programme so far.”
One of the Derbyshire businesses to benefit from funding support from the programme was HSG, a specialist provider of washroom hygiene and water conservation solutions.
The programme provided £22,000 of funding toward the development of a bespoke app and dashboard, called Cleen, which gives venues better control over their washroom management.
Customers can download the app, leave a rating for the overall cleanliness of a washroom, and report any issues such as no toilet rolls, poor cleanliness or broken equipment. These are reported directly to the venue’s service provider, who can address them immediately.
Sonia Harvey, Brand Manager, said: “The Cleen app and dashboard give business owners the opportunity to monitor the performance of their washrooms to enhance their overall experience, by acting on instant feedback.
“The product is tailor-made for sports venues, restaurants and NHS Trusts and since launch, we have opened up a host of avenues for this fast-growing area of the business.”
Businesses can find out more about the programme and the unique support it provides at www.d2n2-digital.co.uk or calling 0330 053 8639.
