More than 70 East Midlands businesses have already participated on the programme, which forms part of emda’s long-term strategy to stimulate high-quality innovation and accelerate regional economic growth.

The HighGrowth East Midlands programme is composed of two different elements:

• Growth Readiness: For businesses that are ready and ambitious for growth.
• High Growth: For businesses that are already growing rapidly.

The Growth Readiness programme provides a six-month package of support which includes diagnosis of the potential for development; a one-day coaching module focused on developing a strategic vision; and plan and five days of individual coaching. The programme is designed to unlock the growth potential of the business and support the development of a strategic growth plan.

The High Growth programme provides 20 days of intensive coaching and a three-day residential masterclass for Managing Directors and Chief Executives, designed by the Nottingham University Business School. This masterclass focuses on ‘Retaining your Competitive Edge’ and the programme also provides training for middle managers within businesses on the subject of ‘Gearing up for Growth’. The High Growth programme aims to help existing high growth companies to sustain their growth in the longer term.

In order to increase the number of places available to Greater Nottingham businesses on both the Growth Readiness and High Growth programmes, the GNP will vire £134,000 of Single Programme funding to HighGrowth East Midlands during the 2009-10 financial year.

Further information on the HighGrowth East Midlands programme can be found at www.hgeastmidlands.com.

A business-focussed organisation that aims to attract and develop new commercial opportunities and services to help companies succeed, Invest in Nottingham promotes the City as top European destination for science, technology, innovation and creativity, and supports businesses wishing to locate and invest within the area.

The five key Nottingham growth sectors, where past economic performance has been strong and is expected to continue, are:

• Science and technology
• Financial and business
• Public sector
• Retail and leisure
• Creative industries

Over the next year, Invest in Nottingham will deliver the following inward investment activity to encourage the further development of these growth sectors:

• Leadership and strategic direction
• Research and sector based offers
• Lead generation
• Enquiry handling
• Key account management

To support the delivery of inward investment activity across Greater Nottingham, during the 2009-10 financial year the GNP will provide Invest in Nottingham with £221,000 of Single Programme funding.

Further information on Invest in Nottingham can be found at www.investinnottingham.com.

A BID is a partnership between a local authority and local businesses to develop projects and services that will benefit the trading environment within the boundary of a clearly defined commercial area. The BID concept was originally developed in the United States, where they have been in existence for some time, and was introduced into the UK by the Government in 2004. By the beginning of 2008, over 60 BIDs had been established across England, Wales and Scotland.

Within Nottingham, a leisure-based BID (the Nottingham Leisure Partnership) has already been established focussing on the development of the City’s evening economy. The development of a second retail-based BID will complement the work of the NLP and will improve the performance of Nottingham’s retail businesses, strengthening the City’s position as a premier shopping destination.

In order to formally establish the BID, a 20 month development phase is required that will culminate in a ballot of local businesses. If successful, the vote will result in the establishment of a BID company for five years that will have the power to levy funding through business rates to implement an agreed strategic plan for the development of the BID area. This may include improving standards of cleanliness, safety and security; improving transport and access services; or the staging of events.

The nine main stages of the BID development process are as follows:

1. Establish shadow board and appoint BID consultant / development director and coordinator.
2. Undertake business survey to identify key priorities for the BID and agree initial projects, business plan and costs.
3. Evaluate values and set draft levy charges.
4. Determine baseline Service Level Agreements and Memorandum of Understanding with partners and local authority.
5. Establish databases, including business listings and levy payers.
6. Develop communications plan and newsletters to support BID campaign.
7. Undertake ballot notification and agree ballot process.
8. Undertake ballot campaign.
9. Establish BID company if vote is yes.

In order to help develop the Nottingham Retail Business Improvement District, the GNP will provide Nottingham City Council with £120,000 of revenue funding over two financial years.

Further information on Business Improvement Districts can be found at the National BIDs Advisory Service: www.ukbids.org

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Nottingham is one of only six UK cities to have been designated as ‘Science Cities’ by the Government.

This designation not only acknowledges Nottingham’s track record in pioneering research and scientific achievements but also recognises the City’s present strengths and future potential to become an international location for scientific excellence.

Science Cities are “cities with strong science-based assets – such as a major university or centre of research excellence – who use these assets as the basis for generating economic success”. The common aim of all six cities is to put science and technology to work for greater local and regional benefits.

Nottingham’s vision for the future is that by 2020 it will be recognised as an international location for scientific, research and teaching excellence.

The three main aims of the Nottingham Science City initiative are to:

• Nurture Nottingham’s role as an international leader in scientific discovery and teaching excellence.
• Stimulate community pride and interest in the City’s scientific heritage.
• Convert science into thriving businesses in Nottingham.

Acting on behalf of the Nottingham Science City partnership, over the next two years Nottingham Development Enterprise will undertake a series of marketing and promotional activities aimed at stimulating community pride and engagement in local science. This will include the following:

• Public Scientific Debates: The hosting of a series of public scientific debates on current scientific issues under the unifying theme of combating climate change.
• Art Exhibition and Competition: The hosting of an art exhibition and competition for adults and school children culminating in a public exhibition.
• Newsletter: The ongoing publication of the quarterly ‘Wavelength’ newsletter.
• Case Studies: The production of six ’science hero’ case studies, focussing on local science sector based businesses.
• Website: The further development of the Nottingham Science City website.
• Events: The delivery of a programme of Nottingham Science City presentations to a wide variety of audiences.
• Media Releases: The delivery of a programme of media releases to gain increased press and media coverage for Nottingham Science City.

To support the promotion of the Nottingham Science City agenda, the GNP will provide over £58,000 of revenue funding to Nottingham Development Enterprise.

Further information on Nottingham Science City can be found at www.science-city.co.uk.

The study will be undertaken over a six month period by EnviroEnergy with the support of Nottingham City Council and Nottingham City Primary Care Trust, and will result in the production of a fully costed plan for the development of anaerobic digestion facility for Nottingham.

The main elements of the feasibility study will include:

• A desktop study of existing knowledge regarding anaerobic digesters and their role in processing food waste as applicable to the need of Nottingham as a core city.

• A detailed assessment of the technical specifications of the anaerobic digestion plant: required inputs, potential outputs, scale, necessary storage facilities, contingency planning and risk.

• An assessment of the planning implications and legal issues as related to licences, current linked contracts, etc.

• An investigation into whether biogas produced from an anaerobic digester can be piped direct to London Road for use in the gas CHP that serves the district heating network.

• The potential to use gas for vehicle fuel if the anaerobic digester can be sited at the Eastcroft depot.

• An analysis of the potential future options of pumping gas directly into the mains in terms of the current and likely future economic implications of undertaking this option.

• An investigation into any issues surrounding the siting of any anaerobic digester and potential environmental impacts and constraints.

• A carbon mass balance appraisal of CO₂ emissions to look specifically into potential carbon emission savings and the maximisation of this.

• An investigation into whether the production of biomass related electricity will qualify for double funding under the renewables obligation.

• An investigation into the potential impact on EnviroEnergy of being able to access local energy sources rather than grid gas.

To undertake the feasibility study, the GNP will provide EnviroEnergy with £16,600 of Single Programme funding.

Each young person attends the Business Breaks programme for a nine month period, which equips them with the skills, experience and support they need to start their own business.

Some of the main subject areas covered by the programme include:

• Business awareness
• Marketing
• Sales
• Financial planning
• Customer service
• Decision making
• Team working
• Presentation skills

Each young person leaves the programme with practical business start-up skills and experience, a certificate of achievement and a viable business proposition which can offer them security and employment for the future.

To deliver the Business Breaks programme during the 2008-09 academic year, the GNP will provide NBV with £20,000 of revenue funding.

The aim of the Developing Biotechnology Entrepreneurs project is to help potential biotechnology entrepreneurs develop their ideas for commercial application while also encouraging them to locate their new businesses within Greater Nottingham.

The project consists of an annual three-day residential workshop, held at BioCity Nottingham, which is designed to help delegates explore their entrepreneurial potential, develop essential enterprise skills and overcome confidence barriers to starting their own business within this specialist sector.

The first Bio-Entrepreneur School was held during 2007 and the programme consists of:

• Knowledge sharing sessions where professionals work closely with delegates to show how they have started and grown their ideas into successful businesses.
• Practical assignments to allow delegates to put their ideas into practice with the support of peers and professionals.
• Workshop sessions where experts will help delegates to build their skills or deal with the practicalities of starting a business.
• Informal sessions for delegates to network with speakers, entrepreneurs and experts.

Funded in partnership with a range of public and private sector sponsors, the GNP will provide over £90,000 of funding to help support the development new biotechnology entrepreneurs.

Further information on the Bio-Entrepreneur School can be found at: www.bioentrepreneur.co.uk

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The aim of Nottingham Trent University’s Hive Creative Zone project is to encourage creative industry graduates to consider starting their own business within Greater Nottingham.

The project will enable participants to recognise their own potential and then evaluate their potential business ideas.

The Hive Creative Zone programme consists of three main phases, which are as follows:

• Raising Aspirations
• Opportunity Identification
• Opportunity Evaluation and Proof of Principle

Phase 1: Raising Aspirations

The programme will initially deliver a number of modules, workshops and engagements for graduates with existing creative businesses and role models with the aim of inspiring them to recognise their own entrepreneurial capabilities and consider the potential for self employment, freelancing or creating their own business.

During this phase the programme will concentrate on identifying the personal skills, attributes and behaviours of both typical and atypical entrepreneurial individuals, and will enable participants to identify and determine their own capabilities.

Phase 2: Opportunity Identification

Participants on the programme will then work to identify the potential of their ideas through a series of workshops. This will introduce them to the concepts of enterprise, encourage them to think in an entrepreneurial and enterprising way, and also to develop routes for the commercialisation of their ideas.

This stage of the process will enable participants to:

• Commercialise or present their creative ideas whilst retaining their own artistic integrity.
• Understand, build and use their own networks, collaborate with the right partners and appreciate what could go wrong.
• Understand team working skills: recognize successful and unsuccessful business teams, analyse team roles, learning styles and personalities.
• Recognize the importance of Intellectual Property, the value of themselves and how to prevent people taking advantage.
• How to grow the venture to enable them to do what they really want.
• Where and how to get inspired, to keep their creativity alive and initiate the next big idea, so that their business can evolve.

Phase 3: Opportunity Evaluation and Proof of Principle

For those graduates who wish to continue to develop their creative ideas, participants will then undertake a development path to assess the potential of their business and to determine how to best to develop it. This process is based on elements of the Nottingham Creative Network together with the NTU Hive’s successful HeadStart Opportunity Evaluation programme.

The aim at this stage is for participants to develop a Proof of Principle of their business idea. Delivery will be tailored to fit specifically with the creative industry sector through the use of appropriate language, style, content and examples. Individuals with potentially good business ventures will then be signposted on to appropriate business support start-up services to continue this process.

In order to support the delivery of the Hive Creative Zone project, the GNP will provide NTU with £200,000 of revenue funding over the 2008-11 financial period.

The Ingenuity Programme is a pilot project designed to promote and demonstrate to businesses the benefits of engaging with sources of knowledge that could potentially be used within a commercial context.

The project is delivered jointly by the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Derby, and is funded by the GNP, Alliance SSP and Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership.

The aim of the Ingenuity Programme is to foster knowledge and technology transfer between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire businesses and universities. The programme consists of three levels of increasing engagement:

• Showcasing and Networking Events: The project will firstly deliver a series of events to showcase to businesses the types of knowledge and technology that the participating universities hold, and to indicate how the potential adoption of these could bring commercial benefits.

• Experiential Workshops: The project will then run a series of workshops on specific subjects of interest to participating businesses. These will demonstrate how recent knowledge advancements, in areas such as computing or design theory, could be used by businesses to improve their commercial performance and competitiveness.

• Knowledge Transfer Taster Sessions: The most intensive level of interaction, businesses will then have the opportunity to try or test the approaches demonstrated within the experiential workshops through one-on-one knowledge transfer taster sessions. This will take the form of direct engagement between university staff and individual businesses

To support the delivery of the Ingenuity Programme, the GNP will provide £300,000 of funding over three financial years.   Further information on the Ingenuity Programme and its events can be found at www.ingenuitygateway.com.

Nottingham is one of only six English cities to have been designated ‘Science Cities’ by the Government.

Science Cities are “cities with strong science-based assets – such as a major university or centre of research excellence – who use these assets as the basis for generating economic success”. The common aim of all six cities is to put science and technology to work for greater local and regional benefits.

Nottingham’s vision for the future is that by 2020 it will be recognised as an international location for scientific, research and teaching excellence.

The three main aims of Nottingham Science City are therefore to:

• Nurture Nottingham’s role as an international leader in scientific discovery and teaching excellence.
• Stimulate community pride and interest in the City’s scientific heritage.
• Convert science into thriving businesses in Nottingham.

In order to take forward the Nottingham Science City agenda, the Board wish to commission a two-year Forward Plan to set out a series of clear objectives to guide future investment.

It is intended that this study will:

• Provide a health check on the first three years of work of Science City and an independent report on the progress that has been made.
• Identify the key themes that need to be prioritised to meet long term goals of Nottingham becoming a leading European City where science plays a significant part within the local economy.
• Set out priorities that need to be addressed over the next three years, in the context of costed work programme options as a basis for forward planning and budgeting.

To help develop the 2009-11 Forward Plan, the GNP will provide £10,000 of funding to Nottingham Science City.