Monday 22 June 2009
Sustainable support to improve business performance
Designer Debbie Bryan will benefit from Future Factory
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the East Midlands can improve business performance through sustainable design thanks to a new project from Nottingham Trent University, which brings together businesses, creative industries and academics.
Future Factory will support SMEs in adopting new products, services and business practices which 'design out' unnecessary or unsustainable materials and processing, and 'design in' features such as environmentally neutral technologies and materials, recyclability and sensitive disposal.
The three-year project is worth almost £2 million and has been set up with a grant from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managed by East Midlands Development Agency (emda). It brings together the University's School of Art and Design, Nottingham Business School and the Business Innovation and Creation Unit.
SMEs interested in taking part in Future Factory can approach the project team with a specific idea or a general enquiry, in which case University specialists can help to identify possible bespoke projects. Companies can benefit from a range of customised support, including a business review to assess their needs and capacity to adopt new techniques; tailored research; matchmaking with suitable support partners; access to expert seminars; and networking opportunities. Participating businesses will also have access to University-wide expertise and resources such as prototyping or product testing, market research and technical information.
Those businesses that decide to implement changes will also be given the opportunity to demonstrate their creative proposals to a panel of legal, financial, entrepreneurial, marketing, product and service design experts to gain direct feedback and specific guidance for future actions.
They can also take advantage of a subsidised placement scheme and employ a graduate, who will be supported by Nottingham Trent University staff to help to implement change projects within the business.
Already keen to sign up to Future Factory is Debbie Bryan, craft based designer and owner of Debbie Bryan Studio and Shop in Nottingham's Lace Market. Debbie said: "I have key areas of focus that I would like support with via Future Factory, including research and development for my own brand and shop, which aims to provide an avenue for local designers to reach local markets.
"Future Factory is already helping me to create key points of sale and think about how to build and retain customer loyalty. I hope the Future Factory project will be of significant support as I take this next step with my business."
Ann Priest, Nottingham Trent University Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of College of Art and Design and Built Environment, said: "In today's economic climate, businesses should be looking at how they can innovate their way out of the recession. Future Factory not only encourages them to embrace sustainability but also ensures that sustainability does not compromise creative design and innovation, market opportunities or customer satisfaction. It offers support for both the creative and the commercial aspects of improving practices."
Andrew Morgan, emda's Skills and Communities Director, said: "This project is a great example of how ERDF can help small businesses improve their performance and productivity by working more closely with universities. This is important in preparing the East Midlands economy for the upturn so the region can flourish in the future."
Interested companies should contact Lynn Oxborrow at Nottingham Trent University on +44 (0)115 848 6048 to find out more.
Notes to editors:
Press enquiries please contact Helen Fitzpatrick, Press Officer, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8751, or via email, or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8774, or via email.
Debbie Bryan Studio and Shop is located at 18 St. Mary's Gate, The Lace Market, Nottingham, NG1 1PF.
About ERDF nationally
The ERDF Programme aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union by supporting regional economic development.
The ERDF objectives for England are:
- Promoting innovation and knowledge transfer
- Stimulating enterprise and supporting successful business
- Ensuring sustainable development, production and consumption
- Building sustainable communities
- Improving accessibility and connectivity (for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly only – as part of their Convergence Programme).
A Programme Monitoring Committee consisting of regional stakeholders such as Government Offices, RDAs, Regional Assemblies, Local Authorities, Sub-regional Partnerships, Higher Education Institutions, Trade Unions, and the private and voluntary sectors will monitor and oversee programme implementation in each region.
For more information on ERDF funding generally, please visit the Communities and Local Government website or European Commission website.
About ERDF in the East Midlands
The East Midlands is eligible for €268.5m between 2007 and 2013, which when combined with match funding, provides a programme value of approximately €537m – a significant investment in the economic development of the region.
The East Midlands qualifies as a competitiveness and employment region under the EU's Cohesion Policy, which aims to meet the EU Lisbon objective to become 'the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social inclusion.'
East Midlands Development Agency (emda) is responsible for the programme management and delivery of the region's 2007-13 ERDF Competitiveness Programme. The responsibility for ERDF programme management was transferred from the Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM) to emda following a decision by the UK Government to seek greater alignment between ERDF and regional strategies and funding streams. The 2007-13 ERDF Programme is therefore set firmly within the framework of the Regional Economic Strategy.
A Programme Monitoring Committee, chaired by the Regional Director of Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM), guides the strategic direction of the programme and works closely with emda.
To find out more about ERDF, the region's strategy for delivering the funds, how to apply for funding and how the programme is managed, please visit the East Midlands ERDF website.
About emda
East Midlands Development Agency (emda) is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England, set up in 1999 to bring a regional focus to economic development.
Ten years on, independent evaluation shows emda has:
- Had a significant impact on the region's economy
- Generated economic benefits that substantially outweigh its overall costs
- Put back over £9 of economic output (or GVA) into the regional economy for every £1 it spends
- Produced more than £1 billion in economic benefits per year
- Had a wider impact on people, places and businesses in the East Midlands that cannot be captured by figures alone.
emda is committed to supporting the region through the current downturn and has put in place a range of measures to provide real help during these challenging times.
Over the long term, emda's aim is to deliver the 2006 Regional Economic Strategy (RES) by working in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations. The RES highlights the themes of productivity, sustainability and equality and sets out key priorities until 2020 to ensure the vision for 'a flourishing region' can be achieved.
For more details visit the emda website.
