Financial and business development support available to eligible Nottingham City businesses seeking to innovate and grow
From 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025, eligible businesses in Nottingham City can access UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) funding to support their growth.
By Rebecca Cliff | Published on 17 June 2024
Categories: Business;
Departments across Nottingham Trent University (NTU) are working with Nottingham City Council to deliver a number of financial and non-financial support packages.
These projects aim to drive innovation and economic prosperity in the region. Inherently this work supports NTU’s University, reimagined strategic priorities – Creating Opportunity, Enriching Society and Empowering People. Particularly, the support delivered by NTU Employability will create exciting early careers opportunities within local business (via Talent Grants) and enhance their experiences through a fully-funded professional development programme (Innovation Community Lab).
Talent Grants
Talent Grants offer part-funded financial support to businesses seeking to innovate and grow. Eligible businesses in the Nottingham City area can access £600-£2500 to part-fund the salary of a graduate or student.
As part of the NTU Amplify project, up to £600 is available to eligible businesses to part-fund the hiring of a student or graduate to take on an innovative project or role. This grant would support an employee’s salary for a minimum of 4 weeks (20 hours per week minimum).
As part of the Universities for Nottingham Talent and Innovation project, NTU Employability is offering eligible businesses access to a £2500 Talent Grant to part-fund the salary of a student or graduate. The role would need to fulfil one of more of the following criteria:
- implement or improve technology or processes,
- enable the business to enter new markets,
- improve or implement new products or services, or
- focus on research and development projects.
This grant would support an employee’s salary for a minimum of 8-weeks, full time or 12-weeks, part time.
Innovation Vouchers are also available to businesses via the Universities for Nottingham Talent and Innovation project. This non-financial support provides businesses with a range of technically-focused consultancy support, and delivery is led by the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University.
Innovation Community Lab
The Innovation Community Lab (ICL) is a graduate development programme for early careers professionals employed in Nottingham City SMEs. Across the 2-day, face-to-face programme, participants will engage with a cohort of other graduates from an array of industries, taking part in activities exploring mindset, resilience, ROI, change management, contingency planning and more.
Groups will look at tools and techniques essential for implementing new ideas. This presents an excellent opportunity for early career development and networking, whilst fostering innovative ideas that can brought back into the business.
There is no cost for businesses to send their early careers talent on this programme. The ICL is delivered as part of the NTU Amplify project.
Other support
Further financial and business support is available to Nottingham City businesses, as well as exclusive options for organisations based in Ashfield and Bolsover postcodes.
There’s also the NTU Graduate Internship Scheme, offering employers across the UK the opportunity to access NTU graduate talent for a fully funded, 6-week internship.
Check your eligibility and get involved
To determine your eligibility and get involved in the various strands of support delivered by NTU Employability, please contact Vicky Harvey (vicky.harvey@ntu.ac.uk).
