Growing your business

Deciding to hire new staff can feel daunting. We're here to help you get it right.

We offer:

• help finding and employing the right student or graduate
• help with funding new employees
• recruitment events
• employer toolkits

All the above services are available to eligible SMEs in the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire area.

We can also help you with leadership and workforce development.

Whether you are looking to develop yourself as a leader or develop your staff, we have a range of funded programmes for eligible SMEs, including:

• Innovation Management and Leadership: For business owners and senior staff looking for mentoring way to develop business processes through the ESF High Level Skills programme.
• Dedicated business development events
• Professional development courses and apprenticeships

Find out more about leadership and workforce development for SMEs.

We can help you develop products and ways of working that will boost your profitability, efficiency and innovation.

We do this through a combination of:

• our advanced technology and technical facilities
• access to funding and grants
• our student, graduate and academic expertise

See Developing new products and services for more details.

We hold workshops and networking events specifically for SMEs who are looking to innovate, explore new ideas and grow. They cover a range of topics, including:

• financial health
• marketing
• legal advice
• e-commerce
• digital and creative sector support
• product development and design
• process innovation

We also hold events for specific business sectors.

Many of our events are funded by the European Regional Development fund and are free to attend for eligible SMEs in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

See our programme of events for more details.

We offer access to a range of facilities, including:

• specialist research facilities
• The Hive: support for entrepreneurs
• access to disruptive technology and expert advice
• state-of-the art equipment including laser cutters, CNC machines, 3D printers and 3D scanner
• specialist science labs

In partnership with the University of Nottingham, we also support life-science businesses:

• BioCity: Providing homes and access to high-end equipment, shared services, training and support
• MediCity: Supporting innovators in healthcare, medical technology, diagnostics and beauty products

Working with partners such as the Department for International Trade (DIT), we are able to offer SMEs support to expand into international trade and advise on key areas around exporting such as:

• how to choose the right market
• finding partner organisations that can help
• opportunities and challenges for businesses

We also hold workshops for eligible SMEs on exporting and international trade, delivered in partnership with organisations such as the Department for International Trade.