News and Events
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme is expanding to the Midlands, and is currently recruiting ambitious small business leaders for a targeted, high quality business and management education programme which will take place between November 2011 and March 2012 in Birmingham. The programme is funded by Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation and is offered on a fully funded basis to successful applicants. It is delivered in partnership with Aston University Business School and Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
Unique Programme Benefits:
- 12 sessions (approximately 100 hours) of intensive high quality business and management education delivered over 3-4 months
- Developing a customised Growth Plan to direct business strategy and expansion
- Access to practitioners and experts with strong experiences working with and understanding the needs of small business leaders
- Comprehensive one-to-one business advice identifying areas of focus for business improvement, and defining and implementing the customised Growth Plan
- Participation in a unique peer-to-peer learning experience
- Continuing access to mentoring after completion of the modules
Applications are invited from businesses that have been operating for at least one year and have between five and 40 employees. Successful applicants will most importantly have the desire and drive to grow their businesses. The programme will run from November 2011 and is offered on a fully funded basis to a cohort of 25 to 30 small business and social enterprise leaders. The deadline for applications is 5th October.
For more information, contact 0121 204 3225, 10ksb@aston.ac.uk or visit www.aston.ac.uk/10ksb
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Interiors & Lifestyle Futures Venture is offering 15 people a free programme of six months’ mentoring and workshops (beginning October) and an award of £1,000. Applications are open to individuals planning to set up a new business within the West Midlands’ interiors and lifestyle sectors - for details and eligibility please visit Interiors & Lifestyle Futures
Application deadline: 15 September. Interviews: 26/27 September. Compulsory 5 day workshop: 3-7 October.
For an application form and more details, please email wendy@ilfutures.co.uk or phone 0121 3317925/0121 3317922.
ILF Venture is run by Interiors & Lifestyle Futures and NTI Birmingham and uses NESTA-accredited trainers. It is funded by Advantage West Midlands and the European Regional Development Fund. The programme is part of Interiors & Lifestyle Futures’ extensive portfolio of funded activity, further details available at Interiors & Lifestyle Futures
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Talent Pool
The Talent Pool is a unique programme that provides customised professional development training for Doctoral researchers and to the business community, access to these talented individuals. Through the Talent Pool we are developing the next generation of, business consultants, entrepreneurs and academics.
For more information please click here or visit the website here
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FREE Business Coaching Programme
Birmingham City Council and the European Regional Development Fund are offering free one-to-one business coaching support to 60 businesses based in Birmingham through the Enterprise City High Growth programme. Starting from July 2011, companies trading for six months or more will have the opportunity to work with Deloitte, one of the country's leading professional services firms, and the Academy for Chief Executives to build customised development plans and receive dedicated coaching for up to 10 months. We welcome your attendance at one of our introductory half day events on 8 June or 12 July 2011 at the Deloitte office, 4 Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HZ. To attend the event or to find out more, please email enterprisecity@deloitte.co.uk or call 0121 695 5560.
For more information please click here
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The EREBUS Scheme
A small number of vouchers are available to West Midlands SMEs working in the energy, health technologies or finance sectors. For more information on the EREBUS scheme visit the EREBUS website www.erebus-cbc.com or contact: Jill Forrest on 0121 204 3249.
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Grants for Research & Development
A new Technology Strategy Board scheme is offering funding to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in R&D projects in the strategically important areas of science, engineering and technology, from which successful new products, processes and services could emerge.
For more information click here
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Maximising business opportunities through digital marketing & effective websites
Tuesday 14th December 2010, 8.30-11am; Bank House Hotel, Bransford, Worcestershire, WR6 5JD
• Do you want access to genuine business opportunities?
• Do you want to work with like minded businesses?
• Do you want to utilise free marketing and advice to boost your business in a growing market place?
Jenny Long from Iceblue Marketing and Design will show you how to make the most from your business profile, and how it fits in with social media and your digital marketing profile.
This FREE event is for Environmental Technology small to medium sized enterprises based in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, Herefordshire or Worcestershire.
"LinkedIn is the top referrer of new leads to our website, ahead of Google. Our marketing plan for 2011 includes a social media strategy which has LinkedIn as our main channel of streaming." June Meagher, Chemical Watch Research Limited
To register email metnet@shropshire.gov.uk or phone 01584 83 8248
Full details at www.met-net.co.uk
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FREE Coaching Programme
The Enterprise City High Growth Programme offers up to £6,000 worth of FREE business supportthrough funding from Birmingham City Council and the European Regional Development Fund. The programme provides businesses and entrepreneurs with tailored and expert one-to-one business coaching from top consulting firm Deloitte and the Academy for Chief Executives. Our specialist teams work hand-in-hand with businesses to launch high growth strategies, address key business issues and create a culture of supportive enterprise among Birmingham businesses. To register for one of our introductory eventsin September or to simply find out more please call 0121 695 5560. Email:enterprisecity@deloitte.co.uk. Enterprise City is YOUR City: Get your business growing.
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Interiors & Lifestyle Futures provides West Midlands interiors and lifestyle businesses with new market and new product development opportunities. It is designed to help companies grow their business network and build profitable relationships.
The offer includes directory membership, fully funded workshops and events.
To find out more please visit: www.ilfutures.co.uk
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What could you do with £100k of project funding? Would your idea create a new or unexpected market opportunity?
Four areas where the underlying challenge can lead to huge opportunities are energy, sustainability, healthcare and sustainability. Focusing on these areas we'd like to invite you to enter the £600k competition for discruptive solutions. But it is not a standard competition.
The competition is being run in three stages: 1) an initial video pitch which is open to all - your £25k proposal. 2) a written submission for those that are selected from stage one - what would you do with up to up to £100k? and 3) a live pitch for £100k at Innovate 10 on 12 October in London for the three best proposals in each area.
In the first instance you've got to be quick. The deadline for your video pitch is noon on Thursday 16 September. Entry to the competitiong is through the Innovate 10 website and you can find further details here. Good luck and I hope to see you in October.
All the best,
Huw.
Huw Jones, Events Manager, Technology Strategy Board
P.S. You don't need to enter the competition to join Innovate 10, just a ticket. The early bird deadline runs out this Friday - so book your ticker now!
INNOVATE 10
CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION
12 OCTOBER 2010
BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE, LONDON
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British Science Festival
As part of this year's British Science Festival, held at Aston University, Dr John Rudd will be delivering a talk entitled "Marketing: It's All About T-Shirts and Posters... Right?"
This talk aims to highlight some of the issues faced by marketing practitioners, and current trends to address them. As such, the talk should be particularly interesting to people who work in, or have responsibility for, marketing. The talk is on 15 September 2010, between 17:30 and 18:30.
Further details about this talk can be found here. For futher information about the other events being held as part of the Science Festival please visit http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/
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Enterprise City is YOUR city: get your business growing.
Enterprise City is aimed at Birmingham businesses which are at a critical stage in their growth and are seeking to increase their opportunities for success.
Offering up to £6,000 worth of FREE business support through funding from Birmingham City Council and the European Regional Development Fund, Enterprise City has already enabled over 150 businesses and entrepreneurs to benefit from tailored and expert one-to-one business coaching from top consulting firm Deloitte and the Academy for Chief Executives. Our specialist teams work hand-in-hand with businesses to launch high growth strategies, address key business issues and create a culture of supportive enterprise among Birmingham businesses. For more information please click here
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