Growth opportunity for Walsall businesses with dedicated free support

Published: 08 July 2024

Oxford Innovation Advice are delighted to announce that they have successfully contracted with Walsall Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority to deliver the Walsall High Growth Business Programme.

This new business support opportunity will engage with more than 200 businesses based in Walsall with advice from a local delivery team of Business Growth Advisers to enable them to fulfil their growth ambitions.

Participants will be drawn from across all sectors, with particular focus on local key sectors such as manufacturing and engagement with harder to reach groups, such as women-led and ethnic minority led businesses.

This project has received £428k from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will deliver an information, diagnostic, brokerage, and account management service to support Walsall businesses to innovate and grow, whilst also supporting entrepreneurs to progress their business ideas.

The Walsall High Growth Business Programme will build on the existing support delivered by Walsall Council’s Business Growth Team, who are providing two grant programmes to Walsall SMEs as well as linkages with the regional Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM) offer.

Oxford Innovation Advice has already successfully won multiple UK Shared Prosperity Fund programmes within the West Midlands over the last year, enhancing economic growth by providing excellent business support programmes.

Jane Galsworthy, Managing Director of Oxford Innovation Advice said: “We are delighted to have won this contract so we can expand on the support we are already delivering to businesses across the West Midlands and enhance the economic prosperity within the region.
“In delivering previous business support provisions, through European Regional Development Funding (ERDF), we supported the creation of more than 750 new roles within manufacturing businesses across the Black Country region. It is now more important than ever that businesses of all sectors have access to a service that unlocks all of the support available through Business Growth West Midlands to continue building their resilience and underpinning growth.”

Business Growth West Midlands is funded as part of the wider West Midlands £42 million investment from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. There is no cost to businesses who take advantage of the support available between April 2024 and March 2025.

The objective of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is to build pride in place and increase life chances across the UK. The fund has three priorities: Communities and Place, Business Support; and People and Skills.

Oxford Innovation Advice are committed to supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs in Walsall to succeed through this programme.

Philippa Venables, Director of Regeneration & Economy of Walsall Council commented, “We are delighted that Oxford Innovation will be delivering the Walsall High Growth Business Programme, building on the existing support offered by Walsall Council’s Business Growth Team.

“This is a great opportunity for Walsall SMEs to find the right support to achieve their growth potential and adds real depth to our local business support offer, which includes two business grant programmes, a Start-Up Walsall programme and strong links to Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM), as well as a number of other partners.”

The programme will also deliver a series of workshops, offering further support to businesses, themed around five key areas: Building Business Resilience, Digital Essentials, Unleash the Power of Digital Marketing, Innovate to Grow and Charting Your Business' Path to Success.