Building on the recent success of the Small Business Leadership Programme in supporting SMEs to recover from the impact of Covid-19, an ambitious new management programme was announced by the Chancellor in the Budget
Help to Grow: Management, like the Small Business Leadership Programme (SBLP), will be delivered across the country and is set to support hundreds more small businesses in the region over the next three years. The government funded SBLP was designed specifically to help SMEs survive the impact of the pandemic, build resilience and drive growth. Covering a range of practical topics, the Programme has been delivered online by small business experts from Northumbria University, including entrepreneurs, business leaders and academics. A total of 175 businesses (across nine cohorts of up to 25 business leaders per cohort) have completed the SBLP in the region, representing a diverse mix of sectors – from manufacturing, engineering and bio science to design, tourism, IT and dentistry. A final cohort is currently underway, before recruitment begins for the newly announced Help to Grow: Management. Dr Matthew Sutherland, from Newcastle Business School, said: “When we launched the SBLP last year we knew that many SMEs were facing unprecedented challenges. We wanted to deliver a programme that would provide the right mix of practical support, insight and expertise to help them recover. Importantly, we also wanted to connect small business leaders with peers from across the region to facilitate shared learning. “We’ve been delighted to have helped more than 150 business already and have had overwhelmingly positive feedback from those who have taken part. More than 90% of participants said that it had helped them to respond to Covid-19, develop their strategic leadership skills and plan for future growth. “The recent confirmation of funding for future programmes to support SMEs is testament to the success of the Small Business Leadership Programme and reinforces the important role of the University in helping the regional business community to rebuild.” Help to Grow: Management will start in June 2021 and provides a 12-week executive development programme, led by business and enterprise experts from top university business schools across the UK. All those delivering the programme have been accredited by the Small Business Charter, a national accreditation awarded to business schools that excel in supporting SMEs and the local economy. To support businesses to access the programme, the cost to attend will be subsidised by 90% by the Government as part of approximately £220 million in funding to support small business recovery and growth. Small and medium sized businesses with five to 249 employers, from all industries within the economy, will be eligible. The curriculum for Help to Grow: Management will be designed to support senior managers enhance their skills in areas critical to business growth including leadership, innovation, digital adoption, sustainability, and employee engagement. Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “Too often smaller firms don’t have the time or resources to acquire the extra skills and training they need to be more efficient, more digital and more productive. Help to Grow: Management will help tens of thousands of small and medium sized businesses get world class management training.”