Through this programme, your business will gain:

Expert guidance: access valuable insights from our specialist consultants who have 25 years’ experience scaling up businesses across a broad range of sectors. The team of international business experts will help your business to deliver growth, providing strategic expertise that enables your business to not just function but thrive.

One-to-one business coaching: Your business will receive a minimum of 7.5 hours of specialist support tailored to your aspirations and business growth potential, whether it’s increasing revenue streams or targeting new markets, the specialists will work with you to identify the way forward and the business systems and processes required to achieve it. 

Peer support: Grow and learn through shared experiences by exploring key business challenges with like-minded business leader’s, facilitated by our experts (7 hours).

An implementable Growth Plan: You will create an effective growth plan with clear actions covering key areas to help achieve your growth potential.
Extra support available: At the end of the core programme, there is an option to gain up to 5.5 hours of additional one-to-one support.

Grant funding: Throughout your programme you have the opportunity to apply for the Elevate Worcestershire Grant. A match funded grant from £2,500 to £10,000 is available to assist the implementation of your growth plan. 

To receive support through the programme, your business must:

• be a SME*
• be registered to an address in Worcester
• be trading for less than 3 years
• have at least 5 employees
• be below the Subsidy Control threshold of £315,000 over the previous 3 years, including the value of the support received 
• have a detailed growth plan

*The definition of an SME eligible for grant funding is as follows:

• has fewer than 250 employees;
• has either (a) an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million or (b) an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million
• 25% or more of the capital or the voting rights are not owned by one enterprise, or jointly by several enterprises falling outside this definition of an SME
• does not own more than 25% of the capital or voting rights in an enterprise falling outside of this definition of SME

Excluded sectors not eligible for support include:

• Primary agriculture 
• Schools
• Public sector funded organisations

The programme will cover:

• benchmarking - against current sales processes and models, revenue, profitability, challenges and use of multi-faceted diagnostic tools
• innovation - explore growth ideas and options
• finance - current/forecast, propensity to grow, revenue and investment plans
• management structure and teams - are the right people doing the right jobs with the right skills
• systems - marketing, client interactions, has anything shifted and does it need to change
• sales - how are current clients faring, is our offer still unique, opportunities in new vertical markets
• sustainability - what must we have in place to sustain any future challenges

Applications for Elevate Worcestershire are currently on hold. To be added to our waiting list, please contact elevateworcs@worcestershire.gov.uk.

This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Worcestershire County Council.

The programme is managed and delivered by Worcestershire County Council on behalf of Bromsgrove District Council, Malvern Hills District Council, Redditch Borough Council, Worcester City Council, Wychavon District Council and Wyre Forest District Council.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit UK shared prosperity fund prospectus.

Established small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Worcestershire that have accessed Elevate Worcestershire Growth Support, can potentially access between £2,500 and £10,000 in grant funding to fund growth projects.

Grants are awarded on a match-funded basis, meaning the SME will need to provide at least 60% of the total cost of the project. All grant applications are subject to a competitive process and are evaluated against programme and eligibility criteria by a grant appraisal panel. The amount available is subject to change.

The grant can be used to fund a variety of business activities, including, but not limited to:

• machinery
• equipment
• further consultancy support
• marketing and website development
• relocation
• external market research