Here to help you take your business forward

---

Managed by Teesside University

Managed by Teesside University, we provide support to small and medium sized enterprises in County Durham who are looking to develop new products or services, or introduce new processes into their business.

With the support of a dedicated business innovation manager we work with you to understand your business and what you want to achieve. A detailed innovation assessment is carried out to identify potential projects and is used to develop an action plan of support.

Through the funding available with Innovate Durham you can have access to

• Support to identify innovation gaps and opportunities
• Technical consultancy on innovation challenges
• Bid writing support to access research and innovation funding pots
• Graduate placements and Knowledge Exchange Internships lasting between six and twelve months

Who the service is for

Innovate Durham is a part funded service available to growth oriented businesses in County Durham employing fewer than 250 staff and with an annual turnover of no greater than €50m per annum.

The project has received up to £693,654 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014 to 2020.

The support helped us look at what we were doing and find ways of doing things better, without committing to a large investment.

Craig Anderson, Managing Director, NYMAS

How the support is delivered

Every business starts from a different point. Some arrive with a sketch of a new product, others want to make an existing process faster or more reliable. In each case the first step is the same: a conversation with a business innovation manager, followed by an innovation assessment that sets out where the greatest opportunities sit.

From there we bring in the right expertise, whether that is an academic specialist, a graduate working on a defined project, or help with a funding bid. The support page sets out the two main routes, and our news and case studies show how other businesses have used them.