Welcome to the fourth European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Newsletter that has been produced by Coventry & Warwickshire’s ERDF Techncial Assistance Team.
The ERDF Technical Assistance team is available to provide support on further developing any project ideas you have on the four themes of the ERDF programme within Coventry & Warwickshire:
- Supporting Research & Development (R&D) and innovation within businesses;
- Enhancing access to and the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for local businesses;
- Improving the competitiveness of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs);
- Supporting the development of the low carbon economy.
In this fourth edition, we explore the success stories of local SME support services.
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Coventry man’s running app gets off to flying start
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A Coventry man who designed an app to help improve organisation at his running club has seen his product grow substantially and it is now being used across the country.
Paul Curtis, a freelance designer by trade, saw an opportunity to help the 280 club members at Massey Ferguson Running Club get easier access to news, personal best records and more after joining in 2016.
He originally designed an app solely for the Coventry-based club but after it proved to be a success, other clubs came calling and it has now been made available across the country and branded the My Running Club app.
After taking his original idea to the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Paul received help and support to turn into a business via the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme.
The programme, which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, in partnership with Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and the District and Borough Councils, helped him to alter how he marketed the app to a wider audience and has seen great results since.
The app has now expanded and can be used to monitor track and field events and triathlon races.
Paul said: “I joined the Massey Ferguson Running Club and in terms of communications I thought there was space for improvement.
“I put together the app just to help out and make sure everyone could easily keep on top of what was going on, stay in contact with each other and share their successes all in one place.
“It was put together over the course of a year and after we started using it, word must have spread because we had other clubs getting in touch to see if there was a version they could use.
“The actual design part of the app was something that I am very familiar with, but the ideas on how to push My Running Club as a business was where the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce really helped.
“I worked with a mentor at the Chamber, Margaret Bull, who assisted me in marketing and pricing and where we might also add in extra services to help the business grow.
“You can now customise the app in terms of its design to suit your running club and we have more than 10 clubs across the country taking part.
“The feedback has been great and of course I still get feedback from members of the Massey Ferguson Running Club.”
Free trials of the My Running Club app are available, with anyone interested encouraged to contact hello@myrunningclub.net.
Margaret Bull, business adviser at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Paul came to us with his app technically completed, so the main emphasis was on developing his marketing strategy and defining his client profile.
“It’s very often the case that people have a great idea but it’s actually the business side where help is needed – and that’s where we can assist.”
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The Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, in partnership with Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and the District and Borough Councils.
For more information, please email business@coventry.gov.uk.
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OXTO has lift-off in Midlands thanks to Innovation Programme grant
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The Coventry & Warwickshire region's global reputation as a home of innovation attracts many forward-thinking small business from around the UK and beyond - and OXTO Energy is the latest to bring its expertise to the area.
OXTO's groundbreaking work, now being applied to the development a state-of-the-art Flywheel Energy Storage System, has been channelled into programmes in the UK, Europe, Australia - and outer space! Now the company has a base in Warwickshire, at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, Ansty Park, after the small business secured a £100k investment from Coventry & Warwickshire Innovation Test Bed Programme, enabling it to expand and innovate.
That investment, funded by European Regional Development Fund, was accessed with the advice and support of Warwickshire County Council Business and Investment Officer (innovation) Kai Cott. Now at the MTC, with which they have a longstanding connection, Guildford-based OXTO have a permanent presence in at the heart of the country and of the country's innovation sector, many of whose leaders are close by.
"Manufacturing expertise in the Coventry and Warwickshire area is truly world-class and that is the reason why we have decided to build and engage with sub-contractors in the area," said OXTO’s Lewis Gardiner Head of Business Development.
"Being funded through the Coventry and Warwickshire Innovation Programme will allow us to increase our manufacturing capabilities over the next few months and accelerate our development schedule.
"The grant has enabled us to purchase hardware and move the project forward much more quickly than we would otherwise have done. Kai was great, helping us with the application and making sure it was relevant to us and we were eligible for it.
"The grant is also brilliant in terms of attracting other investors. If a body like the Innovation Programme looms at what you do and decides to back you, that gives you a lot of credibility.
"Our early work was in space developing flywheels to control the attitude of satellites, and whilst the space industry is great, the energy market offers substantially bigger opportunities.
"Now our target market is grid-scale operations like National Grid, windfarms, solar farms and UK power networks and having the base at the MTC and the Innovation Programme funding positions us just where we need to be."
Kai Cott is delighted that OXTO has chosen to come to Warwickshire.
He said: "Technology companies like Oxto are exactly the kind of businesses we want to attract here to Warwickshire. Through our Innovation Programme we can support businesses like this to develop and commercialise their important new products and processes and improve productivity and growth for the benefit of the businesses and residents of Warwickshire.”
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The Coventry and Warwickshire Innovation Programme is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and Coventry University Enterprises.
For more information, please contact the programme at innovation@coventry.gov.uk.
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Lightweight casting company making savings in their electricity consumption
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Sarginsons Industries is investing £130,500 in new energy efficiency measures at its Coventry foundry, with a £26,365 contribution from a Green Business grant. The measures being installed include two new gas furnaces, a new air compressor system, along with new LED lighting across its facility.
The investment will see Sarginsons reduce its CO2 emissions by as much as 335 tonnes of CO2e per annum as a result of the significant savings in the company’s annual electricity consumption.
Anthony Evans, managing director at Sarginsons Industries, said: “Sarginsons is at the forefront of technological advances in the manufacturing industry and is constantly working on new measures to improve our carbon footprint and reduce emissions, and to support our clients to do the same.
“We’re pleased to announce the investment in new equipment which will lead to further improvements in performance and energy efficiency savings across the company, and continues our advancement in the cutting edge of pioneering technology.
Sarginsons worked closely with energy efficiency consultancy Pro Enviro Ltd and owner Steve Stones added: “The new measures will result in significant energy efficiency savings and support process optimisation at the company. The investment should pay for itself inside three years and will continue to generate savings over at least the next ten years.”
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For more information on the ERDF Green Business Programme, please email greenbusiness@coventry.gov.uk.
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Sophie succeeds against the odds
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A Rugby woman who turned her life around after her mum passed away has earned a prestigious award.
Sophie Fernandez-Montes, 24, won the NatWest Enterprise Award at The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx & Homesense Awards this month.
The awards recognise the achievements of disadvantaged young people who have succeeded against the odds.
“I had a difficult childhood because my mum was in and out of hospital a lot and this affected my school work,” says Sophie. “I didn’t complete my GCSEs so had to earn money by cleaning, babysitting, working in a café, and freelancing as a gymnastics coach.
“I’ve always loved gymnastics. When I was younger training was my escape. Then, in December 2015, my mum died. It was a major shock. It happened the week before Christmas and made me reevaluatemy life completely. “I needed stability and that’s when I first thought about starting my own gymnastics club.”
Prompted by her friends, Sophie decided to try Enterprise, a four-day programme from The Prince’s Trust that helps unemployed young people start a business. Sophie created a business plan and was given both a Prince’s Trust mentor and a £2,900 loan in 2016 to launch Coventry and Warwickshire Gymnastics Limited.
“There were only five young gymnasts in my first class. Now I run school sessions, holiday clubs, competitions, and weekly sessions for more than 80 students,” she says. “Eventually I’d like to have my own facilities so I can train gymnasts to professional level. For now, I’m focusing on giving my students the best possible start to gymnastics that I can.”
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Visit princes-trust.org.uk for more about the award.
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For more information or to provide feedback on this newsletter, please contact the Technical Assistance Team
David Hope – david.hope@coventry.gov.uk
Telephone: 07572 180 017
Craig Perry – craig.perry@coventry.ac.uk
Telephone: 07557 425 397
Siobhan Clarke – siobhanclarke@warwickshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 07775 745 559
For further updates on the ERDF Programme in Coventry & Warwickshire, please visit http://www.cwlep.com/funding/european-structural-and-investment-funds
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