Welcome to the July LCR Digital, Creative & Tech round up
Here we share some of the fantastic businesses we are home to; the good work being done in nurturing our talent pipeline; all important funding and opportunities relevant to your business; and helpful (online) events happening for you. Please contact our Digital & Creative Champion for details on any of the below at helen.cross@growthplatform.org
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Congratulations to LCR Tech Climber company Quantum Science which has been chosen to represent the North West in KPMG’s search for the next tech pioneer. The company will pitch their business to a panel of industry experts in the UK final to find the next tech giant of the future. Read more here.
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Great to see wins for our sector at the Echo Regional Business Awards. Congratulations to: Devtropolis who won Start up of the Year for their hospitality software solution Hopsy; Make CIC for their Creative Impact Award; Sky Medical Technology’s Innovation and Technology Award for their wearable medtech device Gecko; and Cycle safety app Busby, which won International Business of the Year.
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Best Practice Recruitment Guide for Creative Leaders
Creative & Cultural Skills (CCSkills) supports employers to understand what diversity and inclusivity really mean, and the moral, social and legal implications of truly embracing these. This guide is designed to help employers reflect on how they might currently approach recruitment and the simple steps that could help a business reach beyond the norm. Find out more here.
Kickstart support
CCSkills led a UK-wide, sector-wide bid in order to ringfence much-needed funding for the sector to support the creation of hundreds of meaningful jobs for unemployed young people. The organisation is happy to provide advice and support to any employers applying direct to the Department for Work and Pensions should that be useful. Find out more here.
Peer Networks for Socially Trading Businesses
Would you like to collaborate with a group of likeminded leaders to share ideas, solve challenges and get support to grow your business, whilst retaining your mission to do good? Peer Networks provides a community for business leaders to get together to discuss their collective business challenges; think-up solutions; and plan long term recovery and growth. Find out more here.
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Tackling Climate Change
Join thousands of UK businesses in tackling climate change. 2021 is the year of climate action, start your net zero journey today with help from the UK Business Climate Hub. Find out more here.
Advance Scaling Leaders
Estimates suggest that up to 23% of startups and scaleups fail as they don’t have the right team, including a lack of experienced leadership. As a result Tech Nation has developed this new 10 week training course, designed to inspire leadership teams to do great things. Find out more here.
Techstars Anywhere - Opens 19 July
Techstars accelerators have one goal: to help entrepreneurs succeed. During each three-month program, they surround companies with the best mentors and an unrivalled network of corporate partners, investors, and alumni. They provide funding and fundraising opportunities, workshops and curated resources, not to mention countless moments where you can learn from your peers. Find out more here.
Go:Tech Awards 2022
The UK’s leading celebration of the tech sector highlights the leading figures and companies within the space. Businesses and innovators across the country are invited to send in their applications. Entries are open until October 1st. Find out more here.
Northern Tech Awards
Once a year the Northern Tech Awards shine a light upon the technology ecosystem in the North of the UK, celebrating innovative technologies and leading businesses developed in the region and recognise those who have contributed to their success. Deadline to enter 20th September. Find out more here.
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Funding & National Bodies
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The Creative Enterprise Business Planning Support
Grants of up to £5000 to support companies who work in moving image for storytelling, spanning film television, games and immersive, to build meaningful connections and create opportunities for business growth. Find out more here.
Global Connect: Raising in Silicon Valley
Barclays Labs helps high-growth UK businesses increase their exposure to international markets. With strong networks and connections in San Francisco they have created Global Connect: Raising in Silicon Valley. This will help start-ups understand the entrepreneurial ecosystem in San Francisco, prepare and plan for future fundraising. Find out more here.
Young Innovators Award - closes 28 July
These annual awards for young people with creative and ground-breaking business ideas sees the successful entrepreneurs secure a £5K grant, business support & a living allowance. Young people (Age 18-30) with great business ideas who have the potential to become future leaders in innovation and successful entrepreneurs should access the briefing event prior to submitting an application. Find out more here.
Start-up finance advice
The LCR Finance Hub was set up as the single access help point for SMEs in Liverpool City Region to access external funding. If you're new to funding a business and don't have external support in place, then contact the team about how to access the finance you need to grow your business. Find out more or apply here.
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Spotlight on Board Member
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The LCR Digital & Creative Board is the voice of the city region’s digital, creative and tech businesses. It is driving improvements for the sector through business growth initiatives, skills and talent retention and developing the space, place and infrastructure to help the sector flourish.
You can read about who is in on the LCR Digital & Creative Board here and we welcome your views via helen.cross@growthplatform.org. The next meeting is the 21 September.
Paul Corcoran – D&C chair & LEP deputy chair
"The Digital and Creative board represents your business and the interventions you need to grow. Whether this be in shaping the skills agenda in the city region, ensuring we have the right infrastructure for your organisation to flourish or that we are attracting complementary businesses to strengthen the ecosystem. It all leads to the growth of the sector and the economic development of the city region. Expertise around the table directs policy interventions on skills, business support and investments. Members of the board include large and small players from the worlds of immersive tech and gaming, the maker community, tech developers through to digital transformation. Academia, public sector and trade bodies hear from the companies on our patch about the issues they face and where support is needed for them and their future employees. We will be sharing some of the work of the board over the coming months and invite all members of the community to take an active part in strengthening our sector for the future.."
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The five areas your business can focus on to make the most of a UK recovery in 2021 15 July, 9:00am-10:30am
Join Growth Platform with BDO LLP for this webinar to kick start recovery and prepare the way for solid growth in 2021. Register here.
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Women in Innovation Awards briefing event 24 August, 10:00am-12:30pm
This Innovate UK programme was launched to address the under-representation of women engaging with Innovate UK, to get more women with excellent ideas innovating in UK businesses, and boost the economy. Attend the briefing event to find out more. Register here.
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Access previous Growth Platform events via our YouTube channel
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