The SME Hub provides the gateway for small and medium sized businesses to access the expertise, skills and support programmes in the PIC, whilst delivering on regional inclusive growth priorities.
Challenges we help SMEs to address
The core focus of our SME Hub is working with SMEs who have the potential for significant growth, achieved through a combination of scaling their business model, developing their leadership and management capabilities, and through digital and data-driven transformation.
Increasing market share, revenue and profitability through reconfiguring your business model
The Innovation Sprint Programme is a 50-hour intensive innovation programme for businesses seeking to scale-up, stimulating a period of high revenue growth by improving their dynamic capabilities to better use, track and allocate resources. Market share growth through new customer acquisition and digital transformation are the primary themes of focus.
Over 350 SMEs have been supported since 2017, leading to over 500 jobs created and an average business growth rate of 29%. The Innovation Sprint returns £14.60 for every £1 of public investment, creating significant impact and value for money.
The Innovation Sprint Programme is endorsed an an exemplar programme by the UK ScaleUp Institute
Available fully-funded to SMEs in the Liverpool City Region, West Lancashire and Preston. Eligibility criteria applies.
The Innovation Sprint Programme has, quite literally, changed our business.
Leon Calverley, Founder of Door4
Developing leadership teams who can deliver innovation and change
Leadership for Growth provides SMEs with the opportunity to develop existing and aspiring leaders through a combination of CMI Certificate courses: Strategic Management and Leadership (Level 7) and Management and Leadership (Level 4). The courses encourage an action-learning approach, whereby participants focus on current business challenges or opportunities throughout the learning.
1250 leaders and managers from over 500 SMEs have been supported since its launch in 2019. The latest 2025 independent evaluation demonstrated a £16.10 return for every £1 of public investment.
All courses under Leadership For Growth are accredited by the Chartered Management Institute.
Available fully-funded to SMEs in the Liverpool City Region and West Lancashire. Eligibility criteria applies.
The programme enabled us to equip our team to better understand and handle our growth ambitions.
Neil Cosgrove, Managing Director of OriGym
Maximising productivity through AI digital transformation
AI Adoption Readiness is a 3-part seminar series for senior business leaders to consider the strategic implications, opportunities and challenges presented by the mass-proliferation of AI-enabled technologies and their adoption into a range of business settings. The seminars are delivered in a peer-to-peer format, facilitated by expert speakers, and focus on: Data Literacy in Organisations; Digital Business Model Development; and Digital Leadership and Change.
Launched as a pilot in 2024, cohorts are now run quarterly around the region, with 58 SME leaders participating to date.
Available fully-funded to SMEs in the Liverpool City Region and West Lancashire. Eligibility criteria applies.
Great program, very thought provoking
Andrew Boland, Director, EFT Systems
Developing a clear strategic and operational plan for growth
The Help To Grow: Management Course is a 12 week business growth course where, in a peer-to-peer environment, SME leaders learn, discuss and reflect on 4 key dimensions of business growth:
- Growth and Innovation
- Engaging with Customers
- Building a Sustainable and Agile Business
- Operations and Financial Strategy
Help To Grow is delivered through a combination of tutor-led sessions, peer-to-peer workshops and individual mentoring.
90% funded by Government. Additional fully-funded bursaries also available in specific geographical areas of Lancashire.
The course gave me the confidence to be the leader I always wanted to be.
Mel Blackwood, Founder of Roller Girl Gang
Embedding new processes, data-driven services, and skills
For developing and embedding new products, services, processes and skills into the business, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are used to address significant innovation and market opportunities.
Projects are funded for between 12 and 36 months, allowing new innovations to be designed, developed and embedded across the business, and enabling the upskilling of staff to drive the growth.
The Business School focuses on delivering KTPs in:
- Digital and omnichannel marketing for domestic and international market development.
- Data-driven business development and consumer marketing to drive up market share growth.
- AI digital transformation and ‘Human–AI teaming’ for productivity and new service development
- Industrial engineering, services re-design or the reconfiguring of manufacturing, logistics or industrial processes to improve efficiency and productivity
KTPs costs are 67% funded for SMEs.
“Having the University team and the KTP Associate enables us to deliver this exciting project which will have a significant impact.”
Coral Rose, Managing Director of Country Range Group
Contact us
For further information about how we can help you, please get and touch with us and a member of our team will be happy to assist you.
