Lancaster's success in delivering business support
Lancaster University is a leading research and teaching institution, ranked in the top 10 nationally for research quality. Allied to this outstanding research and teaching base is a growing reputation for excellence in the area of business support.
Our aim as a University is to deliver a wide range of business support programmes, utilising our excellence in research and knowledge, to benefit businesses within the region.
Over the past six years Lancaster University has supported over 2000 regional businesses, social enterprises and community organisations through a range of economic regeneration activities.
The University recently carried out an impact evaluation study focusing on enterprises that received assistance from Lancaster between January 2006 and December 2007, via a range of support services funded through the European Regional Developmnet Fund (ERDF),the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HIEF) and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).
Eight University knowledge-exchange teams were assessed in the evaluation, each providing services, support and advice to SMEs covering a range of sector specific initiatives.
The report found that Lancaster University has overwhelmingly contributed to impressive sales growth, increasing staff numbers, increases in profits and gross value added (GVA) and also influenced and improved businesses' ability to think more strategically.
The evaluation was conducted by Dr Manuel Flores-Romero (IEED) and was validated by Regeneris and Newcastle University. It demonstrates the value of University business support programmes and the benefit they have to regional SMEs.
For more information on the impact evaluation and the University's business support programmes, please download the documents below:
