GROW YOUR OWN WAY Ayrshire Businesses to Benefit from Fully Funded Growth Programme at UWS

After an incredibly successful launch at their Paisley campus in October 2022, University of the West of Scotland are bringing the UK Government backed Help to Grow: Management Programme to their Ayr campus in April 2023.

The Help to Grow: Management Programme is delivered by the University of the West of Scotland’s School of Business and Creative Industries, one of only six Business Schools in Scotland to hold the Small Business Charter accreditation, which recognises their effort and commitment to supporting the SME community.

Valued at £7,500, this UK Government backed Programme is an innovative and accessible solution for SMEs looking to boost their performance, resilience, and long-term growth. The Programme is 90% funded by the UK Government, but aware of the ongoing financial pressures faced by businesses, UWS is the only university in Scotland that is currently offering an additional 10% funding bursary to ensure there are no financial barriers for those who are keen to engage with the Programme.

Since launching the Help to Grow: Management Programme at their Paisley campus in October 2022 UWS have already supported almost 70 local businesses through the Programme and hope to have a similar impact in Ayrshire and the surrounding areas when they launch the Programme at Ayr campus on the 4th April 2023.

What’s

Included in the

Help to Grow: Management Programme at UWS?

Over 12 weeks participants will take part in eight interactive online sessions in addition to four inperson workshops at UWS’s Ayr Campus exploring key topic areas including internationalisation, finance, operations, branding, marketing and digitisation. Alongside weekly interactive workshops led by expert academics participants will take part in peer group discussions with likeminded business owners and benefit from 10 hours of 1:1 business mentoring to develop a unique Growth Action Plan tailored to help them tackle the challenges they face.

Upon completion of the Help to Grow: Management Programme businesses will enter a growing alumni network of entrepreneurs who are keen to connect and collaborate and will receive six months free membership to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) to further their learning.

Who can take part in the Help to Grow: Management Programme?

Ayrshire based SMEs looking to take part in the Programme must: l be registered in the UK l have been operating for at least 1 year l employ between 5-249 members of staff l not be a Charity

While Charities are not eligible for this Programme, social enterprises are permitted to take part.

Businesses that employ between 5-9 members of staff can claim one fully funded place on the Programme and businesses that employ 10 or more members of staff can claim two fully funded places on the Programme.

Scan the QR code and complete the registration form to confirm your place!

To find out more about the course, eligibility criteria, or the content, contact a member of the UWS Help to Grow: Management Team at H2GM@uws.ac.uk