Growing Corby business growth programme launched to create new jobs, growth and investment

Corby is taking centre stage this month [April] with the launch of a business growth programme set to boost jobs in Corby and encourage new companies to move to the town.

The Growing Corby Business Growth Programme, made possible thanks to a £1.1million project supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), will help local businesses and social enterprises, and companies seeking to move to Corby, to grow and thrive.

Through a unique programme of grants, internships, coaching, expert advice and targeted market research, Growing Corby aims to create over 140 new jobs in Corby, help over 90 individuals to launch a new business, support more than 200 local businesses to improve their performance and attract or create 60 new businesses to Corby by the end of 2015.

At the launch event on April 2nd over 50 companies from across the region heard about Growing Corby’s unique programme of support and met the partner organisations behind the new programme.

Nick Bolton, Founder of Electric Corby, the organisation managing the Growing Corby programme, said: “Corby is 10 years into a visionary regeneration programme that will see the town’s population double in size to 100,000 by 2031 and the launch of Growing Corby has been timed to support the next phase of this growth. We will work with existing businesses and social enterprises and offer the necessary support to encourage new businesses to move to this future focused town. Corby is increasingly regarded as a regional and national economic centre and Growing Corby is positioned to be at the very heart of this.”

Leader of Corby Borough Council, Cllr Tom Beattie, said: “With the recent job losses announced from the closure of one of our largest employers here in Corby it is vital that we continue to pull in investment, create new businesses and subsequently new jobs for our residents. The Growing Corby Growth Programme is a unique programme that will help and encourage more businesses to move to Corby and clearly highlights the emphasis and vision surrounding economic development that all partners share.”

Growing Corby’s programme of business support includes the following:

• Start-up and growth grants of up to £2,500 for businesses seeking to grow and recruit.
• Free internships for Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the form of a dedicated student from The University of Northampton who will spend up to three months helping businesses improve performance and efficiency.
• Market insight and intelligence research and reports for start-ups and established businesses to access markets and improve performance.
• Social enterprise support, in partnership with Enterprise Solutions Northamptonshire, in the form of a tailored coaching programme to help start or grow a social or cooperative business.
• Creativity and innovation coaching to help businesses access new markets or launch new products and services.

In addition to Electric Corby, other Growing Corby partners include Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership (NEP), Corby Borough Council, The University of Northampton and ANGLE.

For more information on Growing Corby Business Growth Programme go to www.growingcorby.co.uk