Hull & East Yorkshire

About the region

The creative sector across Hull & East Yorkshire has thrived since Hull was awarded the City of Culture status in 2017. The team plans to build on this “driver of change” with the Create Growth Programme and to support the ambitions of the creative business community.

The programme’s first cohort comprises small and independent businesses, many of which are just finding their feet. Participants include media organisations, companies producing commercial videos, independent photographers, marketing agencies, Objectives and delivery Andrew Richardson, Create Growth Programme Manager, HEY Business, Growth and Skills Hub Impact and response advertising firms, public relations companies, as well as visitor attractions and venues.

In recent years, local authorities and the private sector have invested heavily in developing the independent business scene in Hull and East Yorkshire by creating additional resources including incubator units and managed workspaces.

Andrew Richardson, Create Growth Programme Manager, HEY Business, Growth and Skills Hub, says: “We have an emerging creative quarter that’s been established around the Hull Marina, the Old Town, and the Fruit Market, along with some established delivery in the East Riding, so we’ve got the fertile environment to cultivate the creative industries by encouraging people to start up, as well as spur on existing firms to scale up and grow.”

With such a varied and diverse first cohort, the team are committed to delivering an inclusive and accessible package of support to businesses. Working alongside partners such as the University of Hull, the team are keen to provide jargon-free expertise that’s tailored to the individual needs of each business, thus providing a unique pathway of support for each participating business.

If you’re new to a sector, it can be very difficult to break into those networks. We want to build on the social support side of things, rather than just straightforward lecturing.

Andrew Richardson, Create Growth Programme Manager, HEY Business, Growth and Skills Hub

Objectives and delivery

With the Hull University Business School as a principal delivery partner, the team are excited to offer a wide-ranging package of support for this year’s cohorts.

The team will be providing structured sessions, ranging from seminars and workshops, through to informal discussions, and potentially visits to comparable areas to learn lessons from what others in similar situations are doing. They’re committed to helping founders build a strong peer network, too.

Andrew says, “Working with the university, in addition to our Growth Hub Business Advisors across the region, we want to build on the social support side of things, in addition to the more usual subjects such as the value of growth and attracting investment.”

A big part of the support will come in the form of mentoring via group and one-to-one sessions. The team has a large group of experienced mentors ready to help every participant to succeed.

“The university has relationships with its successful alumni as well as lots of different companies that are well-established and we will match people with mentors that give them guidance and support,” Andrew says.

Impact and response

The response to the Create Growth Programme has been overwhelmingly positive. There has been a great deal of interest from businesses looking to take part, as well as from experts who are keen to help the cohort reach their goals.

Andrew says, “We’ve had a very good response to the programme and have around 18 businesses that are interested in being in the first cohort. We’re confident we’ll reach our target of supporting 60 creative firms overall.”

The team are supported by an array of partners, each offering unique value. The University of Hull offers the academic context and style that gives people motivation, mentors provide commercial insight and experience, and business advisors know what other support is available. When it comes to funding, they’re able to connect businesses with a plethora of funding streams including investors via Innovate UK Business Connect and the British Business Bank.

The programme is a fantastic opportunity for the region, and they are committed to making it a valuable experience that brings investment and much-needed support to creative startups and scaleups.