Nottingham & Nottinghamshire

About the region

Research by Nottingham Trent University revealed that Nottingham is fast becoming a hub for Creative and Digital Industries (CDI) and employment in the sector has grown faster than most major cities including London since 2015. This comes in spite of the fact that the take up of equity and finance for business in the region has historically been low.

Branded Create Growth N2 (CGN2), the team are focussing on the creative and digital sector across the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire area, particularly CreaTech, a significant sector in the region. They’re also looking to boost already thriving sectors such as digital marketing, app development and eSports.

Chris Pook, Economic Strategy Manager at Nottingham City Council, says, “When you look at data around the take up of equity Objectives and delivery Chris Pook, Economic Strategy Manager, Nottingham City Council Impact and response The main objective is to facilitate access and alternative finance, the East Midlands is bottom of the league. And that’s something that we’d like to see improved through the Creative Growth Programme.”

With two universities, a thriving cultural scene and world-famous heritage, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire has untold potential that the team are hoping to unlock. By facilitating access to growth finance opportunities for creative businesses, the team are committed to developing an investment scene in the region and getting creatives engaged in the city and the wider economy.

Economic planning is not always looking for the next new thing – it’s about backing winners, enhancing what you’ve already got and building on success.

Chris Pook, Economic Strategy Manager, Nottingham City Council

Objectives and delivery

The main objective is to facilitate access to growth finance opportunities for creative businesses in the region. The team will have a strategic focus on peer networking and learning opportunities with the aim of getting companies investment-ready.

The team will be delivering two main types of support within the city: one-to-one engagement and discovery sessions for businesses. The latter will include exploration days to help founders explore their own opportunities via group support within the cohort around particular themes and topics.

Businesses will learn about strategy, value proposition pitching, best business modelling, business development, marketing, market management and leadership, as well as the operational elements around financial management, legal, and intellectual property.

Chris said: “We want to support those companies who have the potential to grow. They may have already proven some growth, but we need to ensure they are going to be the best they can be. We are targeting both established and emerging businesses, particularly those on a significant growth trajectory.”

Impact and response

There’s been a great deal of interest from creative businesses looking to get involved with the programme and the support is proving useful to bolster the many positive things already happening in the region.

Bringing creatives and business leaders together and creating an arena for people to relay their successes, concerns or challenges has had an immediate tangible impact on the region. There has been a great deal of natural learning and networking thanks to the round tables, Chris is excited to reveal.

The team are making sure they’re giving a real leg up to those companies that are emerging now and growing and could be real success stories with a bit of help and intervention.

Chris said: “Economic planning is not necessarily always looking for the next new thing and trying to be uber innovative. At its basic level, it’s about backing winners and enhancing what you’ve already got by building on success.”