Business Innovation Programme Set to Revolutionise Local Business Growth Potential

Developed as a collaboration between Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Mid Ulster District Council; Mid South West (MSW) is responsible for delivering a Regional Economic Strategy that focuses on boosting productivity, driving business growth, promoting sectoral strengths, and creating more and better-paid jobs across the Mid South West Region.

The new pilot Business Innovation Programme – which will see an investment of close to £430,000 for the region, subject to funding approval in late August – is designed to grow business innovation and productivity specifically within local micro, small and medium sized enterprises.

Aligned to the MSW Regional Economic Strategy’s Boosting Innovation and Digital Capacity pillar, this new initiative includes the delivery of bespoke training workshops developed to improve awareness and understanding of productivity and innovation potential, as well as encouraging the use of emerging technologies and sharing best practice knowledge through collaboration with key stakeholders.

What’s more, it also offers the opportunity for eligible businesses to apply for £3,000 innovation vouchers, designed to help them access leadership and technical support from industry experts for new projects and processes.

Chair of the Mid South West Region Governance Steering Group, Councillor Thomas O’Hanlon said:

“With a globalised, outward and forward-looking mentality, the Mid South West Region is home to many successful and world-leading export businesses; however despite this, our productivity levels still lag considerably behind Northern Ireland and UK averages.

“With the introduction of the pilot Business Innovation Programme, it is hoped we can help equip eligible businesses with the skills and toolkit to innovate faster and drive up productivity levels to ultimately plug this productivity gap and supercharge this region’s economic fortunes.”

For businesses demonstrating high productivity potential, the pilot Programme will also assist them in the development of tailored innovation actions plans, which will address key themes such as operational productivity, digitalisation, decarbonisation, resourcing, skills and finance.

Planned to run from September 2021 to March 2022, the Programme targets micro, small and medium-sized businesses in the region’s key industrial sectors including manufacturing, engineering, aerospace, construction, agri-food processing, mining and quarrying as well as pharmaceutical, logistics, warehousing, information and communication technology.

Councillor Paul McLean, Vice Chair of the Mid South West Region Governance Steering Group, said:

“Making up the vast majority of the MSW Region’s active companies and over one-third of all Northern Ireland businesses, our local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises are critical in helping boost our output performance and drive inclusive economic prosperity across the area.

“By building local knowledge, awareness and opening new doors to emerging technologies such as data analytics, artificial intelligence and automation, this pilot Programme has real potential to help the region take giant leaps forward in performance, productivity and growth.”

With insights into new processes, industry 4.0 technologies and decarbonisation, the Programme will support businesses on their innovation journeys and open up opportunities to apply to future funding initiatives such as the £15 million Industrial Investment Challenge Fund.

So, if you have a business based in the MSW Region and you would like to find out more about the pilot Business Innovation Programme or you would like to submit an expression of interest visit: https://midsouthwestregion.org/pilot-business-innovation-programme/.

Deadline for expressions of interest is Friday 10 September 2021, 5pm.

The MSW pilot Business Innovation Programme is subject to funding from the UK Community Renewal Fund and therefore any business submitting an expression of interest should note registration does not guarantee their participation.

To learn more about MSW and its Regional Economic Strategy visit: https://midsouthwestregion.org/.

Notes to Editor

• The Mid South West (MSW) Region comprises of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Mid Ulster District Council areas.
• The MSW Region represents 25% of the Northern Ireland total population and has a working age population of 300,000.
• The region accounts for one fifth of Northern Ireland’s gross value added (GVA) which highlights the high level of entrepreneurial activity in the MSW area. Significant additional GVA also arises from the supply chain and consumer spending impacts associated with this direct employment.
• There are 24,000 VAT registered businesses, a third of the total number of Northern Ireland businesses.
• 27 per cent of Northern Ireland’s exports take place within this region, which is a higher percentage than Belfast.
• Manufacturing (including Agri-food and Advanced Forms) is central to the region’s economy, it represents 39% of Northern Ireland in this sector.
• Some of Northern Ireland’s largest companies originate and are based in the region, including Almac, Moy Park, Thompson Aero, Terex, Dunbia, McAleer & Rushe, Balcas and the Kerry Group.