Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - UKMidsINNOV (UKMidsINNOV)

Teaser

UKMidsINNOV was designed to establish new services in the English Midlands region to enhance the innovation management capacity of SMEs. The project was specifically intended to provide high-quality specialist consulting services to improve innovation capacity in SMEs and...

Summary

UKMidsINNOV was designed to establish new services in the English Midlands region to enhance the innovation management capacity of SMEs. The project was specifically intended to provide high-quality specialist consulting services to improve innovation capacity in SMEs and provide beneficiaries of the SME Instrument with access to coaching services.

The objectives of the project were to provide two services to two specific groups of SMEs:

1 - Key Account Management to beneficiaries of the SME Instrument
2 - Enhancing the Innovation capacity of SMEs to innovative SMEs with a high potential for internationalisation

Work performed

The project addressed solely the Key Account Management role and thereby performed a critical function in offering coaching services to the first cohort of SME Instrument beneficiaries located in the Midlands region of the UK.

The Enhancing the Innovation Management Capacity service was not implemented for numerous reasons including: 1. lack of training and experience in Imp3rove tool 2. UKMidsINNOV was designed to be implemented in coordination with other regions and partners of the UK network. No model was designed during this period for use by incumbents.

In terms of KAM, duing this period there are three companies that were approached by EEN; and which showed interest in the new service in conjunction with their SME Instrument grant.

1 - Jarilo Ltd
2 - Face Recording and Measurement Ltd
3 - SACO Ltd

Other beneficiaries were approached but did not wish to proceed with the EEN offer. They were ITL and the Technology Research Centre.

In the given timescale, EEN were able to contact the total of five companies, describe the offer and set up meetings. In the period, meetings took place with Jarilo Ltd and Face Recording and Measurement Ltd. The meeting with SACO Ltd did not take place until January 2015. Representatives of Jarilo and Face undertook the initial assessment using the Growth Mapper tool.

In both of these cases follow up meetings did not take place until January 2015.

Final results

The impact has been positive in the case of Face Recording and Measurement and SACO Ltd. Both companies are using the coaching service and EEN is acting as a Key Account Manager. To date the companies have reported positive results on their projects and the coaching has been viewed favourably with perceived added value.