FLOURISH

SMEs, community groups, and not-for-profit organisations in Newcastle-under-Lyme are able to benefit from Keele University's student and graduate talent, through a brand new initiative called FLOURISH.

The University is able to facilitate 60 fully-funded projects, with students or recent graduates working with eligible businesses for up to 100 hours per project.

The projects can be delivered virtually or in-person, and provide an opportunity to trial new ideas or develop existing ones without longer term commitment.

FLOURISH will deliver the projects across the following key themes:

• Digital Society and Economy – including digital transformation projects with SMEs and other organisations, as well as supervised 1:1 assistance to build digital capabilities for communities and individuals.
• Sustainability – including projects round carbon literacy, sustainable energy, biodiversity, circular economy, and sustainable transport.
• SME innovation – product, service and process innovation, market engagement, and supply chain management in areas where Keele has post-graduate expertise.
• Culture and Creativity – ‘In Residence’ programme for town centre businesses across history, creative writing and film-making and music, with creative outputs exhibited and/or performed in a town centre location.
• Entrepreneurship – supporting entrepreneurial readiness for individuals, and early-stage incubation of new businesses including graduate start-ups.

The student or graduate assigned to your project will:

• Deliver an agreed, fully-funded, (up to) 100 hour project or piece of work to assist and improve the competitiveness of the business (ideally more than 8 hours a week).
• Deliver the project or piece of work either virtually, in-situ/on site, or as a combination.
• Reflect throughout the process and report on the impact they have made for the business.

The Keele Project Team will:

• Match you directly or propose two students using our in-house expertise (you can see CVs and invite them to an informal interview – we work with undergraduate talent mainly, so please remember you are not working with a freelancer or consultant).
• Manage all the administration for both parties to start their project – once you start we ask that you meet with your student weekly to keep on track.
• Pay the student £1,200 at the end of the 100 hours – we just ask that you cover any travel expenses (though the hours can be done virtually).

Criteria:

• Proof of being an SME business trading in the Newcastle-under-Lyme borough. Check here: Local Plan Interactive Map (arcgis.com)
• Turnover less than £36m, balance sheet less than £18m and staff numbers less than 250.

It is expected that a number of the above projects will be run through the University's recently-announced new town centre home, Keele in Town, when it opens later in 2024.

Organisations in Newcastle-under-Lyme can register their interest in these programmes today by contacting the Keele Gateway team: gateway@keele.ac.uk or 01782 733001.

FLOURISH is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, through Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus.