Innovation Leadership Programme
This programme has now ended. Please visit our Business Support page for information on current support and collaboration opportunities.
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The fully-funded Innovation Leadership programme at Keele University supports aspirational business leaders and early-stage entrepreneurs to develop the skills, knowledge and attributes to take their business to the next level.
Our last cohort of the Innovation Leadership programme commenced in October 2022, if you would like to find out about other ways that we can support your organisation please get in touch:
gateway@keele.ac.uk | 01782 733001
Your path to innovation led-growth
Delivered by a dedicated team of expert business leaders, academics and Entrepreneurs in Residence, the programme is fully-funded and exclusively open to small-to-medium sized businesses in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire who are predominantly B2B.
- Zero cost to your business - Fully-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the only cost to your business is your time.
- Six two-day sessions – Working around you, the programme consists of 12 sessions across a six-month period.
Programme features
Gain access to:
- Coaching, advice and guidance
- A unique blend of action learning - including one-to-one sessions, peer review, activity-based learning, creative challenge-based activity and self-directed learning
- Innovation-focussed action plan development for your business
- Access to the latest thinking around innovation and social value, dedicated masterclasses and a unique innovation eco-system
"The past six months on the Innovation Leadership programme have been the most beneficial in my career so far. I have met, talked too, learned from and got the opportunity to listen to some of the most influential people I think I will ever meet. I returned to the office following each session bouncing off the walls (literally), inspired, excited, passionate and empowered."
"Hearing from guest speaker, Alun Rogers, and his journey of business growth gave me the confidence to finance and further expand, setting up Midway Scientific in late 2020. Just over a year later, with the hard work and determination of the team, Midway Scientific has firmly placed itself as one of the leading subcontract manufacturers and precision engineering companies in the country with a team of 19 highly skilled employees. I would highly recommend the programme to business owners who are seriously focussed on growth."
"It has been great to see all our regional entrepreneurs bloom and blossom through the programme and to build that informal network of business leaders helping each other, whether this be a shoulder to cry on or to inspire and give confidence to new ideas. That feeling of camaraderie and being able to learn lessons has been really inspiring to be a part of."
"It's been great. As a result of the Innovation Leadership programme, we began to implement a new business strategy which quickly resulted in the appointment of a new member of staff to support our ambitions."
"One of the best things about the programme was the quality and variety of guest speakers. Following Grant Leboff’s marketing workshop, we revisited our own branding, which resulted in us launching a fresh look and logo design shortly after completing the programme. As a further extension of this, a new Help Centre Experience app was launched last year, giving our clients a real value-added service as well as enabling our team to better respond to enquiries. "
"The skills I developed as a result of the course allowed me to quickly pivot my business model at the start of the pandemic, re-targeting new sectors when our existing market collapsed, and later maximising new opportunities. Additionally, the programme impressed the importance of not only building a world class team but ensuring that we communicate our core values to them and to our clients."
Benefits to your business
- Dedicated time to focus on innovation and R&D as a strategic driver for your business growth
- Topics include; innovation and creativity, diversification, marketing, business development, funding and team dynamics.
- Apply world-leading research and knowledge on innovation leadership in order to produce a positive impact on your business’s bottom line
- Access to the wide scientific and technological infrastructure of Keele University
- Be part of a unique innovation network
- Learn from fellow hand-picked entrepreneurs and social innovators
| Dates | Session |
|---|---|
| 6 & 7 October 2022 |
Session 1: Creating the conditions for innovation to flourish |
| 10 & 11 November 2022 |
Session 2: Innovation and creativity |
| 8 & 9 December 2022 |
Session 3: Marketing and sales success |
| 12 & 13 January 2023 |
Session 4: Getting comfortable with leadership |
| 9 & 10 February 2023 | Session 5: How to win more business As a change of pace, this session looks through the lens of business growth – in particular, how to win more work, by tendering – complemented by signposting to access growth enablers, such as funding, grants, and innovation support. |
| 9 & 10 March 2023 |
Session 6: Creating an A-team |
The Keele University Innovation Leadership programme (also referred to as the Mercia Centre for Innovation Leadership programme) is delivered through the Keele University Science & Innovation Park Smart Innovation Hub (Ref: 32R17P01691). This programme is part-funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the England Structural and Investments Funds (ESIF) Growth Programme.