The Growth Company wins Growth Hub tender to deliver new funded business growth service in Lancashire

GC Business, part of The Growth Company, has won a competitive tender to deliver two new funded business growth services as part of a refreshed £3.9m business support programme.

We will deliver the Growth Catalyst and Scale to Thrive services as part of Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, which has revealed a new funding deal.

The new funding will ensure that Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, continues until March 2025, with a potential extension beyond that.

Growth Catalyst will help established businesses ready to take their business to the next level, and Scale to Thrive is an exclusive service for businesses with over £1m turnover looking to scale 20% year on year.

Led by Lancashire County Council, Boost, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2023, has supported more than 14,000 businesses since its launch in 2013, creating more than 3,500 jobs.

The Growth Hub is aiming to support over 1,000 more businesses, in addition to helping 125 new businesses start and create more than 1,000 new jobs.

The £3.9million Boost programme is made up of contributions from Lancashire County Council (£1.2m), UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocations from 10 partner local authorities, and the Department of Business & Trade (£2.7m).

The partner local authorities are Blackburn with Darwen Council, Burnley Council, Chorley Council, Fylde Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, Pendle Borough Council, Preston City Council, South Ribble Borough Council, West Lancashire Borough Council and Wyre Council.

Boost offers six core services including:

• Business Support Helpdesk: A service that offers advice and guidance on available local, national and sector business support.
• Business Advice Service: A service that matches a business with an adviser and includes a business review, a business support action plan, business clinics and regular updates.
• Growth Catalyst: A service to help established businesses ready to take their business to the next level.
• Scale to Thrive: An exclusive service for businesses over £1m turnover looking to scale 20% year on year.
• Flying Start: A service that helps people start a new business or grow a young business.
• Access to Finance: A service that helps businesses find and secure the finance and funding they need.

The Business Support Helpdesk is available to businesses across the whole of Lancashire, with the Business Advice, Growth Catalyst, Scale to Thrive, Flying Start and Access to Finance services available to businesses in the 10 partner local authority areas.

Andrew Leeming, programme manager of Boost, added: “This is a powerful and exciting new Growth Hub partnership offering a rich breadth of business support to owners and leaders across the county.

“We went through a rigorous tendering process and that has resulted a highly specialised and experienced new team of Boost delivery partners, well equipped to help Lancashire businesses start, grow and thrive.”

Richard Jeffery, National Director, GC Business, said: “We are proud to be a partner in delivering business support across Lancashire, building on our long-term relationship with the local business community. As a national social enterprise, with a strong anchor in the North West, we are passionate about supporting businesses to thrive, grow and scale-up. We are excited to build on our proven track record and bring our unique insights and tools, including Growth Flag and Benchmark Index, to Lancashire businesses.”

County Councillor Aidy Riggott, cabinet member for economic development and growth, Lancashire County Council, said: “It’s been ten years of impact for Boost and we are firmly setting the dial towards the future with a comprehensive range of services and programmes to help more entrepreneurs and leaders start, grow and thrive, especially those that have not received support from Boost.”

Lancashire business owners and leaders can get in touch with Boost by calling 0800 488 0057 or contacting Boost online.