Success Story: npd Studio
- Friday, March 13, 2026
- Posted By The Growth Company
Strengthening Security, Ecosystem Connectivity and Strategic Growth for a High-Performing Design Studio
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18.6% Turnover Growth |
49.2% Net Profit Growth |
£1M+ Projected Turnover |
£40M+ Economic Impact |
Background
About npd Studio
npd Studio is an award-winning product design and innovation consultancy based in Preston, Lancashire. Founded by Nathan Partington, the studio has built a reputation on creating market-leading products - from early concept through to manufacture and commercialisation. Delivering full end-to-end design, from strategy and CAD through prototyping and manufacture, npd operates with a clear ethical model: they only work on products they believe deserve to exist, prioritising projects with genuine environmental, social or commercial impact. When they commit, they stay committed - remaining embedded through the entire lifecycle, from the first sketch through to market.
The business operates across multiple sectors, from industrial through to consumer, with clients ranging from ambitious startups to established enterprise organisations. npd is highly selective about the projects they commit to - applying their expertise only where they are confident genuine impact is possible. Their work contributes an estimated £40m+ annually to the North West economy - a powerful innovation multiplier for regional manufacturers and a demonstration of how design-led thinking drives real commercial value.
With a growing reputation in the defence and security sector and an exciting new relationship with BAE Systems, npd sought structured support to strengthen their security posture, scale their operations and connect more deeply with the wider defence and advanced manufacturing ecosystem across the North West - areas where Innovate UK Business Growth was ideally placed to help.
Challenge
The Challenges npd Faced
As npd grew from an agile micro-agency into a more complex, multi-site business working with regulated customers, several critical challenges emerged.
Entering Defence & Security Markets
With a significant new relationship with BAE Systems underway, npd needed to move quickly to build the security foundations that a defence partnership demands - formal structures, clearances and accreditation pathways that the business hadn’t yet formalised.
Maturing Cybersecurity and Governance
A Secure Innovation Security Review highlighted gaps including no appointed security lead, no cyber-incident response plan, limited logging and monitoring, and inconsistent supplier due diligence - issues that could restrict access to regulated supply chains and undermine confidence with enterprise clients.
Scaling Infrastructure and Talent
Growing demand required investment in design engineering capacity, advanced in-house prototyping equipment, and a team restructured around technical complexity. Refinancing options also needed exploring to fund this growth phase.
Building a Strategic Regional Ecosystem
npd wanted to move beyond individual client relationships and become genuinely embedded in the Lancashire defence and innovation corridor - connecting with clusters, research institutions and place-based partnerships around Warton, Samlesbury and Preston.
Solution
How Innovate UK Business Growth Supported npd
Innovate UK Business Growth delivered a coordinated package of support combining secure innovation, ecosystem connectivity and strategic growth coaching.
Secure Innovation Security Review
Through the Secure Innovation programme, delivered in partnership with NPSA, npd received a comprehensive assessment covering physical, cyber, personnel and governance security. This produced a clear, prioritised action roadmap:
- Appointing a board-level security lead
- Developing a cyber-incident response plan
- Embedding personnel security processes
- Introducing regular staff security training and internal communications protocols
npd completed their action plan and implemented improvements across the business. They have since been selected as a national exemplar for the programme, with Innovate UK and NPSA actively promoting their story at a regional and national level.
Ecosystem Connectivity & Strategic Introductions
Michael Hadfield, Senior Innovation and Growth Specialist, connected npd into a multi-layered ecosystem of defence, manufacturing, research and finance partners. Key outcomes:
- Joined the North West Regional Defence and Security Cluster, where npd is now used as an SME exemplar
- Secured presence at UCLan’s Altitude facility on the BAE Warton Enterprise Zone
- Connected into STFC’s drone technologies group, D3iP/Battlelab and MOD-focused opportunities
- Collaboration with AMRC North West on applied engineering projects
- JOSCAR registered, with ADS and MAKE UK Defence membership secured
- Introductions to Chorley Council, Access to Finance and local innovation networks
This shifted npd from a talented standalone design studio into an embedded, credentialed player within the regional defence and advanced manufacturing ecosystem.
Strategic Coaching & Growth Planning
Ongoing one-to-one coaching with Michael supported npd to refine a defence-first growth strategy for 2025–26, align operations and recruitment with regulated market requirements, and shape a compelling narrative for PR, speaking engagements and business development. Regular action-planning sessions ensured momentum, accountability and measurable progress.
Impact
Results Since April 2025
Commercial Growth
npd's turnover grew from £566k to £671.5k in 2024–25 - an 18.6% increase - with net profit rising from £120k to £179k (49% growth). The business is projecting £1m+ turnover in 2025–26, underpinned by a strong pipeline in defence, energy and manufacturing. Work with BAE Systems now represents approximately 15% of annual revenue, with repeat projects and an active pipeline of further engagement. The products npd designs and develops continue to generate over £40m annually to the North West economy - supporting thousands of jobs across regional manufacturers and supply chains.
Breakthrough Defence Partnership: BAE Systems Typhoon
npd’s most significant project since April 2025 has been their embedded work with BAE Systems on the Typhoon fighter jet programme. BAE required rapid modernisation of simulator avionics equipment but faced internal resource constraints. They deliberately restricted their search to local businesses, selecting npd in Preston as the right partner.
npd designed high-integrity panels - critical interface systems providing key flight data to pilots during development and testing. Working iteratively and collaboratively, with weekly face-to-face sessions delivering updated prototypes at pace, npd compressed what would typically take 18 months into just three months. The Typhoon supports 6,000 jobs in Lancashire and 20,000 across the UK - npd’s contribution to keeping this platform competitive is a direct contribution to the region’s strategic economic importance.
The response from BAE was to embed further: npd has secured a dedicated design studio at BAE Systems’ Warton facility - a clear signal of the partnership’s long-term strategic value.
"At BAE Systems, we had the emergent requirement to rapidly modernise a piece of simulator avionics equipment, but internal resource constraints led us to outsourcing. We restricted our search to local businesses, knowing that a national option was unlikely to deliver a successful outcome. With that in mind, we took the chance with npd in Preston, right on our doorstep. npd exceeded all expectations delivering a fast, cost-effective and high-quality solution. Daily back-and-forth communication enabled a rapid pace of change, while npd’s innovation pushed the design beyond what we had originally envisioned. Our weekly face-to-face sessions further accelerated progress, with each meeting delivering updated prototypes that incorporated the latest design changes — demonstrating npd’s impressive agility. This collaboration was a shared learning experience and highlighted the value of partnering with a skilled local business like npd."
Jobs, Skills and Capacity
Since April 2025, npd has made targeted investments in people and infrastructure to support its scaling trajectory:
- Recruited a Marketing Director to elevate visibility and articulate value to new client prospects
- Promoted a senior team member to Design Director, strengthening technical leadership as project complexity increases
- Added a part-time intern and dedicated freelance content creator to support growing project volume and market presence
- Recruited a new Product Design Engineer, joining in March 2026, to meet growing project pipeline
- Relocating in April 2026 to a 3,000 sq ft studio with security and in-house prototyping at its core.
Team investment has also extended to building operational maturity. The Operations Director has strengthened planning, HR frameworks and governance processes, while the leadership team works closely with Innovate UK specialists and a business mentor to develop their capability to lead through rapid change.
New Facilities & Routes to Market
Alongside the new Preston studio, npd has secured a strategic presence at Altitude on the BAE Warton Enterprise Zone, improving visibility and proximity to prime contractors and the wider Lancashire defence corridor.
npd’s venture pipeline - including investments in Site Pod (on-site welfare for construction) and Arc Master (golf training technology) - demonstrates their commitment to staying embedded through the full product lifecycle. Site Pod has been trading with Bradfords Plant and Tool Hire for over 12 months and has recently secured listings with Travis Perkins - it also has recently successful secured European expansion. Arc Master recently exhibited at the PGA Golf Show in Florida, attracting endorsements from world-leading golf professionals.
Security, Compliance & Accreditation
- Completed Secure Innovation Action Plan with staff training, incident planning and governance improvements implemented
- JOSCAR registered (renewal October 2026) - enabling access to defence procurement pathways
- ADS and MAKE UK Defence membership secured
- ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 in progress - near completion
- Selected as a national exemplar for the Secure Innovation programme by Innovate UK and NPSA
Reputation & National Visibility
- Winner, Prolific North Creative Studio of the Year 2025
- Selected to represent the SME viewpoint at ministerial and MOD engagement events
- Nominated for 3 Red Rose Awards
- Featured in panels, workshops and ecosystem events, raising the profile of SME innovation in the defence sector
- PR coverage secured nationally following the Secure Innovation case study publication
- Nathan Partington, Founder, developing a growing thought leadership presence in defence and advanced manufacturing circles
"The support from Innovate UK Business Growth has been genuinely transformational for us. Michael didn’t just point us in the right direction - he opened doors we didn’t know existed and helped us understand where we fit within a much bigger picture. We’re a better, more connected and more credible business because of it."
Looking Ahead
Future Plans
npd’s ambition is clearly defined and building momentum. By 2028, the business aims to achieve £2m in revenue, establishing npd Studio as a recognised centre of excellence for design-led innovation in the North West. Strategic plans include:
- Moving into more suitable premises in 2026 and consolidating operations at the Warton Enterprise Zone
- Developing a specialist Defence and Security unit within the studio
- Expanding their venture pipeline with new product investments alongside continued client growth
- Deepening engagement with the NW Regional Defence & Security Cluster, AMRC North West and university innovation networks
npd is a business that proves the North West’s industrial heritage and design capability can solve some of the world’s most complex challenges. With the support of Innovate UK Business Growth, they have moved from a talented standalone studio to an embedded, credentialed, ecosystem-connected innovation partner - and they are just getting started.