Programmes

You may know that we work with individuals and organisations across the country. But, did you know that we lead the way in business support programmes, too? They’re our way of helping key sectors to find the prosperity they deserve.

To give you an idea of what we can do, we’ve listed current programmes - and programmes from recent years.

Because we believe in change, we believe in better. So, if you run a programme that helps people to work smarter, we’d love to hear from you. Collaboration makes us stronger - just like innovative thinking.

Enterprise Europe Network Wales

Business Support on your Doorstep

Are you missing out on export opportunities?

If so BIC Innovation can assist. Through the Enterprise Europe Network programme we can support you by providing technology transfer and transnational support for SME’s within Wales.

Engaging with Europe can provide SME’s with access to a huge single market of 450 million consumers and enables them to trade freely across borders and to operate all over Europe. An opportunity to Increase Market Share, Exploit New Markets, Identify New Opportunities, Improve Products/Technologies and Gain a Competitive Advantage.

Our team of experienced advisors can provide support and assistance to begin the internationalisation process. We work closely with the our partners within the Wales consortium as well as a wider network of close to 600 partners and 3000 experts across Europe and beyond, to provide a One Stop Shop for Businesses within Wales.

For further information on this Programme, please contact Anna Pearce, T: 01248 671101 E:anna.pearce@bic-innovation.com                          

Or visit the Enterprise Europe Network Wales Website: http://www.enterpriseeuropewales.org.uk/wlx/

Business Innovation-Design

Good design is good business

BIC Innovation manages Design support within the £35m Business Innovation Programme for the Welsh Assembly Government, delivered all Wales in partnership with Contact Innovation and Design Reality.

Good design is hard to define, but we all know it when we see it. The colour schemes, materials textures, shapes and themes - whether ergonomic, psychological, purely practical, or led by the latest fashion trends - all determine the success or failure of a product in the market. The better your design, the clearer the message your business conveys to your target market.

Our multidisciplinary team of experienced and qualified design advisers from the private sector will work closely alongside Innovation Managers and Manufacturing Managers to ensure that design is considered at all stages in your NPD process.

To find out more, visit the Welsh Assembly Government here

Workforce Development Programme

Better skills, better performance

If you need a better-skilled workforce, we know just the person to help. With a Human Resource Development adviser, our knowledge becomes yours. Funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, it’s a programme that delivers expertise when you need it most.

It’s like a new member of the team, who works with you to spot areas of improvement, create plans, and help you learn new things. Not just in person, but with outside courses, grants, up to 50% of your training costs, apprenticeships, and more.

Whether you’re public or private sector, sometimes everybody needs a go-to guy. Ours can help you achieve Investors in People, work based NVQs, REACT funding, and a whole lot besides.

Next Generation Broadband Cornwall Programme

Connecting to success

BIC Innovation manages the strategic marketing consultancy for Europe’s largest regional superfast broadband project, worth £132m. Working for the Cornwall Development Company and BT, our role is to create demand and to inspire Cornish businesses to harness superfast broadband, delivering up to 100MB - not just for their own competitive advantage. but the economy as a whole, too.

Cywain

Adding value through collaboration

BIC are vital delivery partners in the Cywain project. The main aim of Cywain is to help the agriculture sector to add value to primary produce.

This is achieved by developing new products or markets, with the emphasis on collaboration. The assistance available involves diverse support including facilitation, expert advice, and a quality mentoring service with a strong emphasis on adding value. The aim is to build the capacity and confidence of the participants, enable them to take ownership of the new venture, and encourage them to make the most of its potential. The service is available to both individuals and groups.

The project will operate throughout Wales, and is funded through the Supply Chain Efficiency Scheme (one of the Rural Development Plan for Wales schemes).

Early Stage Development Fund

Turning research into commercial reality

BIC Innovation help Further Education Institutions and Higher Education Institutions to identify potential commercial opportunities, helping them scope out and envision those opportunities using BIC’s I.C.E process (Innovation Commercialisation Exploitation).

Gwynedd Rural Development Plan - Innovate

Funding bright ideas

The Gwynedd Rural Development Plan aimed to help young people, community groups, farming families and the underemployed launch new businesses.

The main aim of the scheme was to develop an enterprising culture within farming families and rural businesses, by providing assistance for the research and pre-commercialisation development of new products and services.

The support included:

• Support to stimulate and develop ideas

• Market research

• Funding to commission the management of technical development and detailed business planning.

This programme concentrated on developing products, services, and innovative processes within the areas of agriculture, diversification from agriculture, and the environment.

Professional support was available to develop ideas with a bottom-up, collaborative approach, and transform them into commercial ventures.

Manufacturing Advisory Service

Leading Industry Advice

BIC delivered MAS Wales between 2005 - 2008, working with over 600 manufacturers. We currently support individual MAS projects in the South West, London and the East Midlands.

Menterra

New crops, new ventures, new value

Menterra was an innovative £2.6m, three-year long programme to develop new crops and plants, as well as traditional and indigenous ones. Aimed at farmers, the project aimed to lay the foundations for the development of processing facilities in order that Gwynedd’s economy could benefit from developments on farms within the county. BIC managed the marketing and market research of the new products as well as the commercialisation of the new produce.

Innovation Partnership (InPART)

Opportunities through networking

InPART provided unique networking. It brought together key players from the public sector, education and training, R&D, economic development, enterprise and business support. Their mission? Ensure no opportunity is missed.

For six years, the scheme pioneered networking, discussion, information dissemination, and briefings on vital topics. It provided more than market information, and knowledge of opportunities - it helped businesses look over the horizon, and be stronger for it.

FEED

Opportunities for Further Education

This commercialisation programme was aimed at the Further Education sector in Wales. Based on the BIC I.C.E process, key elements of it included developing an innovation culture, having the right structures, and developing a means to identify processes and IP.

NHS

Working for a healthier outlook

BIC undertook service improvement projects for the NHS in Wales, from orthopaedics and ophthalmology to substance misuse and occupational therapy.