Prime Highlights
- Worcestershire County Council launches the fully funded Advance Worcestershire Pathway Programme for SMEs.
- Programme delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice, offering tailored advice across three growth pathways.
Key Facts
- Businesses receive a minimum of six hours of one-to-one specialist support.
- High-growth businesses can access eight additional hours of intensive support.
Background
Worcestershire County Council has rolled out the Advance Worcestershire Pathway Programme, a fully funded initiative built to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sharpen innovation, run more efficiently and generate high-value jobs across the county.
Oxford Innovation Advice delivers the programme on the council’s behalf, giving ambitious businesses tailored expert advice to reach their next stage of growth.
The initiative supports businesses looking to innovate, strengthen manufacturing capability or become investment ready, helping them build resilience and pursue new opportunities.
Participating businesses will receive a minimum of six hours of one-to-one support from a specialist adviser, covering a review of business performance and the development of a bespoke action plan across the three pathways of innovation, manufacturing and investment readiness.
Businesses showing strong growth potential can progress to a second phase, gaining at least eight additional hours of intensive support tailored to their chosen pathway, helping them implement their plans and accelerate measurable improvements.
Councillor Adam Kent, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Finance, Corporate Services and Business at Worcestershire County Council, said the programme gives ambitious businesses practical, targeted support to develop innovative products, adopt new technologies, improve manufacturing processes or become investment ready.
He highlighted Worcestershire’s strong reputation for innovation, engineering excellence and entrepreneurship, and encouraged SMEs with growth ambitions to take up the fully funded opportunity.
The programme forms part of Worcestershire County Council’s continued commitment to supporting business growth, driving innovation and strengthening the county’s economy.
