Durham Business Opportunities Programme Overarching objective is to

Durham Business Opportunities Programme Ø Overarching objective is to identify barriers to growth and provide tailored support to overcome them Ø Target ‘hard to engage’ SME’s Ø Key but not ‘exclusive’ sectors – Manufacturing & Engineering; Creative and Town Centre opportunities Ø Target 250 SME’s with 12 hours support over three years

Key activity strands Ø Proactive engagement Ø Raise awareness of current and new opportunities Ø Provide intensive support for businesses facing similar issues – I. e. Peer to Peer workshop facilitated by a industrial expert Ø Monitoring and co-ordination over a three year period – taking businesses on a journey and helping them overcome issues along the way

DBOP opportunities currently being considered Ø Supply chain opportunities (I. e. automotive/public sector) Ø New local and exporting opportunities in a post Brexit trading climate Ø Childcare provision from September 2017 Ø Creative Industries – Durham Works Ø Continued development and establishment of business park networks Ø Facilitating SME access and utilisation of innovation support Ø Superfast broadband roll out and raising awareness of its opportunities to build up capacity within effected businesses

Interested? Ø Please give me or the DBOP team a call Guy Bashford guy. bashford@durham. gov. uk Tel: 07920 822890 Office tel: 01207 291268 Email: DBOPEnquiries@durham. gov. uk