Lancaster University Management School leads £32 million Wave 2 growth hub programme creating 1,700 jobs in the process.
Originally there were just 4 growth hubs across the UK.
The programme aims to help these regions support their local business and provide access to national and local business support schemes, it is supported by the government’s Regional Growth Fund.
It has been a successful scheme with 4.5 jobs created every day that the programme has been running, with 25,000 SMEs engaged with so far.
Speaking about the move, Dr Amy Gibbons, Wave 2 Growth Hubs Programme Manager, said: “There are lessons to be learnt here, we’ve given this network of growth hubs a voice which feeds back to policy makers and into other growth hubs coming online.
“39 growth hubs are being created through the UK, including Wave 2, alongside LEPs.
“We have used our expertise on managing funding, including 15 years experience in the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development of programmes supporting SMEs and have integrated that knowledge into the programme.
“The challenge has been the timescale that we have had to do it.
“The programme was set up in December 2013 following the allocation of funds to the city regions and will come to a close in June 2015.
“To bring 15 growth hubs into action in a year and half has at times been challenging but we have risen to it.
“So far we have created 1,700 jobs, with a lot more jobs in the pipeline.
“I am very proud to be working on a programme that is achieving so much.”
