Product, process, and service innovation — Derbyshire Accelerator

The Derbyshire Accelerator is one strand of the East Midlands Accelerator Programme. East Midlands Chamber are leading the programme, with other partners in Derbyshire including the University of Derby, Derbyshire County Council, Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire and The Food and Drink Forum. The project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Innovate to move forward

The pandemic has certainly taught us all the importance of innovation — being able to adapt how you do business when the market demands it. Innovation within a business can take many forms: from changing your entire business model, to developing a new product, or redesigning a business process. Innovation can give you a competitive edge, but in many organisations, it can be difficult to find the time, money, expertise, or technology to do it all in-house. Derbyshire Accelerator can help with this.

What’s on offer

Free, online business health check (SMEs)

We have developed a brand-new business health check tool that you can access online. It's specifically for small organisations and is designed to offer practical information and guidance on how to recover and improve business performance during the current economic climate. 

Find out more and start your health check

Free strategising workshops

Professor Mark Gilman will run a series of free workshops, which will help you define where you want your business to be in the short, medium and longer term and plan how you are going to get there.

Register your interest

One-to-one support and interactive workshops on innovation

Our experts will guide you through the innovation process and identify funding options. You will also get the opportunity to meet, learn from and work with regional and national entrepreneurs, investors and innovation specialists.

Register your interest

Growth vouchers of up to £2000

You can obtain growth vouchers up to the value of £2000. These can be used in a variety of ways to support business growth, including on product, process or service innovation activities. For instance, you could use them to help pay for a student or graduate to support a project or fill a vacancy, or pay towards the cost of strategic consultancy. 

Register your interest in this offer

Free masterclass on nature-based economies

There’s been a lot of talk about ‘nature-based economies’ recently; a new concept that aims to create new businesses and business models that actually improve biodiversity and the natural environment, rather than harm it. This idea clearly offers many opportunities for our rural region — from nature-based tourism to high-nature value or ‘wild’ meats.

Our experts will be running sessions on this topic, helping you learn how your business could benefit.

Register your interest in this