Starting a Business?

The Centre supports all businesses ranging from pre-start ups who have an idea they wish to explore, through to established SMEs looking to expand their business or develop new products / services within an innovative and supportive environment. In simple terms the philosophy behind the ladder of provision in the Centre can be summarised as:

• Virtual Office/ Hot Desk - Pre Start-Up
• Rent-a-Desk - Start-Up
• Small Unit - Emerging SME
• Large Unit - Established SME
• Virtual Prototype Workshop - All Users

Business support services will be available to all registered users, both within and outside the Centre. Flexible ‘easy in / easy out’ terms will be standard and the length of occupation will be controlled to ensure a rollover of SMEs. Emphasis will be given to ‘moving businesses on’ and helping them to grow during their time at the Centre to a point where can be sustainable in the open market. Tenants are charged a single fee inclusive of affordable rent, business rates, service charge, heating and broadband. All services and support to SMEs are be operated under the "de minimus" State Aid procedures, with evidence being collected from the participating SMEs.

The building is constructed to high environmental standards incorporating features to minimise energy and water requirements, for example a storm water holding tank for servicing sanitary facilities. The building's heating and hot water systems operating partly from geothermal sources via a ground heat exchanger and / or support this via solar panel technology. Through careful design and waste recycling measures the overall energy consumption of the building will be reduced.

Business Support and Training

Particular emphasis is placed on developing ICT skills and facilities and encouraging ICT based businesses. Nurturing such businesses is expected to require specific technological advice as well as more traditional business support services. Tenants of the Centre have access to the award winning ICT team at Business Link Derbyshire, headed by Diane Simpson, Broadband Champion for the area. This specific ICT support base is complemented by a comprehensive business support package including the following:

• Business Planning and Development
• Funding advice – routes to finance, partnering and investment
• Product/process viability assessment
• Outsourcing
• Marketing and sales including web and e-commerce
• Assessment of manufacturing costs and process
• Research and Development
• Exporting
• Finding and managing agents and distributors
• Legal and legislation advice including Intellectual Property Rights and Contracts
• Accounting advice including VAT
• Human resources including recruitment
• Patent and licensing recruitment
• Large Unit - Established SME
• Crisis management

North Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce are the primary business support partners and provide support or signpost tenants (and other businesses in the area) accordingly. Specific technological advice and support for the ‘Virtual Prototype Workshop’ come primarily from Higher Education Institutions, notably Sheffield Hallam University, through formal working arrangements which are currently being established.

Strong links with the CLOC Training facility in Killamarsh Town Centre, provide SMEs with a local training source. Derbyshire County Council’s Lifelong Learning Team have confirmed their support for the project and are keen to deliver a range of training courses from the Innovation Centre. This will be entirely complementary to the CLOC which has been extremely successful since its opening in the late 1990’s and which operates at capacity. This will extend the spectrum of provision locally having a specific bias towards local business needs, whereas the CLOC will retain a more community focus. This will bring an important training element to the project and will establish an impressive ‘ladder of provision’ for training locally.