Business leaders and entrepreneurs from across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire have celebrated their ‘graduation’ from a Keele University support programme.

The Innovation Leadership*, a prestigious programme which aims to address the distinctive organisational and leadership challenges facing innovation-led and knowledge-intensive businesses across the local area, marked the completion of its second cohort at a ceremony last week.

Over the past six-months, participants on the fully-funded programme have received a wide range of learning activities, led by Keele academics and external business experts and leaders. Each participant has also received one-to-one support from a dedicated Entrepreneur in Residence, providing coaching, advice and guidance in between each of the 12 learning sessions.

Case studies from cohort two participants:

• Peak Activity Services
• DRM Technic

The programme’s third and final cohort is set to commence in May 2018, with the last few places still available. There is no fee for participants to sign-up to the programme – the only cost is your time to attend the sessions.

The programme is open to leaders of small to medium-sized businesses, as well as early-stage and aspiring entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial social innovators. These individuals must be looking to develop products or services, achieve scalable routes to market and achieve strategic business growth. Applicants must be an owner, director or employee of a registered business in Stoke-on-Trent or Staffordshire.

To find out more information about the programme, please visit www.keele.ac.uk/mcil or contact Keele University’s Business Gateway on 01782 733001 or email business.gateway@keele.ac.uk.

*The Mercia Centre for Innovation Leadership (ref: 32R15P00229) is part-funded from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds England Growth Programme 2014-2020.