Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership is running a Westmorland and Furness focused programme to support aspiring entrepreneurs to develop their business ideas and innovations alongside provision of advice to existing businesses to identify opportunities to expand, grow and improve productivity and profits.

Cumbria Chamber of Commerce is a delivery part on the pre-start programme – anyone thinking about or looking to start a business in the Westmorland & Furness area can email Lesley Robinson, Head of Business Support – lesleyr@cumbriachamber.co.uk. Initial support is 3hrs fully funded adviser support with the potential to increase hours of support and also apply for a small grant of up to £500.

Existing SMEs are being assisted to help overcome challenges, become more competitive and resilient and to consider opportunities for growth, whether this be to expand into new markets, adopt new innovations and ways of working, cut business costs or improve marketing campaigns to grow their customer base.

The programme runs until the end of January 2025 and existing businesses that want to access support should contact the Programme Manager, Leslie Rickerby – leslie.rickerby@thecumbrialep.co.uk to start their support journey.

Leadership Programme – Today’s Talent, Tomorrow’s Leaders

CLEP have recently launched a new Leadership Development Programme “Today’s Talent, Tomorrow’s Leaders” aimed at developing Cumbria’s next generation of leaders, providing them with the necessary skills to effectively manage organisations and people.

The programme presents an exciting opportunity for individuals aged 18-35 in Cumbria, who are either aspiring leaders or currently in leadership roles. It has been developed by the LEP’s Futures Forum and consists of 4 workshops in 2024, which will be held at the North Lakes Hotel, Penrith. What sets this programme apart is that participants will self-nominate, as we recognise the importance of leadership as a personal choice.

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