Digital Technology Project Has Supported Over 300 Ambitious Cornish Businesses

Superfast Business Cornwall is celebrating a major milestone having supported more than 300 businesses across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to understand, adopt and exploit digital technology for growth.

The 12 hour programme is a blend of workshops, impartial advice from a Digital Business Adviser and Masterclasses or 1-2-1 support delivered by ICT specialists from the private sector.  The focus is on helping ambitious businesses to reach new markets, reduce costs and increase productivity by utilising digital technology.

So far 200 ambitious high growth businesses have completed the Superfast Business Cornwall programme with another 105 currently receiving support from the service which is fully-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Rob Barber from Newquay Activity Centre is among those who have been helped, he said: “Working with Superfast Business Cornwall has really fast tracked us to where we need to be. There is such a wealth of knowledge in the team and we have truly benefited from that knowledge as well as their experience and resources.”

Sebeail Fowell Programme and Partnership Manager at Superfast Business Cornwall added: “We’re delighted to have helped so many businesses harness the growth potential of digital technology and look forward to working with many more across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

The programme includes a free website review which is proving very popular and has been taken up by more than 170 businesses.  The comprehensive review, uses specialist analytical software, results are compiled into a detailed report with practical recommendations which a Digital Business Adviser explains in the context of each business.

Over 150 businesses have received additional support from a private sector ICT specialist, either 1-2-1 or as part of a Digital Masterclass on a range of topics from WordPress or GDPR, to Digital Marketing and Moving to the Cloud.

And 34 businesses have taken advantage of events specifically for Women in Business, created as part of the project’s commitment to encourage more women into technology.

Superfast Business Cornwall also has a grant funding pot of £746,111. Of this, £545,000 has already been allocated to 36 business to help them realise their growth ambitions, with a further £220,000 of applications in the pipeline.

Superfast Business Cornwall is delivered by Serco, national market leaders in the provision of Superfast Broadband focused business support. The service runs until March 2019.

For more information about Superfast Business Cornwall and how it can help your business to utilise digital technology, visit www.sfbcornwall.co.uk