Enterprise and Competitiveness

Creating the conditions for enterprise and business competitiveness to thrive has remained at the forefront of economic development policy for several decades. In an attempt to promote private sector growth, policy makers are increasingly looking to support jobs and create wealth in an economy underpinned by innovation, competitiveness and new technology. Through economic analysis and evaluation we are helping clients to understand where and how this is best achieved. The company’s work in this area ranges from policy development and economic assessment to the evaluation of geographical programmes and business improvement initiatives.

Our experience in science, technology, and innovation has grown significantly. It involves the appraisal and assessment of infrastructure encouraging their development as well as specialist support programmes. It has reviewed technology events and programmes, undertaken commissions around the development of sector policy and clusters and has built a substantial track record in SME finance (including loans, venture capital and tax incentives).

The company has evaluated the impact of numerous national schemes including Designing Demand, the Manufacturing Advisory Service, Grant for R&D, Grant for Business Investment and UKTI funded projects. The department for Business, Innovation and Skills highlights the importance of export growth as a route to a more balanced economy and the company has reviewed account management, aftercare, inward investment and internationalization activities in many contexts. Its enterprise work ranges from pre-start-up to high growth (see also local economic development). We are very adept at running sizeable and sophisticated business surveys with particular strengths in assessing the net economic impact of programmes and comprehensive wider measures to capture the more subtle effects of interventions/business improvement.

The enterprise and competitiveness offer includes policy development, analysis and evaluation in the three main areas:

• Innovation, ICT and technology transfer - including higher education and commercial knowledge transfer projects/programmes and supporting longer-term investment in R&D and science. We advise on ICT and broadband infrastructure and adoption (especially amongst business)
• High growth sectors/clusters – the analysis of geographical sectoral strengths/prospects generally and experience of many sectors including manufacturing, low carbon/resource efficiency, financial services, and bio/healthcare.
• Business improvement and finance - a wide ranging portfolio of experience including access to finance, mentoring and business development and growth. It also covers support for the internationalization of companies and the growth and development of inward investors (indigenous and foreign owned). This includes assignments covering foreign direct investment, inward investment, aftercare and international trade.

Contact Richard Whitcomb on 0845 120 6244or email: richard.whitcomb@ekosgen.co.uk

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