South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is made up of the four Councils of Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield.
There is a range of business growth, skills and economic development support available through the Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) and Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
Helping South Yorkshire’s high streets thrive: practical support for real shop owners.
Running a shop on the high street is hard work. Most owners are juggling customer service, stock, staff, bills, social media, websites, and somehow still trying to grow the business on top of all that.
High Street Heroes is here to make that part easier.
We’re offering free workshops, 1-to-1 support, and signposting, all designed specifically for independent retailers across South Yorkshire. Everything we do is practical, hands-on, and explained in plain English. No jargon. No pressure. Just simple, practical help that you can put into action straight away.
What this programme offers
Fully funded by SYMCA and delivered by Novus Marketing Solutions, this programme is designed to help real businesses build confidence, attract customers, and feel more in control of their online presence.
Over the next few months, we’ll be supporting shop owners across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield through:
Who it’s for
Independent high street businesses across South Yorkshire:
You don’t need any technical background; we walk you through everything step by step. All sessions are free and built around the realities of running a busy shop.
The Innovation Network South Yorkshire is a partnership between the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University to support regional growth.
It welcomes South Yorkshire’s academics, organisations and businesses to join free events and activities to network with regional thought leaders and build links with both Sheffield Universities to innovate and drive future collaborations.
The Innovation Network provides an opportunity for attendees to hear about the latest hot topics, joint challenges and priorities for South Yorkshire, from experts in South Yorkshire. Our team sits across both Sheffield Universities and works with the South Yorkshire Chambers and key partners in the business, public and third sectors to generate a mutually beneficial network. We put people in touch with each other so they can share knowledge, and help our region grow in ways that are good for the economy, the environment, culture, and skills.
The Innovation Network South Yorkshire is a joint initiative between the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University to deliver events that support growth in our region.
Receive expert, tailored support to upskill and grow your business through digitalisation
If you’re a manufacturing business that is looking to increase technology usage and expand your business capabilities, the Made Smarter programme could help you access advice, support and even grant funding.
Whether you are completely brand new to digital technology, or you have already started your digitalisation journey, you will be able to receive bespoke advice on anything from skills and leadership to innovation strategies.
Made Smarter is encouraging the UK’s next industrial revolution by giving businesses like yours the competitive edge in a rapidly-growing industry. The programme aims to bring the best out of the UK manufacturing industry by upskilling and encouraging collaboration and innovation – keeping us ahead of the competition in the global manufacturing stage.
SYIP supports organisations across the region to innovate and grow; develop new ideas, improve processes, access new markets, and launch new products. Organisations can access funding and support tailored to where they are in their innovation journey:
DISCOVER - “I want to innovate, but I don’t know what’s out there”
DEPLOY - “I know what I want and it’s ‘available off-the-shelf’”
Funding for lower value (≤£2,000), quick turnaround (~5 days) projects to implement an innovative solution, for example:
DEVELOP - “I know what I want, but there’s no solution on the market”
Funded support from sector specialist academics to develop a bespoke innovative solution tailored to your needs, for example:
The level of support available is dependent upon its size (determined by the number of employees)
Organisations can access funding and support as follows:
It is a single access point for information, support, guidance and funding for skills.
A dedicated and specialist team of Skills Advisors can connect businesses to high-quality training providers to meet needs. Training accessed could be in the form of an existing qualification or industry recognised training programme or designed to meet your specific requirements.
Employers can choose from a comprehensive list of Training Providers available or source their own.
Employers can view the Skills Bank Training Directory for a list of available training or look at the useful ‘key word’ search facility. It can also help you devise training to meet your business needs.
In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, there are two new strands of the programme, one for businesses working in new ways, and a rapid response programme for those responding directly to the government’s Coronavirus strategy.
Skills Bank funding contributes to the overall cost of training and the amount each employer receives will depend on the business case for growth outlined in your application and contribution to the South Yorkshire economy.
If you are not sure whether training can help your business to grow or would like advice on the type of training you need, you can request a call from the Growth Hub Gateway here.
The intervention rate is calculated and directly linked to the employer’s growth/development, therefore it is important that the growth/development case is clear and fully outlines how the learning is linked to growth or in lessening the impact of the Coronavirus.
Maximum intervention rates are:
Maximum intervention rates will be awarded where:
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