Onlincolnshire and the University of Lincoln are on the lookout for small and medium-sized businesses which have potential for growth to sign up to a new business support project.

Through the onlincolnshire Knowledge Base Collaboration, businesses will be able to tap in to the skills and expertise of academics and researchers working at the university.

It is hoped this transfer of knowledge from the university to local businesses will enable them to grow, which will benefit the companies themselves but also the Lincolnshire economy as a whole.

Onlincolnshire is a Lincolnshire County Council-run project which is part-funded by the East Midlands European Regional Development Fund Programme.

It aims to help businesses in the county realise the potential of superfast broadband and get up to speed with the latest advances in digital technology by hosting events and masterclasses as well as providing one-to-one business support and advice.

Onlincolnshire has also set up five technology hubs across the county, one of which is based at the University of Lincoln, offering local organisations free use of the latest 3D equipment.

Cllr Colin Davie, Executive Member for Economic Development at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “This collaboration project is a fantastic opportunity for businesses to access the digital expertise at the university, helping them to harness the power of superfast broadband and the unrivalled opportunities it provides for growth.”

As part of the 18-month project academics at the university will review the company’s business model, identify barriers to growth and find ways to overcome them.

Jim Shutt, Business Development Manager in the College of Social Science at the University of Lincoln, said: “The onlincolnshire Knowledge Base Collaboration project is more than just IT support. It allows companies to access a more innovative type of business consultancy.

“Experts from the university will establish relationships with companies that have a high growth potential and work with them to realise that potential.”

As part of the collaboration project a forum will be created for gathering and sharing research and intelligence. The forum will comprise small business owners and local experts who actively develop or research digital and online technologies and their social and economic impact.

The resources and findings will be circulated within the forum on a regular basis and will be available to businesses that sign up to the project.

Dr Gary Bosworth, the onlincolnshire Knowledge Base Collaboration Project Director and Director of Research at the University’s Lincoln Business School, said: “As part of the project we’re also going to be producing case studies which will inform policy makers, broadband providers and other SMEs of the benefits and new opportunities that online technologies and increased broadband speeds offer and how they can help businesses grow and perform more efficiently.”

Onlincolnshire and the University of Lincoln are looking for forward-thinking companies that have an interest in online technology and a high potential for growth, especially those in the following Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership priority sectors:

• Manufacturing and engineering
• Renewables
• Ports and logistics
• Agri-food
• Care services
• Tourism

Businesses that would like to get involved in the onlincolnshire Knowledge Base Collaboration can register their interest by emailing Dr Gary Bosworth: gbosworth@lincoln.ac.uk

For more information about onlincolnshire visit www.onlincolnshire.org or follow @onlincolnshire on Twitter. You can also like the onlincolnshire Facebook page www.facebook.com/onlincolnshire

Ends

Notes to Editors:

About the onlincolnshire Knowledge Base Collaboration

• The £60,000 project is funded by The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
• The project is in its initial stages and will run for a total of 18 months

About onlincolnshire

• onlincolnshire is a Lincolnshire County Council-run project which is part-funded by the East Midlands European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007 to 2013.
• In March 2013, the council signed a £48 million contract with BT to provide superfast broadband to at least 88% of county properties by 2016, with the remaining properties having access to at least of 2Mbps broadband. A further investment of £2.8 million was announced in February 2014 which has increased the number of properties to 89%.
• The contract with BT concentrates on an intervention area of over 150,000 premises where existing or planned commercial roll outs would not deliver superfast speeds.
• The Department for Communities and Local Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which is one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs. For more information visit www.communities.gov.uk/erdf
• Some internet users in rural Lincolnshire experience speeds of less than 1 Mbps. The UK’s average broadband speed is 12 Mbps, according to Ofcom.

For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Kate Strawson
Shooting Star PR
kate@weareshootingstar.co.uk
01522 528540
07733 230293
@KateStrawson
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