Member Article

Regional businesses to meet demand

An initiative to help SMEs make more effective use of design will launch in the North East next Tuesday. The Designing Demand programme is already underway in several regions throughout the UK. It aims to help and support businesses in using design to improve performance, with plans to reach 6,500 businesses nationwide by 2010, creating 4,120 jobs.

Tim Pain, Head of Enterprise and Business Support at One NorthEast, said: “The Regional Economic Strategy highlights the huge importance of design in helping businesses to compete in the global economy by improving their productivity and efficiency, and the region has made considerable progress in this field. Designing Demand has already proved successful in other parts of the UK and I hope many businesses will take up this opportunity of getting expert advice on how design can help them.”

The regional delivery of the programme will initially consist of workshops aimed at business advisors, designers and SMEs, taking place throughout the region over the coming months. The programme is being delivered regionally by the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) and Entrust, and funded by One NorthEast and The European Regional Development Fund.

Paul McEldon, Chief Executive of the North East BIC, said: “Whether your company has recently launched and is looking for investment and quick growth, or is an established business searching for a fresh burst of energy and a new strategic direction, the Designing Demand workshops will help to develop the skills required to get the most out of design.”

Representatives from the small business sector, including design consultants and agencies, are invited to attend the North East launch. To book a place, contact Abi Thompson at a.thompson@entrust.co.uk or telephone 0191 240 4000. For more information visit www.designingdemand.org.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .