The Scale Up 4 Growth Gloucestershire (S4GG) programme has provided grant funding and training to 60 businesses in the Gloucestershire region.

Delivered in partnership between UWE Bristol, Gloucestershire College, and NatWest, and funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Scale Up 4 Growth supports businesses in Gloucestershire to grow, expand and scale. The aim of the programme is to enable businesses to develop their potential, create job opportunities, get ready to scale up and overcome barriers to growth.

The latest workshops will focus on supporting businesses to navigate the adoption of new digital technologies and increase opportunities for growth.

According to the United Nations impact report, digital technologies have developed faster than any other innovation, with social media now connecting almost 50% of the entire global population.

Digital technologies are becoming more widespread, and the government recognises that are digital technologies key to the Nation’s future prosperity. From social media and e-commerce to Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Cloud Computing, these technologies can change the way we live and work.

Businesses more than ever need to invest in digital solutions to improve performance, productivity, and flexibility. But this can be a difficult landscape to navigate – how do you make the right choices for your business? Do you have the skills you need in the team? And how do you keep your business and customer information safe in this new digital world?

The Scale Up 4 Growth team has recognised the increasing need for SMEs to become more digital savvy. From design thinking and digital adoption, to cyber security and funding, the “Digital Scale-up for Your Business” workshops will help business leaders wanting to understand new digital technologies, get hands on with design thinking methods, and consider the next steps for scaling.

“Such a wide-ranging and interesting day with a great mix of speakers; it was the ideal blend of practical hands-on information and out-of-the-box thinking. I definitely felt that I left the workshop armed with the tools to take our business to the next level!” – previous workshop attendee.

It is a unique opportunity to get practical advice from leading experts in design thinking, digital transformation, and cyber security. The next workshop will take place at Gloucestershire College in July 2022.

The workshop takes place over the course of two days and is delivered by the S4GG partnership, consisting of the University of the West of England, NatWest, and Gloucestershire College. Speakers include Salus Cyber, SPARCK, and Together Digital. The course combines theory and practice and includes engaging sessions on strategies to closing skills gaps, making the right digital choices, cyber security, and funding readiness.

The workshop is ideal for SMEs based in Gloucestershire of all sizes from early-stage start-ups to established companies. You might be, for example, a consultancy, a technical product business, a retailer, or a software business. What you have in common is an interest in adopting new digital technologies into your business.