At NTU, we deliver projects that offer fully or part-funded support to local businesses to grow, access talent, upskill their staff, improve productivity, create, innovate and become more sustainable.
Our support is often fully funded for eligible businesses and individuals, and we offer a range of financial support including grants to employ recent graduates.
Current projects for Nottingham City based businesses
Angel Investor Network
Our ambition is to to foster an inclusive and sustainable funding ecosystem in Nottingham where investors and businesses connect, creating meaningful relationships that extend beyond financial transactions.
NTU Amplify - Talent Grants and Innovation Community Lab (ICL)
A comprehensive package of free support for eligible SME businesses in Nottingham City, providing Talent Grants to part-fund the salary of a student or graduate. Plus, the Innovation Community Lab - a fully funded professional development programme, helping local businesses to innovate and grow.
NTU Amplify Growth
NTU Amplify Growth is designed to help small businesses in Nottingham City to thrive and grow. The support is designed to benefit early stage and growing businesses in the Creative and Digital industries or in the CleanTech sector.
Universities for Nottingham Talent Grants and Innovation Vouchers
The Universities for Nottingham Talent and Innovation project provides financial and non-financial support to Nottingham City businesses to improve innovation, productivity and skills. This includes £2500 Talent Grants and technically-focused consultancy support.
Social Enterprise Accelerator
Are you an aspiring social entrepreneur or a leader of a Voluntary and Community Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisation in Nottingham? The Social Enterprise Accelerator project offers a comprehensive support package to help you bring your new social enterprise ideas to life or grow your existing VCSE organisation.
Nottingham Digital & Immersive Studio
With a unique blend of training programs, business support, and cutting-edge technology, the studio is designed to be a catalysing force for the development of new products, experiences, and solutions in the realms of digital media, mixed reality, and immersive experiences.
Other funded projects available
Enterprising Ashfield
The Enterprising Ashfield project offers a comprehensive package of funded support to local businesses and residents ranging from free courses, start-up grants, business growth support and talent grants.
Bolsover Net Zero Innovation Programme
Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), The Bolsover Net Zero programme provides a package of free support for businesses with their carbon management.
Graduate Internship Scheme
The 2024 NTU Graduate Internship Scheme offers businesses access to fully funded, NTU graduate talent by hosting an internship.
Additional support
Skills Bootcamps
Skills Bootcamps – part of the Government's Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs – are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer.
Help to Grow: Management Course
Give your business a boost by signing up to the government backed Help to Grow: Management course with Nottingham Business School. The 12-week growth programme supports Directors, leaders and business owners of small and medium sized businesses to boost their business’s performance, resilience, and long-term growth.
NTU Enterprise and Business Spaces
We offer mentoring, support, training and networking opportunities for anyone launching a business or social enterprise.
Business and Employers
Discover more ways to benefit your business by accessing our student and graduate talent, academic expertise and cutting-edge facilities.
Case studies
Take a look at the case study videos below to see how we've helped businesses through our previous funded projects.
Previous projects
High Level Skills
The ESF-funded High Level Skills programme offered dedicated support, advice and funding to help businesses up-skill their employees and access the wealth of graduate talent in the area.
Sustainability in Enterprise
This programme provided practical support and funding to reduce the carbon footprint of SMEs in the local area. Support focused on four key areas of business performance: people, processes, premises and products.
Productivity Through Innovation
Improving productivity is key to economic growth and it is important as a region that we utilise and share our innovations, knowledge, skills and talent. The PTI project worked closely with businesses to achieve this.