You are leading your business, making connections and pushing for progress along your planned journmey to success. But are there, or could there be, any of those ‘Donald Rumsfeld’, ‘unknown unknowns’?

The thing is, you don’t know what you don’t know. This workshop will provide you with approaches and tools that will help you to review what you have in your locker, be clear on what you need for success and to explore how you can fill the gaps in your innovation plan.

By attending this workshop you will:

• Be clear on the resources and skills you will need for your innovation business to succeed,
• Have approaches and tools that you can re-use at each stage of your innovation journey to ensure new gaps are known and addressed; and,

• Be better informed about the strengths and weaknesses of your innovation plan.

This is the third topic in a series of 6 workshops which will explore key enablers of innovation in small and medium sized businesses. The workshop will also provide the opportunity for you to make new connections and to find out more about the other parts of this new exciting package of support.

This third workshop is being delivered by:

Phil Curtis (Director First Thirty) is a strategy and business growth executive. A former KPMG Managing Consultant, and Enterprise Director in two AIM-listed technology plcs, he has a 30-year track record of advising, building, and managing innovative, technology-led businesses from entrepreneurial startups to multi-national Groups. He covers the growth lifecycle from strategy through planning, growth, and transformation to achieve resilient operational performance with sustainability at the core. Using a hands-on and information-driven approach, Phil has worked with founders and leaders in space, energy, defence technology, transportation and government sectors in the UK, Europe, the Arabian Gulf, and the United States.

Paul Holmes BEng (Hons) – Managing Director/Owner of PCH Business Support Ltd has delivered a large number of 1:1s to OxLEP clients over the last 4 years. Transforming businesses that are focussing on growth, from set up, to implementing change, overcoming challenges, implementing business systems and management processes, supporting manufacturing, engineering, and technology commercialisation. Providing governance, challenge and strategy support for owners and senior business leaders. Paul works with a wide range of business support organisations across the South and South West.
Degree qualified Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineer with 25+ years working in FTSE100, technology and engineering companies and at a senior level in Local Government.

Please note that this event is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is delivered as part of the Innovation Support for Business (ISfB) programme to help SMEs. By engaging in this programme you are being offered assistance under the De Minimis regulation which allows a company to receive up to but not exceeding €200,000 of public funding (at the applicable exchange rate) of De Minimis aid over a rolling three-tax year fiscal period. This De Minimis declaration does not cover undertakings engaged in: the primary production of agricultural goods and fisheries/aquaculture, road freight, services of general economic interest and export related activities and activities favouring domestic over imported goods. Please note, support cannot be given to undertakings (businesses) in difficulty. In order to receive support from this programme, you will be required to complete an application form and other relevant documentation. If you need to check your current position for state aid please contact us. If you would like any further information on De Minimis aid and Special Drawing Rights (SDR) subsidies, please see the state aid page on the OxLEP Business website:

https://oxlepbusiness.co.uk/state-aid