Julia Sweeney, Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Director EU Programmes visited Medilink East Midlands (EM) on 21st June in recognition of the work Medilink has been undertaking with European Regional Development Funded (ERDF) projects, past and present.
Dr Darren Clark, Chief Executive of Medilink EM met with Julia to showcase the business support Medilink has provided organisations through ERDF funding, having recently launched three new projects to support small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the region. One company that has already benefitted from the INSTILS project is Upperton, who also met with Julia to discuss the impact ERDF funding has had on their company, having received an Innovation Support Grant to the value of over £3000.
The three ERDF-funded projects, entitled INSTILS, SoLSTICE and ACTIS, aim to improve the sector’s economic performance by enabling SMEs to increase their competitive advantage through innovation and stimulating interaction between business, research entities and the NHS. INSTILS covers Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire, SoLSTICE covers Leicestershire and ACTIS covers the South-East Midlands. Medical technology, pharmaceutical, healthcare and bioscience organisations in these areas have access to a raft of support including bespoke specialist advice from highly skilled individuals, grants for innovation development and collaborative events. A number of partner organisations work alongside Medilink EM to deliver these projects including NHS Trusts and Universities across the East Midlands, as well as BioCity Group. Through the support provided and the funding available, businesses will be able to develop new products and processes that incorporate new technologies, and adopt more efficient strategies which will increase their competitive edge.
Dr Darren Clark, Chief Executive of Medilink East Midlands, commented;
“It was great for Julia Sweeney in her senior level to see first-hand the impact ERDF funding has had on companies in Nottingham and the surrounding regions. Since 2008 European Union Development Funding has been a core financial source for Medilink EM and we have worked hard to secure these revenue streams to ensure we can continue to provide funding and support to as many businesses as possible.”