Analysis of enquiries to the LEP Growth Service in 2017/18

Transcription

1 Analysis of enquiries to the LEP Growth Service in 217/18 1. Analysis of Gateway and SME Growth Managers in 217/ Performance data continues to be monitored on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis. The following information presents more detail on the performance of the service (gateway and SME Growth Managers) from April 217 to date. It also provides comparisons to previous years in order to assess progress over time. 1.2 In 217/18, the service worked towards a target of supporting 625 businesses per quarter in order to achieve the 217/18 target of supporting 2,5 individual businesses. A total of 1,998 SMEs (orange line below) have been supported since the start of April 217, averaging 6 businesses per quarter. Those businesses have interacted with the service 2,841 times (blue line below), indicating confidence by many businesses in returning to the service for additional support Start April May June Businesses July August September October November December Activity (interactions) January February March Figure 1: Actual/projected performance against the target of supporting 25 businesses in 217/ Level 1 (light-touch support) and Level 2 (more intensive support) enquiries represent the service s target client group. The below chart shows a surge in the number of enquiries into the Gateway in early 217/18 due to the launch of several new products. This then evened out over the middle part of the year, with a dip in early 218, partly attributable to the severe weather and low number of working days. The figures for March 218 were closer to the annual monthly average. Page 1 of 8

2 Apr-17 May-17 Jun-17 Jul-17 Aug-17 Sep-17 Oct-17 Nov-17 Dec-17 Jan-18 Feb-18 Mar-18 Level 1 Level 2 Level Figure 2: LEP Growth Service enquiries to the Gateway by client group (Apr 16 March 18) 1.4 The table below shows the increase in enquiries to the Gateway from target clients over the last three years (i.e. those with plans to grow, classified as Levels 1 and 2). It continues to show a decrease in enquiries from non-target clients, such as pre-start firms. Table 1: Number of enquiries into the Gateway (June 15 March 18) Enquiry Type Total July 15 - Mar 16 Total April 16 - Mar 17 Total April 17 - Mar 18 Level Non Target Client Group Level 1 Light Touch Referral Level 2 In depth Referrals Total Gateway Interactions There has been little change to the most popular ways in which businesses have contacted the service since its launch in July 215. Despite some minor in-year fluctuations, the most common route continues to be via the telephone helpline (49%). This percentage increased by 4% over 217/18, whilst enquiries decreased by 4% in the same period. Page 2 of 8

3 Channel [VALUE] ([PERCENTAGE]) [VALUE] ([PERCENTAGE]) [VALUE] ([PERCENTAGE]) Tel Website Figure 3: Gateway channels of enquiry (Apr 17 March 18) 1.6 The chart below shows how businesses that contacted the Gateway in 217/18 heard about the service. Referrals from another LEP product/service increased throughout this financial year and accounted for 32% of responses, almost the same as internet/website, which was previously the most common source. Again, this trend reinforces confidence in the service from businesses that return for additional support. An independent evaluation of the service is currently underway and will be complete in June 218. It will include customer satisfaction, as well as qualitative and quantitative impact data on the businesses supported Internet/Website Advertising Social Media Business Network Referral from another business or friend Referral from another LEP Product/Service Referral from Business Growth Service Referral from Local Authority Referral from University Government Department e-newsletter 72 Event 1 National Business Support Helpline Figure 4: How businesses heard about the service (Apr 17 March 18) Page 3 of 8

4 1.7 As the table below shows, collectively the team of SME Growth Managers supported 828 businesses during 217/18, with 633 receiving ongoing intensive support. The table provides a breakdown of the number of clients supported in each district by the Growth Managers. Table 2: SME Growth Manager clients by district (Apr 17 March 18) SME Growth Manager Total Clients Intensively Supported Bradford & Craven (x2 FTE) Calderdale (x1 FTE) Harrogate (x1 FTE) Kirklees (x1.5 FTE) Leeds (x2.5 FTE) Wakefield (x1 FTE) 8 76 York (x1 FTE) Selby (x.5 FTE) Total Figure 5 below shows the spread of enquiries to the Gateway from across the City Region compared to the percentage of the City Region s business stock per district. Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees generated more enquiries than their proportion of overall business stock in 217/18. Harrogate remains the North Yorkshire district with the narrowest gap between proportion of business stock and proportion of overall enquiries. 45.% 4.% 39.6% 35.% 3.% 27.4% 25.% 2.% 15.% 1.% 5.%.% Leeds 17.2% 13.4% 14.5% 13.9% Bradford Kirklees 7.4% 8.% 8.2% 9.4% Calderdale Wakefield 2.7% 7.% York 5.9% 8.3% 6.% Harrogate Barnsley % of Level 1 and Level 2 enquiries Proportion of SMEs by district 3.3% 3.4% 1.5% 1.1% 1.8% Craven Selby Figure 5: Proportion of enquiries per district compared to City Region business stock per district (Apr 17 March 18) Page 4 of 8

5 1.9 The graph below shows that Access to Finance was the most popular topic for support in 217/18 for both enquiries to the Gateway, and for the clients of the SME Growth Managers. Business Planning and Skills/Recruitment are the next most common topics for Gateway-enquiries, whereas Skills/Recruitment and Premises are the areas that most Growth Managerclients want support with, after Access to Finance Accessing Finance Skills / Recruitment Business Planning / Development Premises Marketing Exporting IT / Connectivity Research and Development Sales Importing Efficiency Helpline GMs Figure 6: Topics for business support (Apr 17 March 18) 1.1 Businesses from the manufacturing sector generated the highest number of enquiries within 217/18 as highlighted in the chart below. The Growth Managers clients in the year were more likely to be in the LEP s priority sectors, particularly Advanced Manufacturing and Creative and Digital, than those firms that first enquired to the Gateway. This is attributable to the nature of the current support offer which lends itself to these two sectors, and the prominence of growing SMEs in the priority sectors across the City Region s largest districts A. AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHING C. E. MANUFACTURING WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE, WASTE MANAGEMENT AND REMEDIATION F. CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES G. WHOLESALE AND H. RETAIL TRANSPORTATION TRADE I. AND ACCOMMODATION STORAGE AND FOOD SERVICE J. ACTIVITIES INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION K. FINANCIAL AND INSURANCE ACTIVITIES M. L. PROFESSIONAL, REAL ESTATE SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES AND TECHNICAL N. ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES AND SUPPORT SERVICE ACTIVITIES P. EDUCATION Q. HUMAN HEALTH Gateway GMs AND SOCIAL R. ARTS, WORK ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES AND RECREATION S. OTHER SERVICE ACTIVITIES Figure 7: Percentage of Growth Service clients (Gateway and Growth Manager) by sector (Apr 17 March 18) Page 5 of 8

6 1.11 Figure 8 below illustrates the breadth of referrals to business support products and organisations from both the Gateway and the SME Growth Managers during 217/18. The highest number of referrals in the year were to the LEP Capital Grants programme, Digital Enterprise, Resource Efficiency Fund, Skills Service and Ad:Venture. There was also an increase in the number of referrals to Access Innovation in the latter part of 217/18, which is as a result of the programme becoming more embedded within the business and innovation support community Business Growth Programme (R) Skills service (R) Ad:Venture (R) Strategic Business Growth (R) DIT UK Local Authority Support (R) Manufacturing Growth Programme NPIF (R) Finpoint Leeds Beckett University NY LEP Goldman Sachs 1, Private/Professional Small Businesses Support (R) AGE Grant (R) Leeds Trinity University Chamber of Trade/Commerce (R) Digital Advantage (NY) (R) Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) York University Creative England Start and Grow Sparkfund (NY) (R) LEADER (Dales) (R) Business Intelligence (please explain in narrative) Key Fund Medilink York St John University Leeds College of Art Textiles Growth Fund (R) Federation of Smal Businesses (R) College (R) Flood Support (R) Helpline Referrals Growth Manager Referrals Figure 8: Number of business support referrals (Apr 17 March 18) 1.12 The chart below highlights the source of the SME Growth Managers clients during 217/18, and that they surpassed the annual collective target of account-managing 63 growth-oriented SMEs (633 achieved). It also shows that the Growth Managers sourced their clients from an increasingly broad range of sources over the year, with Business Networks being particularly effective in Harrogate, Bradford and Selby. Page 6 of 8

7 Leeds LEP Bradford Other Source of Growth Manager Clients Wakefield Private/Professional Support Kirklees National Business Support Programmes National Business Support Helpline Calderdale York Business Network Harrogate Craven Local Authority Contacts/Marketing Existing Client Other LEP Growth Service Client Selby Figure 9: Source of Growth Managers clients (Apr 17 - March 18) 1.13 The chart below presents customer satisfaction data related to the Gateway over the final four months of 217/18. It shows that 92% of responses were positive in terms of recommending the Gateway service to a friend or colleague. Figure 1: Customer satisfaction of the Gateway (Dec 17 March 18) Page 7 of 8

8 1.14 The final chart below presents similarly positive results from the customer satisfaction questionnaires completed by businesses that contacted the Gateway between December 217 and March 218. It shows that over 9% of respondents rated the knowledge and experience of the advisors as excellent or good. Figure 11: Knowledge and experience of Gateway advisors (Dec 17 March 18) Page 8 of 8