£9.5m micro business programme out to tender

THE Northwest Regional Development Agency is to launch a £9.5m leadership and senior management development programme for micro businesses.

LEAD the Northwest Region is a three year programme that will target 2,000 businesses with fewer than 20 employees.

The programme will be delivered to each business over a 10 month period, with participants committing around two days a month, and will include experiential sessions, master classes, workshops, personal coaching, action learning sets and peer-to-peer business exchanges.

Participants will also have access to a mentor through a parallel regional mentoring project. Both projects will be available through Business Link.

The LEAD programme’s success will be measured by an increase in productivity and sales turnover, at a percentage rate which is yet to be decided.

The NWDA has put delivery from a network of service providers out to tender, with the contracts expected to be awarded in May.