New contract awarded to manage Nottinghamshire’s business innovation centres
Nottinghamshire County Council has awarded a contract to Oxford Innovation to manage its three business innovation centres and offer advice and support to small companies.
Oxford Innovation already manages 15 business and innovation centres across the UK, with over 400 occupiers, and has a proven track record in delivering specialist business advice to new and high growth (fast developing) companies to help them expand.
The contract, which is effective from 1 April 2011, has been jointly awarded by Nottinghamshire County Council, Bassetlaw District Council, Mansfield District Council, Newark and Sherwood District Council, and East Midlands Development Agency (emda).
Oxford Innovation will take over the management of Mansfield i-centre, Newark Beacon, and The Turbine in Worksop. The three centres are home to 150 small local businesses which will benefit from specialist business advice and support and high quality office, workshop and meeting space.
Nottinghamshire County Councillor Keith Girling, Deputy Cabinet Member for Culture and Community, said: “The County Council and its partners are fully committed to helping local innovative businesses to grow and become world class by offering high quality business premises and business support. We welcome Oxford Innovation as a partner and look forward to the benefits they will bring to local businesses.
“This support is instrumental in helping businesses to grow and, in turn, create high quality employment opportunities for local people, thereby contributing to the economic prosperity of Nottinghamshire.”
Chris Allington, Managing Director of the Business and Innovation Centres Division at Oxford Innovation, said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to manage these three innovation centres and assist local innovative companies in Nottinghamshire to succeed and grow. Such companies are more crucial than ever as the key drivers of growth for our regional economy. Working with the County Council and our other partners, our aim is to ensure that these three centres become hubs of entrepreneurial activity for the region.”
Councillor Keith Isard, Deputy Leader of Bassetlaw District Council, said: “Bassetlaw is a fantastic place to do business. We are confident that Oxford Innovation’s experience with developing businesses will add yet another incentive to entrepreneurs and high growth companies to move to the District.”
Mansfield District Councillor Roger Sutcliffe, Portfolio Holder for Resources, said: “The Mansfield i-Centre has supported over 75 innovative businesses since it was established and in many cases they have benefited from the support received and developed and grown and moved into the local area. We look forward, along with our partners to working with Oxford Innovation in continuing this trend for the benefit of the local economy particularly as we move out of recession.”
Councillor Roger Blaney, Deputy Leader of Newark & Sherwood District Council, said “We are delighted to welcome Oxford Innovation on board. I am confident that by managing the three centres jointly they will bring in fresh new ideas that can only be to the advantage of local businesses and the communities.”