Free online programme designed to support local businesses across the East of England to learn digital skills and grow.
Allia is working with Barclays Eagle Labs to provide a new self-paced learning programme for start-ups and established businesses across the East of England. The programme focuses on addressing key knowledge gaps, particularly around digital learning to enable business founders and owners to build a more competitive online presence as well as gaining practical skills around social media and analytics. Content also covers the essential fundamentals of business know-how such as marketing, HR, sales and financing. Allia’s team of expert business advisors has created a library of online content so that users can access different sections and work through at their own pace with 1-1 sessions with coaches and mentors planned at points throughout the programme.
Allia is particularly keen to encourage applications from those living in more rural areas around the East of England – and invites those outside urban hubs to participate, as the online format aims to allow more flexibility for parents & carers, shift workers, people with a disability and others who may not afford to travel, ensuring that all beneficiaries can access tailored support.
Applications are open now and enrolment is on a rolling basis, running until June 2024. Other programmes planned by the Barclays Allia partnership will follow later this year and provide Allia’s tried and tested Grow Your Business programme in a traditional cohort approach with in-person expert-led workshops, as well as a number of hybrid events. In total, the programme is geared up to reach 120 individuals, to help them increase their business skills, create new employment opportunities and raise more investment and funding.
Amanda Allan, Director at Barclays Eagle Labs said: “Barclays is proud to partner with Allia and their project to provide self-paced education in key areas in digital learning, social media and analytics.
“This project, via the Ecosystem Partnership Programme, is particularly exciting because it will provide tailored support and training to those living in more rural areas around the East of England. It also makes learning more accessible for carers, those with disabilities and shift workers. This will ultimately help level the playing field for those wanting to develop their skills to help achieve their career ambitions.”
Andrew Brisbin, Allia’s Director of Programmes said: “It’s really exciting that the Barclays team recognises and supports the need for entrepreneurs from all walks of life to be included in the ecosystem. It is challenging for founders to stop what they are doing to engage in support, even when it may be key to unlocking growth. That is why this programme is so essential; because it is designed to fit around the entrepreneur’s schedule as opposed to anyone else’s.”
This programme is supported by the Barclays Eagle Labs Ecosystem Partnership Programme, funded by Department for Science Innovation and Technology.
For more information about the programme and to apply, founders can go to https://futurebusinesscentre.co.uk/programmes/grow-your-business-self-paced-learning/ and contact Allia’s venture support team on hello@alliaimpact.co.uk
Notes:
- Allia Impact runs free business support programmes and innovative funded projects. It is dedicated to supporting businesses to thrive, grow and create jobs, so that they can make a positive impact on their community, as well as addressing social and environmental global challenges. www.weareallia.co.uk | hello@allia.co.uk
- For press & media enquiries, please contact Laura Rose, Group Head of Marketing & Communications, Allia: 01223 781322 | laura.rose@allia.org.uk
- About Barclays Barclays is a British universal bank. We are diversified by business, by different types of customer and client, and geography. Our businesses include consumer banking and payments operations around the world, as well as a top-tier, full service, global corporate and investment bank, all of which are supported by our service company which provides technology, operations and functional services across the Group. For further information about Barclays, please visit our website www.barclays.com. For more information about Barclays Eagle Labs please visit: https://labs.uk.barclays/about
- About the Digital Growth Grant The £12m Digital Growth Grant, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, aims to provide specialised support to accelerate the growth of tech startups and scaleups across the regions and nations of the UK. The two-year grant, awarded to Barclays Eagle Labs, was launched in April 2023, and builds on more than £42.2 million invested by the Government to support tech startups and scaleups since 2016. Combined investment from Eagle Labs and the government will increase support for the tech sector so more than 22,000 businesses can benefit, with at least 80 per cent based outside London.
