Investors in People
South West Innovation Centres, has scooped a coveted ‘Investors in People’ Award. The Investors in People Standard is a tool designed to help employers improve performance by linking people and skills development to the specific aims and objectives of their businesses. The South West Innovation Centres have two full time and one part-time employee as well as four self employed members of staff who manage the three centres in Torquay, Paignton and Ivybridge.
The Centres offer over 80 desk and office units for early stage start-up businesses from as little as £132pcm inclusive. They also provide business support through their partnership with Business Link and their own Devon Business Mentor group who provide volunteer business mentors to hand-hold companies through their early stages. Advice includes marketing, finance, health and safety, HR and IT.
South West Innovation Centres also run breakfast networking events on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month, regularly attracting 60 to 70 local companies. The most recently built centre at Lymington Road Centre in Torquay, which opened in November last year is a great success with 93 percent of the office units occupied. The South West of England Regional Development Agency invested £1.5 million to enable the Torbay Council-owned centre to be built, with another £680,000 coming from Torbay Council, the EU Regional Development Fund and Objective 2.
Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Councillor Chris Lewis said: "The Investors in People award is a fantastic achievement and is great recognition for the small team which make these centres such a success. "Improving the Bay's economic prosperity is our number one priority. If we are to create a Torbay that is truly open for business, it is important that we encourage and nurture investment and new ideas. This fantastic Innovation Centre scheme is a perfect example of what we are aiming for.
The Business Manager of the South West Innovation Centres, Adrian Sheen said: "I'm extremely proud that our small but dedicated team have achieved this award and I'm delighted the assessor has recognised this operation is being run in the right way. That is down to the dedication of the staff, many of whom are self employed. "These centres can make a big difference. The rental income from tenants helps to fund a wide range of business support including networking events, workshops, one to one business advice and business mentoring from the South Devon Business Mentors. Backed by this support, we can help improve a company’s chance of survival from 1 in 3 to a survival rate of 8 in 10."
