The Derbyshire Accelerator programme is firmly on track to deliver growth and innovation in the county, with the first wave of businesses successfully applying for fully funded expert consultancy support.
Derby and Derbyshire firms seeking to develop, grow and innovate are benefitting from much-needed support from the Derbyshire Accelerator project. Delivered by East Midlands Chamber on behalf of the local authorities in Derbyshire*, the project runs until 31st March 2026 and has received £722,398 from the government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The one-year extension continues the initial three-year project that ran in Amber Valley, Chesterfield, Derby City, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, North East Derbyshire and South Derbyshire, with Erewash businesses qualifying for support for the first time this year.
During the first phase of the project which ran from Autumn 2023 to the end of March 2025, Accelerator achieved a number of key results in Derbyshire, including: 61 new businesses created; 259 jobs created; 276 jobs safeguarded; 163 that have introduced new products, technologies and processes, and a significant number of businesses that have engaged in new markets, and increased their R&D activity and export capability.
Since April 2025, 900 Derbyshire businesses have joined the extended project, many of whom have received 1-to-1 Business Adviser support to help them assess their direction or who have attended action planning workshops on digital subjects, sales and marketing, leadership & management training and problem-solving in the workplace. A total of 141 businesses have so far taken advantage of Growth Vouchers which offer £2,000 towards specialist consultancy and training to implement new technology or processes. Where relevant, businesses have been signposted to the Export and High Growth Accelerator projects.
East Midlands Chamber Deputy Chief Executive Diane Beresford said: “We are now past the halfway point of the Derbyshire Accelerator programme and I’m thrilled that there has been such a high take-up of support. Businesses are often clear on what they want to achieve but working out how to get there can be the real challenge. By advising them on tapping into expert advice and financial support on a wealth of different subjects, the Accelerator project really is offering the most tailored support – whether that be introducing a CRM to better engage with customers, introducing e-commerce to their website and undertaking research into new overseas markets to boost sales, or equipping business owners and emerging leaders with the skills to get the best out of their teams.
“I would urge businesses to consider where they might benefit from specialist training and consultancy as there is still budget for Growth Voucher support in some districts and fully-funded workshops have been scheduled until the end of the programme in March.”
North East Derbyshire District Council Assistant Director for Regeneration and Programmes Steve Lee said: “The benefits brought to businesses though the Derbyshire Accelerator’s dedicated one-to-one support as well as its engaging workshops delivered to wider audiences have been outstanding. Through the co-ordination meetings between the local authorities supporting Derbyshire Accelerator, I was fortunate to hear many inspirational stories regarding the positive impact that the programme has provided to businesses from a breadth of sectors and locations across the county.
“We are very grateful to the Chamber’s committed Team for their quality provision and recommend that local businesses seize the opportunity to take the next step in their growth, or tackle the challenges they face, with the support that Derbyshire Accelerator can offer.”
The workshop schedule can be accessed on the Events page of the East Midlands Chamber website or businesses can call the Chamber’s information team on 0330 320 0333 to be put in touch with a business adviser.
Businesses so far benefitting from Accelerator support include:
Get Loos, Chesterfield
Better systems and stronger leadership to match ambitious growth
With their friendly motto ‘Don’t Worry, Pee Happy’, Get Loos provides fully serviced portable toilets for events, weddings and construction sites in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. As a young and fast-growing business, accessing the right finance at sustainable rates has been a challenge, as has keeping up with enquiries and managing customers efficiently.
East Midlands Chamber’s Senior Business Adviser Peter Lawrence conducted a thorough business review and recommended that co-founder Adam Sinnott join the High Growth Academy for leaders of high-scale businesses. Peter also provided guidance on the application process to secure a High Growth Accelerator grant of £5,616, enabling the business to implement a new CRM system and automation tools. This has resulted in a saving of around 15 hours a week in administration time, increased conversions and significantly reduced missed opportunities through customer interactions. Valuable time and headspace to explore longer-term goals have been freed up as a result, including acquiring other portable toilet businesses and seeking investment partners to accelerate expansion across the Midlands and beyond.
Derbyshire Accelerator has provided other avenues of support, including a £2,000 Growth Voucher to support the business to tap into expert consultancy to develop a strategic management process to focus on what really drives growth. It has also funded a place for Adam to attend the Chamber’s five-day Director Development programme and the Access to Finance workshop, part of the High Growth Academy series, which provided a road map to understanding and securing funding.
The investment has increased competitiveness, safeguarded jobs and set the business up for sustainable growth.
Get Loos Co-founder Adam Sinnott said: “We knew we needed better systems and stronger leadership structures to match the pace of our growth, but finding the right guidance and tools wasn’t always easy. The High Growth Accelerator Grant, Growth Voucher and training have not only improved how we run the business day to day, but also how we think as business owners. We’re now more structured, more confident and more in control of our growth than ever before.”
Atlas Composite Technologies Ltd, Erewash
Embracing digitisation to drive progress
Atlas Composite Technologies Ltd is a leading manufacturer of advanced composite tooling, components and assemblies, based in Ilkeston. Its solutions are used across a range of sectors, including aerospace, defence, motorsport, and niche automotive. The rapidly expanding business employs approximately 100 full-time staff but has faced the significant challenge of rising energy costs and the subsequent uncertainty around the true cost of manufacture. The business recognised it needed to reduce costs in other ways, not least embracing digitalisation as a key driver for progress.
Head of Strategy Grace Atkinson engaged with East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser Richard Smallwood who facilitated an introduction to Devtank, a Derby based business specialising in test, measurement, and smart solutions. With Devtank’s expertise, Atlas developed a detailed plan to introduce sophisticated digital monitoring equipment across key parts of the business.
The plan provided useful supporting evidence for the business’s application to Erewash Borough Council’s Research and Development Grant, securing the maximum amount of £20,000. This funding has enabled the installation of energy monitoring equipment, giving the business greater visibility of manufacturing costs and helping to improve efficiency, margins and competitiveness.
The Atlas team have also taken part in a range of Accelerator workshops to support ongoing growth, including Carbon Literacy training and skills workshops on team management and harnessing AI. This learning has been complemented by expert consultancy on integrating AI (specifically Microsoft Copilot) into the business, courtesy of a £2,000 Growth Voucher.
The business has further benefitted from Chamber networks such as the East Midlands Manufacturing Network and is looking forward to exploring international opportunities through the Export Accelerator.
Atlas Composite Technologies Managing Director Ben Swain said: “The support we’ve had from East Midlands Chamber has been excellent and we have been particularly impressed with the manner in which business advice has been provided, allowing us to go at our own speed which is a real breath of fresh air.”
Nibbles, Needles and Hooks, North East Derbyshire
A stronger online presence
Nibbles, Needles and Hooks is a wool and coffee shop based in Lower Pilsley. Established in February 2023 by former teacher Liz Grec and partner, Simon Edwards, it offers a focal point in the village where people can sit, drink coffee, make and talk. It also sells goods online from a range of local, national and international makers.
Its key challenge is to increase its online sales whilst competing with larger businesses with much greater advertising budgets. Through the Derbyshire Accelerator programme, East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser David Smith supported the business in applying for a £2,000 Growth Voucher which was used for specialist website consultancy support from Chesterfield-based Rob Gregory of Magnifica. Rob has helped Liz to build a new website to address all the shortcomings for the old site, including increased SEO capabilities. Rob’s advice on navigating the new platform (WordPress and WooCommerce) has saved hours of trial and error. Valuable guidance has been given on a number of key areas such as how to create templates, organise stock items, and what information is needed for each listing for greater visibility on search engines and ultimately to increase online sales. A longer-term goal is to link the website to the business’ POS (Point of Sale) system and streamline the inventory across the two. This will save man hours in the processing of stock items.
Needles and Hooks Owner Liz Grec said: “The knowledge I have gained regarding building my own ecommerce website will enable me to continue to work at increasing SEO and making every individual product more visible. The support from the Derbyshire Accelerator project has enabled me to receive support and guidance that otherwise would have been far beyond my current means. While the final outcome is still in progress I have more than enough knowledge to make this happen.”
Further information on other businesses receiving Derbyshire Accelerator support is available on the EMCCA Growth Hub Case Studies page.
