Come and join us to celebrate the fantastic work and achievements that the collective ERDF Projects (INSTILS, ACTIS and SoLSTICE) have provided by supporting over 400 companies across the region in the last eight years.
Delivered through Medilink Midlands, these ERDF Projects have had significant positive impact on the region and the economic growth. We invite you to join us at Space Park, Leicester to share the findings and highlight some of the success stories, built on the funding, support and advice these companies have received.
As part of this celebratory event, you will hear from:
- Interim Chief Executive Officer, Melanie Davidson on how the three ERDF projects have impacted the region
- Case Study examples of SMEs who have benefited from the project
- Medilink Midlands Innovation Advisers will present on future/current funding opportunities
- Lewis Stringer from British Business Bank will present on Finance options from the British Business Bank (see profile below)
- Dr Helen Compton from NIHR Coordinating Centre will present on Available NIHR MedTech funding (see profile below)
- Plus more to be confirmed
This free-to-attend event is held as part of the SoLSTICE programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £508, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Please note: whilst this event is held as part of the SoLSTICE programme, attendance is not restricted to companies in the Leicester/Leicestershire area and is open to all.
Speaker Profiles
Lewis Stringer, Senior Manager, UK Network – East & South-East Midlands, British Business Bank
Lewis joined the British Business Bank in October 2016 as the MEIF Senior Relationship Manager, covering the East and South-East Midlands. The Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) is a £250m ‘fund-of-funds’ launched in February 2018 and providing equity, debt, small business loans and early stage, proof-of-concept funding for SMEs across the Midlands. He transferred to the UK Network Team in the Bank as Senior Manager, covering the East & South-East Midlands and supporting demand-side initiatives, in October 2018. And has more recently worked on the Bank’s high-profile Covid-19 response initiatives. Lewis has 25 years’ experience in economic development including two years at Capital for Enterprise Limited (the Bank’s predecessor), where he worked in the Debt Team on the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme and former RDA legacy funds, ten years at East Midlands Development Agency (emda) in the Business Investment Team and five years at Nottingham City Council, where he managed a team and a series of grant, loan and equity funds, and investment readiness programmes. Lewis also has over five years commercial and personal banking experience with Lloyds Banking Group.
Dr Helen Compton, Stakeholder Engagement Manager, NIHR Coordinating Centre
Helen joined the NIHR in 2016 to lead on stakeholder engagement activity with the charity and medtech communities and provide leadership and delivery for a number of high profile strategic and operational projects across NIHR. Helen has led business/ governance changes at the science-policy interface with > 9 years research programmes commissioning experience. She developed applied research programmes from end to end to address pressing government and industry needs and has extensive experience working across government departments. Helen has developed the evidence supporting a number of national strategies and presented evidence-based findings at all organisational levels and internationally through the OECD. Helen is an innovation advisory board member to CW Innovation, the partnership between Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust and the Trust’s charity, CW+. CW Innovation aims to develop the Trust into a leading real world environment test bed for digital and med tech innovation through partnership with others.