the business opportunities programme final...

THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMME

FINAL EVALUATION REPORT

April 2015

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CONTENT PAGE No.

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1

2.0 THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMME - CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND 2

3.0 EVALUATING THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMME – SCOPE & METHODOLOGY 5

4.0 MANAGEMENT & OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAMME 8

5.0 MEETING THE OBJECTIVES – AN ANALYSIS OF THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMME 17

6.0 PROGRAMME VALUE FOR MONEY 57

7.0 CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS 61

THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMME

FINAL EVALUATION REPORT

Evaluation of the Business Opportunities Programme Final Report

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

Envision is pleased to present the evaluation of Derry City Council’s Business Opportunities Programme - the major business development programme for entrepreneurs, start-ups and existing micro-enterprises and SMEs in the Derry City Council region. The Business Opportunities Programme, delivered from November 2012 to February 2015, was jointly funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under its European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland. The Programme:

Provided a range of industry programme events and a diverse mentoring programme to local SMEs across the Derry City Council area with its main objective to offer a ‘One Stop Shop’ for local businesses.

Aimed to:

Improve the capability of the SME sector to respond to UK City of Culture 2013 business opportunities, ongoing Legacy Programme and ultimately large scale events and initiatives.

Increase the level of business start-up by maximising the opportunities presented by City of Culture.

Ensure the success and sustainability of the opportunities presented by the City of Culture and other subsequent major events.

Maximise the trade opportunities for the local SME sector.

Improve the capability of the SME sector in relation to public sector and big business procurement

Reinforce the success of the Enterprising Derry project, which was delivered by Derry City Council to consolidate local business base by creating new business and promoting business growth.

Targeted all SME’s in the private and social economy sector in the Derry City Council area.

The Evaluation of the Programme contained in this report provides Derry City Council with:

An assessment of the impact of the Project and its performance against the projected outputs.

Determination on how successful activities have been in meeting local enterprise needs to assess the localised impact.

Qualitative data on the individual programmes in terms of quality of inputs, formats and outputs.

A review of the effectiveness of operational aspects of the Project.

An assessment of the awareness of the Project amongst the target population within the target region.

Identification of any areas with scope for improvement in Project delivery / support.

An assessment of the Programme’s value for money.

A determination of the market response to the Project.

Consideration of overall client satisfaction.

Evidence-based views on the ongoing compatibility of the Programme and its contribution to the Local Economic Development competitiveness programme objectives.

Recommendations on the way forward including: a. Shaping future business development programmes b. Maximising drawdown of forthcoming funding streams.


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2.0 THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMME - CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND

2.1 Background to the Programme

UK City of Culture, 2013

Derry was the first UK City of Culture in 2013. Reaching a global audience of over 450 million, and with

the aim of creating 1,600 extra jobs by 2013 and a further 2,700 by 2020 whilst bringing in £100m of

additional revenue, the aim of Derry City Council was to provide a comprehensive support programme

to ensure the business base and potential entrepreneurs in the City of Derry maximise this opportunity.

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

The major lead-in event to the City of Culture programme in 2013 was the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race where Derry~Londonderry sponsored one of the participating boats and hosted the return leg of the race on a stopover in the city in 2012. The Race has an international profile reaching 550 million people in 175 countries – and a PR value of $265 million. It involves:

10 City-sponsored boats racing 40,000 miles over 330 days of sailing with 15 stopovers in 14 ports. On each stopover there is week of opportunity to host trade missions, business meetings, contacts between politicians / dignitaries and generally position and sell the sponsor cities.

Other Key Contextual Aspects of the Programme

In addition, it will be borne in mind that the Business Opportunities Programme was formed in the context of:

I. ‘One City, One Plan, One Voice' (the One Plan) - an extensive, strategic regeneration plan for Derry / Londonderry which sets out a vision of the role of the public, private and community and voluntary sectors in delivering the 12,900 jobs which it believes are required to reposition the city as an economic hub of the North West over the next 10 years.

It was published in June 2011 by Derry City Council and the ILEX urban regeneration company and is overseen by the Derry-Londonderry Strategy Board.

II. Invest NI – European Regional Development Fund’s (ERDF’s) European Sustainable Competiveness Programme 2007-2013 which helped promote and encourage enterprise and entrepreneurship across Northern Ireland.

2.2 Maximising the Opportunity – the Business Opportunities Programme

Overall, the Business Opportunities Programme was developed to provide a ‘One Stop Shop’ for businesses in finding out:

i. How they can get involved and benefit from City of Culture opportunities; and

ii. To provide a series of specialist training, mentoring and business development programmes to ensure that businesses can build their capability to do this.

The Programme was a catalyst project from City of Culture and the overarching theme in the entire project was on sustainability, and legacy beyond 2013.

The main, overarching objectives of the Business Opportunities Programme were to:


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Business Opportunities Programme – Key Objectives

Improve the capability of the SME sector to respond to the City of Culture (& Clipper Round the World Yacht Race) opportunity and ultimately other large scale events and initiatives.

Increase the level of business start-up by maximising the opportunities presented by City of Culture (& Clipper Round the World Yacht Race).

Ensure the success and sustained economic legacy of the City of Culture, Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and other subsequent major events.

Maximise the trade opportunities for the local SME sector that the Clipper Round the World Race roadshow offers.

In addition, the following objectives in relation to procurement and SME support programme participation were included:

Improving the capability of the SME sector in relation to public sector and big business procurement.

Increasing the level of participation in public sector led SME support programmes.

In order to meet the objectives of the Programme, a series of specific activities / elements were developed focusing on the varying needs of businesses across the Derry City Council area, including:

Business Engagement

Business Start-ups

One-to-one Business mentoring

Procurement and tendering development

Sectoral / theme-based support

Early stage exporting A summary of the objectives for each element of the Business Opportunities Programme is detailed on the following page:

Programme

Objectives


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Element / Activity Primary Objectives

Establish a CRM system

To establish a comprehensive list of all the target businesses in the City with relevant contact details. It will be used for direct marketing and will also record support received by individual companies.

‘This City of Culture Business’ Business Engagement Promotion Programme

To promote the opportunities provided by City of Culture and other similar events.

To facilitate master classes, training seminars, awareness sessions and networking opportunities.

‘Get Started for 2013’ – Encouraging Start Up (Pre ‘Go For It’)

To stimulate new business creation through the promotion of entrepreneurship and specific opportunities arising from City of Culture and major events.

2013 Mentor Bank Building Capability Building

Build the capability of the SME sector by providing specific relevant specialist support in specific sectors and business capability through a mentor bank.

‘2013 Business to

business Procurement Programme:

- Needs Mapping

- IT Procurement Portal

- Workshop Training

To map the procurement needs for the City of Culture and other major related events required directly by City of Culture Company and partner organisations.

To establish an IT portal where companies can access all relevant procurement information.

Provided relevant procurement training.

Specialist Thematic /

Sector Support

Programmes 1-11

To provide specialist training to the SME sector to develop

capability and encourage collaboration, new business

strategies and new products / services in sub-sectors with

particular relevance to delivery of City of Culture.

Clipper Trade Programme To develop an export training and related trade mission

programme for non-Invest NI clients and to ensure that the

SME sector maximise the opportunities that the Clipper

Round the World roadshow presents.

Each of the objectives outlined above were assigned Project Performance Indicators or SMART Objectives with progress reported to Invest NI on a quarterly basis by Derry City Council. With the Programme now completed, the evaluation provides an analysis of how the objectives have been met for each individual aspect of the Programme. This analysis is presented in Sections 4.0 to 6.0 with the views of Mentors, participating companies and stakeholders interspersed throughout the report. Before the analysis, however, Section 3.0 summarises the methodology used to conduct the evaluation and gather the information that will help allow Council to shape future business development initiatives.

The Business Opportunities Programme - One Stop Shop

To ensure access not only to the direct opportunities for City of Culture and other major events but also

to sign post and co-ordinate all the available business support in the City.

Marketing

To effectively

promote and

market the

entire

programme to

ensure its

success and the

success of City

of Culture.


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3.0 EVALUATING THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMME – SCOPE & METHODOLOGY

The aims and scope of the evaluation of the Business Opportunities Programme are to examine the

project as a whole, as well as the individual elements as follows:

Business Opportunities Programme Activity Providing a ‘One Stop Shop’ for business to access opportunities for the City of Culture

Establish a CRM system




2013 Business to business Procurement Programme: - Needs Mapping - IT Procurement Portal - Workshop Training

Specialist Thematic/Sector Support Programmes

Clipper Trade Programme

The detailed methodology undertaken to fully evaluate the Programme is outlined below:

Assess impact of the Project and its performance against the projected outputs

Determine how successful activities have been in meeting local enterprise needs to assess the localised impact

Gather qualitative data on the individual programmes in terms of quality of inputs, formats and outputs

Review effectiveness of operational aspects of the Project

Assess awareness of the Project amongst the target population within the target region

Identify any area with scope for improvement in Project delivery / support

Assess value for money

Determine market responsiveness to the Project

Consider overall client satisfaction

Determine on-going compatibility and contribution to the Local Economic Development competitiveness programme objectives

Make recommendations on the way forward including: I. Shaping future business development

programmes II. Maximising drawdown of forthcoming funding

streams.

Scope of the Evaluation

Initial Context-Setting Preparatory Desk Research – Prior to Completion of Interviews

Full review of Project Objectives & Documentation Full understanding of each individual programme Examine local enterprise competitiveness needs Review of promotion and recruitment against Programme “uptake” Review Programme “uptake” / participation by individual Programme

This provided Envision with background context, knowledge and understanding of the overall Project and

shape the topics covered interview guides and questionnaires.

Project Planning and Initial Set up Meeting with Derry City Council


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Design & Development of Questionnaires & Interview / Consultation Guides*

Direct, face-to-face Consultation with: Programme Directors / Stakeholders x 4

Relevant representatives from specific stakeholder organisations were interviewed directly to gain:

Views on overall impact of the Project and its performance against outputs

Views on whether the support meets local business needs

Effectiveness of operational aspects of the Project.

Scope for improvements in Project delivery / support

Recommendations for improving delivery and future support content

Brief Telephone Survey with Local Enterprises that Did Not Participate in the Programme

Brief telephone survey of local enterprises that did not participate in the Programme within the target population / region to assess:

Level of awareness of the Business Opportunities Programme

Rationale for not participating in the Programme

Perceptions of the Programme

Types of support you would like to receive from a Local Economic Development perspective.

Telephone Consultations with Business Mentors x 5

Engaged with a sample of Business Mentors involved in various aspects of the Business Opportunities Programme. Consultations covered the following topics:



Effectiveness of operational aspects of the Project


Recommendations for improving delivery and future support content

Telephone Survey with Programme Participants (Local Enterprises) x 50

Envision interviewed a total of 50 local enterprises who availed of the Business Opportunities Programme. Interviews covered the following topics:

How they became aware of the Programme

If they achieved their original objectives for the programme/support accessed.

What aspects of the programme/support they liked

What aspects of the programme/support they would change.

What additional programme content would they like to see.

Quantification of the business benefit of the programme ie skills development, increased turnover, jobs created etc

If they would be willing to participate in a future Council programme.

Research Analysis & Interpretation

All information gleaned from the research, collated and analysed in order to address the key aspects of the Programme evaluation.


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The findings of this research and analysis are presented in Sections 4.0 to 6.0 below.

Draft Report & Recommendations Development of a draft report which presents the findings and analysis from the research and addresses all key issues -

specifically:

The impact of the Project & its performance against the projected outputs

Project success in meeting local enterprise needs.

The quality of inputs, formats and outputs


Awareness of the Project amongst the target population in the target region

Market responsiveness to the Project

Scope for improvement in Project delivery / support

Value for money

Overall client satisfaction

Compatibility & contribution to Local Economic Development competitiveness programme objectives

Production of a set of recommendations that will address (amongst other matters):

The shaping of future business development programmes

Maximising drawdown of forthcoming funding streams

Final Evaluation Report Submission to Derry City Council


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4.0 MANAGEMENT & OPERATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAMME

The Business Opportunities Programme provided a One-Stop Shop for businesses at all levels to seek

advice, support, help, assistance and signposting in order to help their businesses start-up, survive and

grow. The overall objectives of the Programme were gained through the other mechanisms of the

Programme. Businesses and individuals were “filtered” through to the relevant elements of the

Programme through the One Stop Shop system.

In order to achieve its overall aim, the One Stop Shop service was provided by 3 x Business Development

Managers (BDMs) of the project, one of whom was the Project Manager. Together the team’s

responsibilities were to:

Work to liaise with and co-ordinate the activity and requirements of the City of Culture Company,

and the Physical Infrastructure Steering Group.

Co-ordinate other business support activity in the City relevant to the City of Culture.

Signpost companies to any other available support including Invest NI programmes, support

provided by North West Marketing, Noribic, The Chamber of Commerce, Business in the

Community, Princes Trust, Intertrade Ireland, Derry Visitor & Convention Bureau, Universities,

Private sector support from Banks etc.

Provide comprehensive support to businesses who want to access the opportunities of the City of

Culture by making them aware of what these are and by providing capability support and training

through this programme and others in the City.

The BDM’s took a very pro-active role to:

Engage businesses in the support programmes available to ensure sufficient levels of participation

and success for City of Culture.

Take a proactive role in assessing business needs so that the elements of the programme will

remain focused on the specific needs of the businesses and entrepreneurs.

Work in conjunction with the City of Culture delivery team linking directly to their core delivery

team and also bringing together other partners.

As well as the Business Development team, a core group of major business support organisations

supported the One Stop Shop. A steering group was formed for the overall project which met formally

four times a year, made up of representatives from Project Team, Derry City Council, City of Culture

Company, Ilex, Invest NI, North West Marketing, Noribic, Derry Visitor & Convention Bureau, Business

in the Community, Princes Trust, Chamber of Commerce as well as a representative from Private Sector.

This section of the report assesses the overall management, operational efficiency and delivery of the

Programme by assessing:

The overall SMART Objectives of the “One Stop Shop” and the extent to which they were met.

The establishment of the CRM system to assist with Programme management.

Marketing & promotional aspects the Programme.

The Views & Feedback from Mentors, Stakeholders and Companies.


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4.1 One Stop Shop

Business Opportunities Programme Activity / Element

Plan to Achieve Performance Indicator / SMART Objective

Project Performance Indicator / SMART Objective

Actual Outcome(s)

One Stop Shop To ensure that there is a ‘One Stop Shop’ to access not only the direct opportunities for City of Culture and other major events but also to sign post and co-ordinate all the available business support in the City.

Staffed by Business Development Managers, who will serve as secretariat for co-ordinating activity of business support who will carry out direct engagement with businesses.

200 businesses receive direct support i.e training or mentoring. At least 500 business receive indirect support i.e:

I. attend awareness events / networking,

II. make enquiries or III. access procurement portal

Direct 410 companies have receiving direct mentoring across all Programme elements.

Indirect In February 2015, there have been over 2,877 attendees at Business Opportunities

Programme events.

The Oppshop Procurement Portal has over 523 email subscribers who are receiving direct information on local procurement opportunities from Council, ILEX and City of Culture.

The above confirms that the SMART objectives have been 100% achieved.

In addition, it should be noted that:

The OppShop Procurement Portal has 509 Twitter followers and 41 LinkedIn Members.

The Business Opportunities Programme has: 609 Facebook followers; 632 Twitter followers and 82 LinkedIn members.

Summary: Overall, the various elements of the Business Opportunities Programme have contributed to the meeting of the SMART objectives agreed with: - 410 companies receiving direct mentoring across all Programme elements.

- Over 2,877 attendees at Business Opportunities Programme events.


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4.2 CRM System




Actual Outcome(s)

Establish a CRM system To establish a comprehensive list of all the target businesses in the City with relevant contact details. It will be used for direct marketing and will also record support received by individual companies. Database software required. Ongoing population and maintenance of the system.

A comprehensive multi-functional database of all the target businesses in the City with relevant contact details to be established by bringing together existing information held by Derry City Council and their partners. A software package to manage this and enable it to be continually updated and act as a customer relationship management system will be procured and used throughout and beyond the project. The system will also be used:

For direct marketing and will also record support received by individual companies.

To provide accurate reporting and evaluation of the programme elements.

To provide the information needed to detail support needs analysis.

Established list of at least 2,700 registered businesses

Having tested the market, Council decided that the budget could not be sanctioned, and that an internal system would be developed. An in-house MS Access database has been established within which there are currently:

1,433 registered individuals on the database with 1,045 SME’s . The SMART objective of 2,700 registered businesses on a central IT system has, therefore, not been met.

Comments: As stated above, following two attempts to test the market place for an effective CRM System, it became apparent that this element of the project would not be deliverable within the confines of the budget allocation. The IT Support Officer, therefore, developed and maintained a system for capturing all project data using a MS Access Database. This database has proved adequate for the Programme needs, therefore the under spend for CRM system was allocated to another key aspect of the wider Programme (Enterprise Week). Summary: The MS Access database was sufficient for its current purpose, however:

The inability to provide and export accurate reporting and evaluation of the programme elements may have created more administration requirements and lower quality progress reports.

The lack of CRM system meant that a detailed needs analysis of Programme participants could not be conducted. This would help shape the areas to focus on for the Business Opportunities Programme. The key issue, however, is that the number of registered businesses on the database is much lower than the aim of 2,700 agreed in the SMART Objective.


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4.3 External Mentor Views on Programme Delivery & Management

Each of the mentors (see details in Section 5.3.2) were asked to provide frank and open feedback in relation to the overall delivery of the Programme, and in particular, the mentoring. Generally the feedback was very positive with some minor points of constructive opinion provided – see below:

“From an operations perspective the programme has been managed extremely well. A solid

overview was provided at the start and all delivery aspects were seamless. If a company had a

particular need the BOP team was very good at accommodating additional or new support

required.”

“The BOP team was flexible, accommodating and sharp when it came to managing the elements I

was involved in.”

“One particular client was discussed at the outset of the mentoring process as being potentially

challenging. When the client became a problem, it was managed very well and proactively between

the BOP team and the mentor. Communication was a strong point.”

“The BOP team was also highly commercial minded. They demonstrated an understanding of the

commercial requirements of a business and ensured the programme was delivered accordingly.”

“The BOP team at Derry City Council were very reactive and flexible to the needs of client companies

in a very positive way.”

“The matching process between companies and mentors was very strong. The Council oversaw a

very practical, common sense approach. As time went on, matches improved even further.”

“The handover process from the BOP team to me was very good and the matching / briefing process

was excellent.”

“The BOP team was very helpful and the mentor matching process was very strong.”

“By and large, the delivery of the Programme was very good. The BOP team communicated very

efficiently.”

“I was extremely pleased with the commitment and drive, openness and transparency of the BOP

team. They far exceeded any expectations in relation to their professionalism and availability and

ran a very effective Programme. I had a very good relationship with the delivery team.”

“The vast majority of projects were straight forward. Some of the pre-start-ups were difficult to

meet, however, this was the only real “issue”.”

“Some companies want and need the support, but aren’t willing to put enough effort into making

it a success. Luckily there was only the occasional “bad one”.”

The section of the evaluation that focuses on the “Mentor Bank” provides more in-depth views on specific administration and ways that it could be improved.

4.4 Company Feedback on Programme Delivery & Management

The 51 businesses interviewed (see details in section 5.4) were asked to provide their views on the operational / management / administrative side of the Programme.


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The feedback from businesses in relation to the organisation, management, flexibility and communication of the Council Team supports is very positive – reflecting the views of the Mentors in the previous section. A flavour of the comments made by interviewed business representatives are as follows:

A Sample of Comments in Relation to the Programme Management & Delivery Team

“The delivery team was extremely supportive and as well as matching me with a great mentor, the initial assessment of my business needs was very strong as well as the quality of the information and contacts received from the mentor.”

Irish Unique Art “The administration and management of the Progamme was very good. One of the reasons we got a lot out of the Programme was due to the efficiency of Council representatives.”

Blossom Beauty “I couldn’t fault council the programme it was very well organised compared to other initiatives.”

Liv’in Crystal

“Tara and the team were excellent throughout the programme.” Olive Tree Gifts

“The programme was very well managed and run.”

Zoo Creative

“Tara and Leanne are brilliant they keep us informed about everything that is available.” The Gift Box

“Council managed the process quite well, I have no suggestions to how it might have been improved.”

Organic Colour Care

“It was well organised and I was allocated a mentor within a few weeks.” Derry Self Catering Apartments

“They listened to what I needed and directed me to the right support. I was happy with the support.”

Raw Muscle Derry “The support was allocated fast and I was matched well. It was great.”

NU Print Tech “Support was allocated very fast and was managed very well.”

D&M Farm Services

In a few cases, companies may not have received much communication from Council, nor did they necessarily need to:

“Managed fine, however most of our contact was with Mark and not council directly. We were allocated Mark very quickly in the beginning.”

Graphix Signs “We didn’t really have much dealing with Council, we met Paul at a workshop and he advised how he could help, then he arranged things with council.”

HR Team “The management team was quite good initially, however, we received no follow-up nor was there a general feedback forum.”

Quinnspares


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4.5 Marketing & Promotion of the Programme 4.5.1 Establishing the Right Marketing & Promotional Mix

One of the key objectives of the Business Opportunities Programme was “to effectively promote and

market the entire programme to ensure its success and the success of City of Culture”. In order for the

Programme to deliver on and achieve the ambitious SMART objectives and meet the Performance

Indicators across all elements of the Programme, the marketing and promotion of the various aspects

of it had to be comprehensive, wide-ranging and inclusive / accessible to all potential participants.

Ultimately the Programme had to be marketed in such a way that any local enterprise or potential

business person who could avail of a particular aspect of the Programme should have the information

at their fingertips or proactively (from Council’s perspective) sent to them.

The marketing of all elements of the Programme was extensive. Communication channels included:

General BOP and specific sub-Programme literature and promotional materials were developed some

for both digital (online) and traditional (offline) consumption, including:

Brochures & Flyers

Promotional Banners

Photography

A significant emphasis was also placed on social media for advertising, promotion and information-

sharing including:

LinkedIn

Twitter

Facebook

Online and digital promotion was also undertaken in the form of:

Website – specific section in the Derry City Council website dedicated to the Programme

Marketing &

Promotion

Promotional Banners

Photography

Advertising

eZine

WebsiteFacebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Brochures & Flyers


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eZine / eShots – proactive targeting of the local market through ongoing communication through

direct emailing

Traditional Advertising

In order to target residents / businesses in the Council area that are not as acquainted to digital / online

resources, as well as promoting the Programme through online mechanisms, a series of generic

advertisements were placed in the local press including:

Derry Journal

Londonderry Sentinel

Derry News

City Herald

City of Culture Magazine (a bespoke magazine commissioned by Culture Company in 2013)

A series of advertisements were also released in 2013 to coincide with specific programmes that were

being rolled out.

Specific Examples of Marketing & Promotional Practice

i. Enterprise Week

Enterprise Week, in particular, focused heavily on promoting the various events across a wide range of

media using numerous marketing techniques, indeed, all 9 categories referred to in the previous figure.

Each year a key aspect of the promotional activity around the event was the “brochure” that contained:

Full schedule of events

Detailed overview of the events / seminars

Speaker profiles

Photographs

Links to other business support programmes and further information on the Business

Opportunities Programme.

ii. Fashion Fest

Fashion Fest also invested heavily in marketing and promotional activities across all 9 categories in the

figure above. From August to November 2014, a total of 67 articles were published in daily newspapers,

magazines, regional publications and Sunday newspapers.

The “festival” counted amongst its successes the coverage received via Twitter and Facebook as well as

fashion magazine, Sugahfix, and amongst fashion bloggers. Press coverage in the Belfast Telegraph, IN,

BBC Newsline, Derry News, Londonderry Sentinel and Derry Journal all contributed to its overall

success.

On the flip-side, it was accepted that in order to improve the marketing of Fashion Fest further, the

following may be considered:

Visibility in retailer shop fronts, billboards inside and outside Derry City.

Greater awareness to a national audience to boost visitor numbers into the City.

A dedicated social media channel to provide clear, specific messages.

Earlier communication of marketing messages targeted at the right audience(s).


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Capitalise on, for example, Enterprise Week audience for Fashion Fest and other events – and vice

versa.

Overall the marketing and promotion of the Business Opportunities Programme has been far-reaching and effective. An important point to make here is that after each initiative, event, seminar, sub-Programme, the BOP team was eager to gauge the success and value of particular aspects of the marketing conducted. This was implemented through “De-Brief” sessions and update meetings with constant checks on and improvements upon the marketing activities undertaken. The team started to form a clear picture as to what worked and what did not – from a marketing and promotional perspective.

4.5.2 External Mentor Feedback on the Levels of Programme Awareness across the Region

As established and experienced business people, the mentors were asked to provide their opinions in relation to the levels of which local businesses and potential business start-ups were aware of the Business Opportunities Programme. The key responses provided were in praise of the marketing and promotional aspects of the Programme, as demonstrated by the comments below:

“In my view there were very high levels of awareness of the Programme across the local enterprise market. A combination of effective marketing and use of positive case studies assisted this greatly. In addition to the advertising being well-targeted, the ease of event registration and online information levels significantly boosted the involvement of the current and potential business contact.”

“The programme was well-advertised in local newspapers, through various networking events resulting in a good wide-range of participants and newly engaged businesses.”

One mentor pointed to the difficulties in organising and achieving accurate attendee numbers at free events due to the non-committal nature of the situation:

“A large number of businesses came through from the promotion around the City of Culture. Some events were poorly attended but the team always put a lot of effort in. If Council charged for event attendance, people would show up but less people may be willing to part with the money. Due to the fact that events were free, however, meant that there was a lack of commitment and it was easier not to attend.”

The work rate, commitment and the “covering of all bases” from the BOP team to boost awareness using multiple online and offline techniques to secure registrations and attendee numbers was commended by a number of mentors.

4.5.3 Company Feedback on the Levels of Promotion & Marketing of the Programme

In order to measure the effectiveness of the various promotional and marketing techniques, based on the sample of companies interviewed, each company contact was asked “How did you become aware of the Programme / Mentoring?” The table below provides a breakdown of the responses across the 51 participants:

Where Companies Heard About the Programme Number of Companies % of Companies

Direct from Council 27 53%

Word of Mouth 10 20%

Invest NI / Go for It Programme 7 14%

Newspaper Advertisement 5 10%

Craft Programme 1 2%

Business Mentor 1 2%

Total

51

100%


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The table above demonstrates the importance of and, indeed, the effectiveness of Council activities in promoting the Programme – including the mentoring aspects of the Programme – with over half (53%) citing Council as how they found out about the Programme. Word of mouth as well as signposting from Invest NI and the Go For It Programme were also important contributors to programme participation, followed by newspaper advertisements, as well as other complementary programmes and, finally, from business mentors. Overall, the feedback from mentors and, in particular participants substantiate the fact that marketing and promotion of the Programme was effective and efficient.


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5.0 MEETING THE OBJECTIVES – AN ANALYSIS OF THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAMME, BY ELEMENT

5.1 “This City of Culture” Business Engagement Promotion Programme




Actual Outcome(s)

‘This City of Culture Business’ Business Engagement Promotion Programme To promote the opportunities provided by City of Culture and other similar events. To facilitate master classes, training seminars, awareness sessions and networking opportunities.

This programme will promote the overall activity of the project through: i. A City of Culture Business

Week – This will be a high profile week long programme of activities with a series of events with key note speakers to give practical advice and inspiration to the SME sector.

ii. There will be series of a further 6 awareness sessions which will highlight City of Culture opportunities up to the end of 2013.

i. Business week 2013, 2014 & 2015. At least:

900 unique attendees

40 events over 5 days

13 new products / services

3 new businesses created

ii. Awareness sessions. At least:

6 awareness sessions run

50 unique business attendees at each event

5 businesses win new contracts

i. Objective Met & Exceeded Business Week / Enterprise Week 2013, 2014 & 2015

The total number of attendees was:

386 in 2013 511 in 2014 819 in 2015

Total = 1,716 attendees*

*It is unclear whether the attendee numbers represent unique participants. This information was not gathered, potentially as a result of the lack of CRM system.

The total number of events:

30 in 2013 26 in 2014 30 in 2015

Total = 86 events

16 New Products/ Services (10 in 2013 & 6 in 2014)

6 New businesses created (2 in 2013 & 4 in 2014)

ii. Objective Met: 10 Awareness Sessions, 687 attendees

2013-2014 – Awareness Sessions x 10

No. Date Title Number of Attendees

1. (17/10/12) Prepare to Trade Outdoors 100

2. (23/05/13) Radio1 Big Weekend Business Information Sessions 50

3. (01/05/13) Radio1 Big Weekend Business Information Session 93

4. (01/05/13) Business Info Session (Forthcoming City of Culture events) 69

5. (30/06/13) Lumiere Business Information Session 40

6. (23/07/13) Fleadh Business Information Session 137

7. (24/09/13) Business Information Session (re. Large-scale events) 45

8. (03/12/13) Music City Information Session 76

9. (26/03/14) ECar Business Information Session 30

10. (17/04/14) LegenDerry Maritime Festival/ Clipper Race Info Session 47

Total Number of Attendees 687

Continued …


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Actual Outcome(s)

‘This City of Culture Business’ Business Engagement Promotion Programme To promote the opportunities provided by City of Culture and other similar events. To facilitate master classes, training seminars, awareness sessions and networking opportunities.

iii. 12 x business club events iii. Throughout the project there will be specialist networking opportunities provided for all businesses in the form of a CoC2013BusinessClub that will meet 4 times a year.

… Continued iii. Objective Met & Exceeded: Business Club Events

2013 - Business Club Events x 12


1. 26th April Introduction to Social Media 24

2. 9th May The Business of Thinking with Mary Keightley (AM Session) 25

3. 9th May The Business of Thinking with Mary Keightley (PM Session) 18

4. 14th June June Getting Your Facebook Business Page to Work For You 32

5. 19th June Introduction to Ebay with Michael Hughes 13

6. 17th Sept Facebook for Business (AM) 19

7. 26th Sept Facebook for Business (AM) 19

8. - Maximising Your Online Sales for Christmas 2013 9

9. 8th Oct Plan for Growth in 2014 (AM) 7

10. 23rd Oct Plan for Growth (PM)

*Note: 10 bespoke Growth Plans have been developed as a result of the Planning for Growth workshops

6

11. 6th Nov LinkedIn 20

12. 21st Nov Up & Coming Social Media 20

Total Number of Attendees 2013 212

2014 - Business Club Events x 11


1. 6th March 2014 Advanced Facebook 9

2. 20th March 2014 Understanding Financial Accounts 3

3. 4th April 2014 Twitter for Business Workshop 12

4. 8th April 2014 Advanced Twitter for Business Workshop 5

5. 21st May 2014 Retail Social Media Strategy 7

6. 10th June 2014 Improving Customer Experience 7

7. 18th June 2014 Sales Techniques/Closing the Deal 4

8. 16th September 2014 Marketing and Branding Workshop 17

9. 2nd October 2014 Advanced Facebook 11

10. 6th November 2014 Advanced Twitter 14

11. 9th December 2014 Is Santa Claus A Great Leader? 3



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Comments: Business / Enterprise Week Enterprise Week occurred in 2013, 2014 and 2015 attracting over 1,700 delegates across 86 individual events.

The event – the first of its kind in the area - initially coincided with the launch of the City of Culture official programme and its aim was to inform, inspire and motivate the SME sector. Due to its success in 2013, the event was rolled out in 2014 and 2015. It was promoted as “a special showcase event aimed at promoting business development and entrepreneurial spirit, stimulating business growth, new business creation and driving economic prosperity within the region.” The wide-ranging programme of events offered options for business at all levels – from those who want to develop a business idea, to business start-ups to existing companies that are keen to grow.

With a combination of headline / keynote speakers, “business support zones”, “Meet the Buyer event”, “digital drop-in clinics” and various other business-related workshops – all across various Central venues, Enterprise Week attracted and inspired a high number of delegates. The event leaned towards the major themes of the City of Culture such as:

1) Unlocking Creativity

2) Creative Connections 3) Digital Dialogue; and 4) Creating a New Story.

However, a significant number of other key business topics were covered including:

Innovation

Franchising

Social Media in Business

Business Planning

Marketing including Digital Marketing & Strategy

Branding

Merchandising

Public Procurement

Exporting

Financial planning

Sales development

Leadership In addition, although the event catered for all business types, some particular areas of focus from a sectoral perspective were:

Retail

Social Enterprise development

Tourism including Food Tourism

Fashion & design

Digital economy

Super Connected Cities

Each year, the event was progressed both in terms of the calibre and suitability of the speakers but also in relation to its adaptability to suit the needs of businesses in the region. The event was and remains widely known and recognised with attendance increasing significantly year-on-year, as shown in the table above.

A high-level of signposting took place with delegates being referred to other, additional means of business support such as:

Craft Development Programme

Growing the Digital Economy Programme

Clinical Translational Entrepreneurship & Innovation Programme (CTEIP)

Rural Tourism Development Programme


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16 New Products / Services developed as a result of the Event (10 in 2013 & 6 in 2014).

6 New businesses were created following from and as a result of the Event (2 in 2013 & 4 in 2014).

Overall, Enterprise Week has been very successful in meeting the objectives and aims of the project in relation to both:

Promoting the opportunities provided by City of Culture and other similar events.

Facilitating master classes, training seminars, awareness sessions and networking opportunities. Awareness Sessions & Business Club Events Throughout the year, Awareness raising events as well as Business Club events were also delivered through the Programme and in most cases, were very well attended by delegates. These events served to continuously highlight the opportunities available to companies / potential companies whilst addressing a key start-up / business growth issue utilising the experience and know-how of experienced speakers. Where appropriate, delegates / companies were signposted to another aspect of the Business Opportunities Programme or to another more specific / relevant business development offering. As with Enterprise Week, these events encouraged networking amongst delegates and speakers and had the potential to create partnerships and, of course, sales opportunities amongst local businesses. Conclusion: Overall, 100% of the SMART objectives for this sub-programme have been met (and in some cases, exceeded) including the securing of high levels of involvement and awareness from key players from across the business world through events, workshops and seminars, resulting in new products / services introduced and new contracts. This aspect of the Programme also created an environment that might contribute to fostering business growth, and in turn, job creation.

The networking aspects of Enterprise Week should also be noted. It provides like-minded business people across the area with a chance to discuss issues and barriers to progress in a suitable environment, with potential for collaborations and partnerships being created through this. Feedback from delegates was sought after each individual event. The Business Opportunities team captured the feedback as comprehensively as possible and the summary feedback is very positive. In terms of tangible outputs from Enterprise Week, the following has been reported:


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5.2 “Get Started for 2013” – Encouraging Start-Up




Actual Outcome(s)



At least: I. 190 attendees at awareness

sessions - 4 workshops x 20 participants each

II. 15 individuals provided with

specialist training

III. 10 businesses go forward to

mainstream programmes

IV. 3 new businesses started

i. Objective Exceeded: Get Started for 2013 – Awareness Sessions

Awareness Sessions


1. 17th Oct 2012 Prepare to Trade Outdoors 100

2. November 2012 Franchising Event 200

3. 13th March 2013 Get Started for 2013 Information Event 30

4. 10th Sept 2013 Going Digital 31


ii. Objective Exceeded: Get Started for 2013 – Workshops / Training Sessions

Workshop / Training Sessions 2013


1. 26th March Entrepreneurship & You 13

2. 27th March Market Validation 14

3. 9th April Operations & Legal Issues 19 4. 10th April Writing a Business Plan 13

5. 16th April Financing your Venture 15

6. 17th April Action Planning 13

iii.& iv. Objectives Exceeded: The outputs of the programme were for participating individuals or groups to progress onto mainstream Invest NI programmes and other related business initiatives, as well as signposting to other support initiatives. To date the following groups have progressed to the Invest NI Social Entrepreneurship programme from the Get Started for 2013 programme:

Enquiry Development – ASD Innovations Core (Start Up) - ASD Innovations (Autism Social Skills Academy)

Resource Centre Derry (4R’s)


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To date the following individuals have progressed to “new business” phase and have gone forward to the Invest NI Regional Start programme from the Get Started for 2013 programme: New Businesses Created:

Rachel Parkes – The Grand Central

Liam Shields – Campbells Bar

Dawn Boreham – Reiki Dawn

Ursula Mc Hugh – Club Cabaret / The Creative Path

Linzi Knox / Patricia Martin – MK Events Childcare

John White / Aaron O’Neill - Culture Covers

Pauline Lusby – City of Derry Equestrian Centre

Paul Mc Kay – Paul Mc Kay Productions

Michelle Byrom – Michelle Byrom

Claire Janiska – Claire Jasinska Jewellery Other clients were also signposted to other support initiatives which could assist in the development of their business ideas. This included clients being signposted to Noribic MIS and also i-Factory programme as well as Derry City Council’s Business Opportunities programme. All clients were also added to Enterprise North West’s new business databases which Enterprise North West email on a regular basis with relevant business opportunities, tenders and other business initiatives.

Comments:

The aim of Get Started for 2013, delivered by Enterprise North West was to stimulate new business creation through the promotion of entrepreneurship and specific opportunities arising from City of Culture and major events there will be a programme to encourage start –ups in the required business areas.

It was anticipated that the major events in the City of Culture bid would create unprecedented demand for numerous products and services.

As a pre ‘Go For It’ programme offering, the Programme was designed for people who would like to start a business but who may not yet have an idea or be aware of how to go about accessing support. The model for this was drawn from the Pre-Social Economy programme which ran through Enterprising Derry and which included awareness raising, training for participants and mentoring.

It was envisaged that the ‘graduates’ of this programme would either continue with the ‘Go For It’ programme and/or move into accessing the other elements of the capability support within the programme eg mentor support. The sub-Programme focused heavily on encouraging individuals to take on specific opportunities which are arising.

As well as mentoring support, individuals were provided with training and networking opportunities through the workshops and support resources through Fab Lab, Business Innovation & Design Clinic and the Invest NI Business Information Centre. Conclusion:

All (100%) of aims / sub-objectives have been exceeded with 12 individuals proceeding to mainstream programmes and 10 new businesses started.


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5.3 Mentor Bank – Business Capability Building




Actual Outcome(s)

Mentor Bank


i. 300 companies receive mentoring

support

ii. 60 companies win new business

iii. 15 new products/services created

i. Objective exceeded: 55 experienced mentors were recruited to provide support to companies on the programme covering the following key services / topics:

General Business Planning

Business Operations Production

Logistics

Customer Experience

Management

Employment HR Management

Staff Development

Environment Efficiency

Financial Management

Administration

Health Safety Risk Management

ICT

E‐Commerce

Innovation Product

Development Intellectual

Property

International Export Trade

Legal Corporate Regulatory

Marketing Sales Networking

And Promotion

Personal Development

Social Media

Tendering

Visual Merchandising

Accountancy

Communications

PR

Craft

Fashion

Textile Design

Product Development

Intellectual Property

Property Management

Website development According to Council, 410 business mentor relationships have been completed directly or through a specific Programme – 110 more than the 300 agreed as a SMART objective.

284 – direct mentoring support 51 – as part of the Legenderry Food Guide project 21 – as part of the Fleadh Cheoil project 43 – through the Market Start-up Programme 11 – through the Get Started Programme

ii. Objective met: 35 new contracts were won across only 25 mentoring recipients with

much more wins captured through the direct interviews and reported below demonstrating the meeting of this objective.

iii. Objective exceeded: 109 new products / services have been developed across only 73 companies as a result of the mentoring received. Additional new products / services introduced as a result of the mentoring have been recorded through the interviews with participants (see later in this section) demonstrating clearly that this objective was exceeded.


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Comments:

A major element of the programme was building capability of the existing business base through the provision of specialist mentoring and support in the areas they most need it.

A bank of 55 specialist mentors was established to provide this support on a needs basis covering a wide range of business topics and areas (listed in the table above) – not only mainstream business areas such as finance, sales, strategic marketing, communications, product development, human resources but also specific support for businesses in arts and culture and other City of Culture related specialist services such as hospitality, cultural venues, specialist attractions. A panel of mentors was used as and when they were required on the advice of the Business Development Managers. The identification of individual need and allocation of mentors was conducted using a matching process as follows:

1. Business Officer holds a 1-1 meeting with the registered businesses on the programme. 2. Business Questionnaire is completed which identifies the business needs and specific mentoring requirements. 3. Business Officer then allocates a mentor best suited to the business request using the mentors and services sheet and will ensure that mentor has the relevant sector experience required. 4. E-mail is then sent to selected mentor who will make direct contact with the business to arrange mentoring appointments and the mentor record sheet will be completed for each visit.

284 companies were provided with an average of 2.0 days of mentoring each over the course of the project. Some businesses required more support than others ie some needed 1 day and others more. The mentor bank was also utilised to provide additional support to the businesses that went through the other sector support, procurement and business start training and support initiatives of the Business Opportunities Programme. The findings below provide an evaluation of the mentoring aspects of the Business Opportunities Programme – from the perspective of both a sample of mentors and company participants. Summary: 100% (3 out of 3) of sub-objectives were met or exceeded: The SMART objective of 300 mentored businesses has been exceeded, and the mentoring has clearly been a crucial aspect of the Programme resulting in clear and tangible outputs including new products / services introduced and new business won – outputs that will continue to resonate throughout the business environment across the Council area.

The evaluation of the mentoring aspect of the Programme continues in more detail in the remainder of the section, below.

Sections 5.3 and 5.4 below provide detailed feedback from both external mentors and participating companies in relation to the Mentor Bank provision, the outputs gained

and other overall aspects of the Programme.


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5.3 EXTERNAL BUSINESS MENTOR VIEWS OF THE PROGRAMME

5.3.1 Introduction to the Mentoring Process

A major element of the Business Opportunities Programme has been to build the capability of the existing

business base through the provision of specialist mentoring and support in the areas of greatest need.

A bank of 55 specialist mentors was established to provide this support on a needs basis covering a wide

range of business topics and areas – not only mainstream business areas such as finance, sales, strategic

marketing, communications, product development, human resources but also specific support for

businesses in arts and culture and other City of Culture related specialist services such as hospitality,

cultural venues, specialist attractions. Mentor specialisms included the following key services / topics:

General Business Planning

Business Operations Production

Logistics

Customer Experience

Management

Employment HR Management

Staff Development

Environment Efficiency

Financial Management

Administration

Health Safety Risk Management

ICT

E‐Commerce

Innovation Product

Development Intellectual

Property

International Export Trade

Legal Corporate Regulatory

Marketing Sales Networking

And Promotion

Personal Development

Social Media

Tendering

Visual Merchandising

Accountancy

Communications

PR

Craft

Fashion

Textile Design

Product Development

Intellectual Property

Property Management

Website development

The panel of mentors was used as and when they were required on the advice of the Business

Development Managers. The identification of individual need and allocation of mentors was conducted

using a matching process as follows:

Business Officer holds a 1-1 meeting with the

registered businesses on the programme.

Business Questionnaire is completed which identifies the

business needs and specific mentoring requirements.

Business Officer allocates a mentor best suited to the business’ needs using the “mentors and

services” document and will ensure that mentor has the relevant sector experience required.

E-mail sent to selected mentor who makes direct contact with the business to arrange

mentoring appointments and the mentor record sheet will be completed for each visit.

Mentoring delivered Mentoring activities recorded using Mentoring Record Template

Final Contact Report required to include: Detailed outputs from the mentoring

Mentor Invoicing Process


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Although a total of 410 companies received mentoring from the experienced mentor bank across the

Business Opportunities Programme and its sub-Programmes, 284 companies were provided with an

average of 2.0 days of direct mentoring each over the course of the project. Some businesses required

more support than others ie some needed 1 day and others more.

Importantly, the mentor bank was also utilised to provide additional support to the businesses that

went through the other sector support, procurement and business-start training and support initiatives

of the Business Opportunities Programme.

5.3.2 Views from the Mentor Pool on the Business Opportunities Programme Introduction

In order to enhance the validity and the depth of the evaluation, Envision engaged with a sample of Business Mentors involved in various aspects of the Business Opportunities Programme. The consultations, through telephone interviews, addressed





Recommendations for improving delivery

Recommendations on future support content

The interviews and the views of mentors also assisted Envision in:

Assessing the quality of inputs, formats and outputs

Assessing value for money

Making recommendations on the way forward for business support in the Council area.

In order to capture the views, opinions and experiences of Programme mentors, a sample of 6 mentors who were involved in a high number of projects were interviewed. The mentors interviewed were as follows:

Business Opportunities Programme Mentor Company

Lara Goodall Lara Goodall Consulting

Ann Rodgers Infinite People Solutions

Eilish Devlin Ardean Marketing & Business Development

Mark Johnston Mark Johnston

Paul Fieldhouse Hyperion Growth Ltd

Diarmuid Keating Commercial Support Consultant

The mentors were invited to provide their professional perspectives on the following aspects of the Programme:

Views on overall impact of the Project and its performance against outputs. Views on whether the support meets local business needs. Effectiveness of operational aspects of the Project. Scope for improvements in Project delivery / support. Recommendations for improving delivery. Recommendations on future support content.

As well as direct one-to-one mentoring, some of the participating mentors were involved in other

elements of the Business Opportunities Programme, including:

The development of the “LegenDerry Food Guide”. Various Business Club Workshops Enterprise Week The Fleadh initiative


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Mentoring Themes / Specialisms of Mentors Interviewed

The mentoring was very much tailored to suit the specific needs of the individual companies, hence the mentor pool had to be varied and versatile enough to ensure that this was the case. The mentors interviewed were involved in the following “types” of mentoring with participating companies:

Themes of Mentoring Projects Delivered

Mentoring Theme / Specialism / Topic

Number of Projects

Business Planning Marketing / communications Finance Social Media Export / trade Customer experience management Pricing Grants & Funding Sales Leadership

4 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

Business planning, marketing, finance and the optimisation of social media were the main topics covered by the mentors interviewed. A variety of other issues addressed included exporting, customer services, pricing, grants and funding, sales and leadership. Sections 5.2.3 – 5.2.9 summarises the feedback from the mentors interviewed regarding:

Success Levels of the Specific Project(s) including Outputs Gained by Participants

Views of the Success of the Overall Programme

Views on whether the Programme has met Local Enterprise Needs

Feedback in relation to the Programme’s Value for Money

Overall recommendations for the Business Opportunities Programme or other business support content.

Mentoring-Specific Delivery Issues

Mentoring Time

A common theme that emerged in relation to the mentoring process was the limited amount of time available to help companies if they needed it. Although in most cases outputs were achieved within the 2 days of mentoring time through focusing on particular agreed outcomes, a number of mentors suggested a system whereby companies are assessed more rigorously at the outset to ensure they receive the appropriate number of mentoring days based on need demonstrated, objectives and “buy-in” / level of engagement. Comments from mentors include the following:

“In terms of timings, the duration of time – 2 days maximum – was fine. Some companies had long wishlists, however, it was crucial to reinforce what the BOP team had relayed and zone in on a particular area, for example, pricing.”

“I could have done with more time. An average of 2 days per company was not enough. In some cases, 5 days would have made a real positive difference.”

“The mentoring time was far too short. I suggest selecting fewer businesses to receive longer amounts of mentoring time. Some companies just took up the mentoring as it was free of charge.”


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“Two days is not enough. In order to gain better results, more mentoring time is required.”

“Two days of mentoring time was not enough. I could have done with more time with clients as it takes approximately ½ day to “get going” – leaving 3 sessions (in my case) thereafter.”

Other Delivery Issues The issue of client readiness assessments was raised as being crucial for one mentor. With the mentoring being free for companies, an assurance or more certainty that they are fully engaged and focused on outputs is important from the outset:

“The initial brief is very important. It is crucial to ensure that there is a project and that it is viable. Many companies are not ready for the mentoring, however, those that were ready and fully engaged gained a lot from the direct support.”

There were also a number of comments regarding the initial briefings developed and provided by the BOP team having to change after the first contact with the client company:

“The delivery of the Programme was very effective with time restrictions the biggest barrier. Also, I found that the requirements set out in the original briefings changed early on in the mentoring process.”

“Occasionally the key issues changed following the initial conversations with the client.”

The change of mentoring objectives / briefings in some cases may have been natural following further

probing and more detailed analysis of the business’ situation by the mentor. In most cases, the mentor

was able then to fulfil the requirements of the new briefing, however, occasionally the mentoring had

to be handed over or shared with an alternative mentor with more relevant skills.

A review of the Business Questionnaire which identifies the needs and specific mentoring requirements

and the process around this may be required to minimise the changing of briefings and maximise the

focus on the key issues facing each business.

The mentor reports were also raised by a number of mentors who questioned the format and relevance of some sections:

“Mentor reports should also be more tailored to the specialism – some aspects of the reports did not apply to companies in the hospitality and catering sector.”

“The Mentor Contact report was repetitive. Sections 2 & 4, for example, were much the same.”

Success Levels of the Specific Project(s) including Outputs Gained by Participants

The overall response from mentors to the question of “success levels” and “outputs gained” by participants was very positive. Although it is clear that a number of companies should not have been granted mentoring time due to their lack of “buy-in”, the vast majority of businesses that availed of the mentoring received solid outputs that made a real practical difference to their businesses in a short space of time. The comments below on successes and outcomes reflect this:

“The Programme assisted significantly in boosting strategic thinking amongst – in my case – restaurants. The Destination Derry Food Event, the Food Guide and the Seafood Trails were excellent in boosting sales across over 20 restaurants in the area.”


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“A number of social enterprises have changed their focus. They are now less reliant on grants and more focused now on marketing and pricing – to become more commercial-minded, for example, Singtonicity provides vocal therapy to those with mental health issues. The company utilised the mentoring to help target the service at private clients.”

“Also, companies with no previous online presence now have established a low-cost, online visibility suitable for and appropriate to their businesses.”

“One of the key outcomes in addition to the tangible outputs is the new sense of positivity and direction from clients based on the brief mentoring project.”

“Many good outputs were achieved by client companies such as: Financial systems in place; Controls and stability laid down to assist business growth and increase profitability and the highlighting of efficiencies and inefficiencies of the business.”

The table below highlights a small sample of successes gleaned by companies through mentoring projects. Further examples of tangible success and outputs are detailed in Section 5.4.

Specific Examples of Participant Success – From the Perspective of Mentors Baby Scan 3D set-up its operation in Derry City due to the City of Culture status. With a presence in Cork and Dublin, the company was very pleasantly surprised at the level of support received through Derry City Council. The company received support with:

i. Social media presence

ii. Overall marketing and official launch in Derry City

Kidz Montessori Day Nursery were assessing the feasibility of expansion and introducing an after schools club including potential sources of funding for this. Although this is work in progress, the Programme guided the company in relation to the right questions to ask and areas to investigate this further in order to make it real.

Pyke N’ Pommes successfully attained the highly prestigious McKenna Guide certification.

Something Nice was a tiny operation making cupcakes. Through the Programme it is now trading permanently at Walled City Markets, various Festivals and the company is being promoted very effectively.

Primrose Café introduced new menus and pricing strategy as well as a catering and wedding market strategy.

Olive Tree introduced new products and services whilst opening an additional café.

EV-U Solutions had thought they required £300k of funding for an IT solution to assist its global operations. The original plan where this need originated was challenged by me as a mentor resulting in the realisation that the company required £15k which was received through the Small Business Loan. The result of this is that 6 staff members have been recruited to support the new system.

David Rosborough introduced 4-5 new products.

HR Team has achieved global success through winning new clients in export markets.

Living Crystal now has a stall set-up at Walled City Market.

The Resource Centre has grown the business significantly.


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The Programme’s success was summarised as follows by a number of mentors interviewed:

“The Programme was run with perceived simplicity and common sense with businesses to the forefront – including and heavily involving micro-enterprises, resulting in: Business growth; Employment; Profitability; Networking, exchanging of ideas and collaboration – from a restaurants perspective”

“Many sole traders are literally “on their own”. The Programme provided these businesses with vital support through discussing and tackling live issues with experienced mentors. The combination of free and very worthwhile business improvement events, networking and one-to-one mentoring was knitted together very well by the BOP team to the benefit of the small business environment in Derry City Council area.”

“Overall the Programme was very positive for clients as it was focused on highlighting growth barriers, then implementing a plan to tackle these key issues and promote business profitability.”

A point of note, however, reinforced the importance of more success being gained by companies who are active participants in the mentoring:

“The mentoring was very beneficial for fully engaged companies that were ready to participate. An agreement on the outputs and how to meet the objectives created the most successful mentoring projects.”

Views on whether the Programme has met Local Enterprise Needs

The comments from mentors around the validity of the Programme in meeting local enterprise needs are reflected in other parts of this section of the evaluation. The various elements of the Business Support Programme’s One Stop Shop format, supported by the presence of one-to-one mentoring for companies that demonstrate the need and the willingness to work with a mentor is seen as extremely important for and beneficial to local enterprises. The key aspect of the Programme, according to mentors is its flexible nature. The mentor pool is very wide-ranging in terms of skills and experience as well as its ability to assist companies at all stages of growth across all business sectors. As stated above, the main observation from mentors is about certain companies receiving more mentoring support than others who may require less, however, the presence of the Programme and its various elements is seen as crucial for local enterprises.

Overall Recommendations for the Business Opportunities Programme At the conclusion of the conversations, the mentors were asked to reflect on what they would recommend regarding the future delivery of the Business Opportunities Programme and, in their view, what other business support content they feel is necessary. The recommendations suggested are as follows: Minor Suggestions to improve Delivery

A dedicated space to work with smaller clients would have been welcome.

Another Council does not require signatures on contact reports which means the two-page updates can be uploaded directly.


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Management of Companies Receiving Mentoring

An initial workshop for companies would have been worthwhile – to brief them on what the mentoring is about and what can realistically be achieved for them. This could also include all other mentors to give them a chance to get together.

A more stringent process for companies seeking mentoring should be developed. Participating

businesses should demonstrate that they have bought into the process and that they have the right mindset for receipt of mentoring. A dedicated resource who can them implement the post-mentoring actions is also a winning factor.

Mentoring Time

The amount of mentoring time should have been dependent on the needs of the business, for example:

Pre-start – 1 day

Early start – 2 days

More developed – 3 / 4 days.

The review of number of allocated mentoring days based on need was supported by a second mentor who suggested Council look at the fixed number of days for each company as some require 1, other require 4 plus.

Wider Suggestions for Future Programme Content

To make a true difference, events are good and important, however, the one-to-one mentoring approach is key. Hence, more mentoring days with clients is recommended. Two days is not enough with all companies and more time would result in more outputs and return for Council.

“I suggest Council keeps offering experienced mentoring to food companies in the area. The

Programme has advanced the sector well, however, it must continue to capitalise on the “Staycation” and food tourism markets.

A strategic approach to food tourism and the promotion of local food – a Derry food brand –

is key. The dual focus should be on both visitors and businesses / operators.

Perhaps a Taste of Derry Food Programme can be commissioned. A portal for catering schools, restaurants, hotels and producers for networking and the promotion of best practice as well as procurement opportunities specific to the sector. A previous Taste of Cork Programme successfully grew sales across participants by 35%.

There is room for a structured Programme for businesses on a group / sectoral basis who will

meet fortnightly through workshops focused on particular business improvement areas such as Finance, customer service, marketing etc. Mentors will be matched with particular businesses to ensure actions are laid down and implemented.

These recommendations have been taken on board and have helped to shape the overall recommendations detailed in Section 7.0.

Summary of Mentor Feedback

As referred to in previous Sections, according to Council, 284 business mentor relationships were either completed directly through the Mentor Bank provision, resulting in:


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35 new contracts having been won across only 25 mentoring recipients with much more wins subsequently – some of which were captured through the direct interviews detailed in Section 5.4.

109 new products / services having been developed across 73 companies as a result of the mentoring received. Additional new products / services introduced as a result of the mentoring have been recorded through the interviews with participants (see Section 5.4).

A high level of tangible outputs have been achieved through the mentoring element of the Business Opportunities Programme. With further enhancements and evaluation-based actions being implemented, the Programme can further improve upon this – with the help of the highly credible mentor pool. The view of the Business Opportunities Programme from mentors is summarised well through the following concluding statement: “The One-Stop Shop Programme idea is excellent. It is encouraging for businesses to know that

there is a programme that is constantly running if and when support is required. The Programme is ran very well with no fuss. After the matching is done (well), the mentor manages the client directly with no interference from Council.”


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5.4 LOCAL COMPANY FEEDBACK ON THE PROGRAMME

5.4.1 Introduction

Overall, the Business Opportunities Programme aimed to provide a ‘One Stop Shop’ for businesses to

get involved in and benefit from City of Culture opportunities and to provide a series of specialist

training, mentoring and business development programmes to ensure that business can build their

capability to do this.

The main aims of the project are to

Improve the capability of the SME sector.

Increase the level of business start-ups.

Ensure the success and sustainability of the opportunities presented by major events in the Region.

Maximise the trade opportunities for the local SME sector brought about through key local events.

Improve the capability of the SME sector in relation to public sector and big business procurement.

Increase the level of participation in public sector led SME support programmes. Each element of the Programme invited companies and potential start-up companies to events, seminars and workshops that were relevant to the needs of businesses in the Derry City Council region. The extent to which these Programme elements met their objectives is outlined in Section 5.0. From a “business journey” perspective, the Programme urged businesses / individuals to attend the various events, then signposted them to further areas of support – including the one-to-one mentoring with an experienced consultant - that was provided to local companies free of charge and that would enhance the chances of tangible successes in the form of sales growth, profitability and job creation. The details of the mentoring provision are outlined in Section 5.3 with feedback from mentors in relation to all aspects of the Programme also recorded. As stated previously, the aim of the mentoring provision was to:

“Build the capability of the SME sector by providing specific relevant specialist support in specific

sectors and business capability through a mentor bank, with the following Performance Indicators

agreed:

300 companies receive mentoring support

60 companies win new business

15 new products/services created

In parallel to the mentor interviews, a major part of the evaluation was gathering the views / feedback from and interviewing a total of 51 local enterprises who availed of the Business Opportunities Programme’s mentoring provision (and in some cases other elements of the Programme). The telephone interviews covered the following topics:

How the companies became aware of the Programme.

Achievement of the original objectives for the programme/support accessed.

Aspects of the Programme / support that were most beneficial.

Aspects of the Programme/support that should be improved upon.

Additional programme content required.

Specific business benefits achieved through the Programme

In order to capture the views, opinions and experiences of across a broad spectrum of businesses / individuals, a sample of 51 companies were interviewed. The companies interviewed are as follows:


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No. Company Company Participant Mentor

1 Americano Ice Cream Alan Simpson Louise Friel

2 B M Property Maintenance Services Barry Carlin Sharon Smyth

3 Beleza Beauty and Doula Service Lisa Morrison Damian Donnelly

4 Blossom Beauty Amy McAlorum Eilish Devlin

5 Ceeba Exotic Foods Amba Kabore-Sharkey Alan Healy

6 Chefs Mate Ann Duffy Sharon Smyth

7 Cool Fuel Sam Conley Bill McCartney / Naomh McElhatton

8 CPS Surveying Chris Kenton Colin Borland / Bill McCartney

9 D and M Farm Services Mabel Dinsmore Mark Johnston / John Gormley

10 Daniel Devine Portraiture - Attic Studio Daniel Devine Des Mulholland

11 Dawn McLaughlin and Co Dawn McLaughlin Naomh McElhatton

12 Derry Mailbox Ross Anthony Eilish Devlin

13 Derry Photos Bernard Ward Jarlath Anderson

14 Derry Self Catering Apartments Dee McCafferty Lisa Hughes

15 Design It Ciaran McFadden Seamus McAdams

16 ERM Mechanical Alan McClean Darren Richardson

17 Gala Marquees Ltd Daniel Gallagher Jarlath Anderson / Colin Borland

18 Garden City Designs Sean McGowan Eilish Devlin

19 Garden Vogue Katrina Deehan Eilish Devlin

20 Graphix Signs Paul Kerr Mark Johnston

21 Guappo Claire Rainey Bob Tyrell

22 Hashtag Creative Eddie Cooke Seamus McAdams

23 Henderson’s Music Brendan Henderson Paul Fieldhouse

24 Hoopers Nigel Hooper Garrett O'Hare

25 HR team Breda Cullen Paul Fieldhouse

26 Iain Young IT Consulting Iain Young Colin Borland / Jarlath Anderson

27 Ink n' Stationery Graham Rankin Dawn McLaughlin

28 Inside Art Claire Heaney-McKee Eilish Devlin

29 Irish Nutritional Products Damien Robson Seamus McAdams

30 Irish Unique Art Maureen McGhee Des Mulholland

31 Livin Crystal Peter Robson Paul Fieldhouse

32 Mace Express Charlie Singh James Coyle

33 Marblehill Joe Doherty/ Maria McGee Jarlath Anderson / Jim Coyle

34 MJ's Total Fitness Michelle Coyle Garrett O'Hare

35 Nolka Design Patricia Green Ann Rodgers

36 Nu Print Tech Gavin Kileen Breda Cullen (HR Team)

37 Oakfire Paintball Richard Allen Lara Goodall

38 Olive Tree Gift Boutique Catriona Jones Ann Rodgers

39 Organic Colour Care Connor Grant Seamus McAdams

40 Patricia Mahon Corporate Catering Patricia Mahon Louise Friel

41 Primrose Cafe Ciaran Breslin Ann Rodgers

42 Queens Quay Social Darren Liddon Ann Rodgers

43 Quinnspares Anne Marie HR Team

44 Raw Muscle Derry Gary Duffy Nigel Robinson

45 Richmond Centre Bobby Nicholas Des Mulholland

46 Sandra Montgomery Sandra Montgomery Seamus McAdams

47 The Actors Gymnasium Amanda Doherty Eilish Devlin

48 The Gift Box Danielle Kearney Des Mullholland

49 Thirteen12 Declan Harkin Darren Richardson

50 Yellow Tom Derry Willie McLaughlin Garrett O Hare

51 Zoo Creative Ciaran Harley Naomh McElhatton


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5.4.2 Specific Aspect(s) of the Programme Availed of

All companies interviewed participated in the Mentoring element of the Programme. Due to the nature of the Programme i.e One Stop Shop where companies could avail of various, relevant aspects of the Programme, a number of companies took part in the other elements in addition to the mentoring. The table below demonstrates this across the sample of 51 companies interviewed:

Programme Participation Levels Number of Companies % of Companies

Mentoring Only Received

34

67%

Mentoring Plus Involvement in Other Programme, Workshops, Events

17

33%

Total

51

100%

Other Elements of the Programme Participated In

Of the 17 interviewed companies (33%) that participated in other aspects of the Business Opportunities Programme (in addition to the mentoring), the following findings were gleaned:

Other Aspect of the Buiness Opportunities Programme

Number of Companies % of Companies

Enterprise Week 5 10%

Tendering Programme 4 8%

Social Media Workshop 3 6%

Get Started 2 4%

Fashion Fest 1 2%

Fleadh 1 2%

Meet the Buyer 1 2%

Total

51

100%

Specific Mentoring Topics / Specialisms Undertaken Reflecting the flexible and wide-ranging nature of the mentoring provision and the versatility of the mentor bank, the table below highlights the types of mentoring received by participating companies interviewed through the Programme:

Other Aspect of the Buiness Opportunities Programme Number of Companies % of Companies

Business Planning 9 18

Social Media 7 14

Marketing 5 10

Tendering 5 10

Financial Planning 4 8

Finance & Business Planning 3 5

ICT 3 5

Business Development 2 4

Branding 2 4

Costing 2 4

Operations 1 2

Sales Development 1 2

Communications 1 2

Business acumen 1 2

Product launch 1 2

Research 1 2

Web Development 1 2

Human Resources 1 2

Advertising 1 2

Total

51

100%


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Within the 2 days (maximum) of mentoring time, each of the companies were urged to zone-in on particular issues, hence the wide variation in topics covered presented in the table above. Ultimately, any business, with any business growth issue could receive direct mentoring that would address this issue effectively. Some specific comments in relation to the mentoring topics include: “As we are a small business we didn’t have the proper business/financial planning skills. We needed

help to look at how we could make things better financially. We also wanted to know how we could

reduce our costs. Our finance and business planning mentor was Mark Johnston and John Gormley

provided us with energy saving advice.”

D&M Farm Service

“Our mentor provided us with information on financial planning support and we also attended the Get

Started for 2013 Programme.”

Inside Art

“Business Planning with Paul Fieldhouse. He provided mentoring support on growing the business,

identifying and approaching new customers. We also attended the Get started for 2013 programme.”

Liv’in Crystal

“Des Mulholland was my social media mentor and at the Fashion Fest event the pop up was very

successful.”

Danielle Kearney, The Gift Box

“In addition to the mentoring, I also attended Enterprise Week which was fantastic. It was a great

opportunity to engage with others in similar positions – to bounce ideas off them. Listening to

experienced speakers and peers is invaluable.”

Actors Gymnasium

5.4.3 Rationale for Participating on the Programme

Each of the 51 company interviewees were asked why they participated on the Business Opportunities,

and in particular, why they opted to receive mentoring. The following selected comments summarise

the responses.

The responses are broken into various tables to show why companies required particular types of

mentoring:

Finance / Business Planning Support

“As a small business I didn’t have the proper business/financial planning skills. I needed help to look at how we could do things better financially. I also wanted to know how we could reduce our costs.”

D&M Farm Services

“We participated in the Programme to receive tips, guidance and signposting as well as renewed confidence that what we are doing is right – to have any new ideas validated and to be provided with new ideas.”

Actors Gymnasium

“We required sound business advice, direction and overall expertise which is why we participated on the Programme.”

Chef’s Mate

“The company was keen for an experienced person to critique the business plan.” Derry Mailbox


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“I needed support with making sure I was getting a good margin on the food.” Guapo

“We wanted mentoring support on how to improve tender submissions.”

Daniel Gallagher, Gala Marquees

“I originally came to Council to seek financial support to extend our self-catering accommodation but there was no financial support available so was directed to the mentoring support to help promote my business.”

Dee McCafferty, Derry Self Catering Apartments Pre-Start-Ups and Recent Start-Ups

“We had just started a new business and needed help with how to grow the business.” Liv’in Crystal

“We were just starting out and we needed help with business development and specifically sales development.”

HR Team

“I was at pre start-up and needed help how to make my idea a business.” Inside Art

“I heard that it was available and that’s why I decided to participate. I thought having an objective view of what I was doing would be helpful.”

Mace Express

“I was starting out and I didn’t have any business finance experience and needed help.” Raw Muscle Derry

Social Media “I needed help with business planning, general business development and help with my social media strategy approach.”

Catriona Jones, Olive Tree Gifts

“We wanted to grow the business and felt that this could be achieved through social media.” Zoo Creative

“I had no website and wanted to get information on how I could promote my business more through my Facebook page and other websites.”

Beleza Beauty and Doula Service

“We had a Facebook page but we wanted to learn how to use it better to promote the business and we wanted to find out about setting up a Facebook shop.”

Danielle Kearney, The Gift Box

“We had taken a new person on at that time who was focusing on the social media side of the business so it fit well.”

Dawn McLaughlin & Company

“It was around the City of Culture time and we wanted to promote our business.” Garden Vogue

“I was trained in jewellery design and was keen to develop a better social media platform – including website, Facebook and Pinterest.”

Irish Unique Art

“The company was getting a fair bit of traction from social media but was not using it to the full, hence the mentoring was mentioned by another company.”

Cool Fuel


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Marketing / Communications

“We wanted to maximise the opportunity of having the Fleadh in Derry and doing the best to attract business over that time.”

Henderson Music “We needed support with how to launch the new range- marketing, mark up, cost price and wholesale price.”

Organic Colour Care

“I needed help developing branding for a new diet pill I was launching.” Irish Nutritional Products

“I was opening a new business in the area and needed help with marketing, staff recruitment and general business development.”

Queens Quay Social

“I wanted an external to look at my business and tell me how I could improve it.” Oakfire Paintball

“As a new business, we needed more advertising know-how, support and advice.”

Blossom Beauty

Tendering Support

“We were a new business and I wanted to be a mentor to support start-ups with IT and realised that for public sector work I needed to tender and had no experience of this.”

Iain Yang IT Consulting

“A couple of graphic design related tenders were coming up within Derry City Council and in the private sector”

Thirteen12

Human Resources

“We are a small company and although we employ a sizeable number of staff we don’t have a HR function and wanted to make sure we were doing things correctly.”

NU Print Tech “We had a HR absence issue and so needed support from an experienced mentor to help address it.”

Quinnspares

The comments in the previous tables reflect the various “drivers” for companies utilising the mentoring aspects of the Business Opportunities Programme. These drivers range from pre-start to established businesses and also vary by companies who were open minded about what they wanted to achieve from the programme to those who were very specific about their objectives and anticipated outputs. Prior to assessing the level at which companies met the objectives of the mentoring / support received, the views from businesses on the capabilities and overall feedback in relation to the Derry City Council programme delivery team were sought.


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5.4.4 Impact of the Programme

The company interviewees were asked to reflect on the impact which the Programme – including the

mentoring – had on their businesses. At the outset of the Programme, objectives were agreed with

mentors which would allow the companies to measure the success of the support received.

The table on the following page provides an analysis of:

i. What (in headline form) the objectives agreed were

ii. To what extent they were achieved.

Company Objectives Objective Met?

D&M Farm Services

“To refine how we planned and reported financially and to get assistance with managing our accounts better. Also to identify our weaknesses and learn how to improve how we do things.”

Yes both objectives were met

Graphix Signs “Initial objectives were that we needed a new machine and wanted support with financing this. Also we wanted to streamline our accounting system and make it more efficient.”

Yes - all achieved

Liv’in Crystal

“We just wanted to get some support with growing the business and how to identify and approach new customers.”

Yes, the mentor provided very good advice on this.

Olive Tree Gifts “Overall to increase footfall into the shop and increase sales.” Yes – all achieved

Zoo Creative “It was initially to help us with social media etc. but we soon realised that we knew a lot more than we thought so Niamh helped us with business confidence, marketing our business and identifying new customers.”

Yes – all achieved


“To use my Facebook page to the maximum to promote my business and to find out what other directory websites I should/ could be listed on to promote my business to the correct audience.”


The Gift Box “To set up a Facebook shop and get the most out of our Facebook page. Also to look into a real website and increase footfall in shop.”

“Yes. We decided to set up a website rather than the Facebook shop.”

CPS Surveying “We wanted to learn how we could promote ourselves more effectively through social media and reach a wider audience. We needed technical support on what to post/ when to post/how to post.”



“Using social media to promote the business and get a better understanding of Google analytics and how that could help inform our social media approach.”


Inside Art “I wanted to get an understanding of everything I had to consider to set up a business. Also wanted to develop set of financial projections for the business considering different scenarios.”

Yes – achieved

Guapo “I wanted to make sure I was pricing the food correctly to make a profit.” Yes – achieved

Primrose Café “Help with the revamp of the menu and looking at new costing’s to get a higher margin.”

Yes – achieved

Mace Express “I wanted an experiences person to review how I was running my business and tell me how to improve my operational and sales development processes and activities.”


Organic Colour Care

“Better insight into how to launch a new product range in terms of marketing and costing.”


Gala Marquees “I wanted advice on how to improve tenders submitted in the public sector.”

Yes – achieved

Irish Nutritional Products

“I wanted help with the development of the brand and logo. Also I needed advice on how to manage investors.”


Queens Quay Social

“To look at sales strategy and marketing strategy and provide advice. Also to look at HR Legislation.”


Derry Self Catering Apartments

“I wanted help to promote my business through the website.” Yes - achieved

Garden City Designs

“I wanted support with setting up a website and with ranking on Google. Also, in addition to this I wanted to get support and learn about basic book keeping.”


Garden Vogue “I wanted to set up a website.” Yes – achieved

Raw Muscle Derry “I wanted to get the basics of financial management for start-up.” Yes - achieved.

NU Print Tech “We wanted advice on whether we were working within employment law with regards to contracts, job description and HR processes.”



“I have learnt about the tender process- where to source tenders and how to improve submissions.”


Ceeba Exotic Foods

“A developed business action plan.” Yes – all achieved

Design It “I wanted advice on running a business, marketing the business and tendering for new work.”



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Company

Objectives

Objective Met?

Oakfire Paintball “To develop a marketing action plan.” Yes – all achieved

Richmond Centre “The objective was to understand, improve and maximise our social media presence. “

“Yes - The Programme helped us achieve this as footfall increased by 25% based on social media activities.”

Irish Unique Art “The programme was a steep learning curve for me. I had no previous Facebook presence or experience and the information and support at the workshops was very good. With my mentor, I was keen to implement a staged build-up of the business’ Facebook presence and website.”

“Yes - The overall objectives were achieved comprehensively and the advice was always spot-on.”

Cool Fuel “The aims were to become more confident regarding social media and to maximise its potential in generating business. “

Yes - Both aims were achieved with the help of the mentor.

Patricia Mahon Corporate Catering

“The company aimed to improve in terms of: tendering skills, IT skills and from a budgeting perspective.”

“Yes - we had tendering success with the Clipper Event in the Guildhall and successfully improved on the other 2 areas. We continue to learn and improve, helped by the support received during the mentoring.”

Chef’s Mate “Overall, we sought and received advice, direction and strategy in relation to financial and business planning.”

“Yes – objectives met and a good rapport was developed with the mentor who was very supportive.”

Quinnspares “The main aim was to address the absence issue.” “Yes - the issue was addressed effectively and HR Team has continued to help us with this sensitive issue.”

Actors Gymnasium

“We had no real objectives at the outset, however, we came out of the support with clear objectives. The overall focus was on business strategy. I have a strong reactive side but needed support with finances, for example, funding applications, outsourcing, costing etc.”

Yes – all achieved.

Blossom Beauty “Our aim was to get the most out of advertising and to maximise the amount of time spent on it.”


Ink N’ Stationery “We sought a much better understanding and control of our business cashflow.”


Sandra Montgomery

“Our aim was to develop a company logo to assist with the branding of the business. The Mentor trained us on how to use the logo, who to target our business at and how. As well as looking more professional, the Programme helped us to look at the business differently and boost business know-how / confidence effectively.”

“All objectives were achieved and our business was given a fresh impetus through Facebook, blogging, letters and invoicing. Loads of relevant advice and guidance was provided by the mentor.”

Derry Mailbox “Our sole objective was for the mentor to assess the feasibility of the business plan.”


Nolka Design “The business was open regarding the objectives initially. We then decided to focus on strategy, pricing and who to target.”


HR Team To identify new business opportunities to facilitate business development Yes we achieved this while receiving the mentoring and employing other strategies of our own.

Thirteen12 “We had two key objectives: to win a tender; and enhance tendering success rates.”

Partially achieved - the company did not win, but got much further in the process and a much better understanding of tendering processes.

The table above again outlines the variety of client expectations and requirements from the Programme. It also demonstrates that in the majority of cases, the overall objectives were both clear and, very importantly, achieved.

The table on the following page tempers this slightly by highlighting some projects that did not fully meet the objectives agreed – either partially or in full. In only one case, a company (ERM Electrical) was fully dissatisfied with the standard of the support provided.


41

Company Objectives Objective Met?

ERM Electrical “To improve our tendering skills and win new business.” “No. The mentor was 2 hours late for the meeting and arrived with no explanation or apology. Then he had a bit of an attitude throughout the meeting after that I didn’t hear from him for a long time, when he did eventually call I didn’t take the call.”

Henderson Music “We wanted to make sure that we could to attract customers into the shop over the Fleadh through merchandising and shop exhibitions.”

“Yes the support provided helped us put our best foot forward but along with other businesses we felt that the promised footfall over that period never materialised this was not Councils fault though.”

Daniel Devine “We focused on relying less on Facebook – more about maximising it whilst looking at other aspects of advertising. As an artist, I appreciate that it would take more time for the learnings from the mentoring to bear fruit.”

“Not a huge impact, but the Programme definitely helped the business.”

MJs Total Fitness “We required a mentor with experience who could point me in the right direction as a start-up business.”

“The objectives were partially achieved as I could have done with more “next stage” business growth ideas / support to gain some more tangible outcomes.”

BM Property Maintenance

“To gain some general business development advice.” “Yes I did get some general business advice but the financial support provided was a bit advanced for where I was at that stage.”

5.4.5 Specific Outcomes for Participating Businesses

In order to probe further into the specific benefits received from Programme participation, the company

contacts were asked to recount and, where possible, detail whether the programme resulted in one or

more of the following:

New Skills developed

New Products / services created

New business won

36 out of 51 interviewees were able to identify specific outcomes gained through the programme. The details of these outcomes are presented in the table below:

Company New Skills New Products /

Services New Business Specific Outputs

D&M Farm Services

√ “We now have financial reporting and planning templates that we use as part of our accounts. Also we now have solar panels which will reduce our electricity bill. We were signposted to a placement programme and now have taken on a placement apprentice.”

Graphix Signs

√ √ “We now have a more streamlined accounting system and are getting payments faster.”

Henderson Music √ √ “The programme refreshed the skills we already had and support from Paul helped us focus on how we could market ourselves, we achieved that objective.”

Liv’in Crystal √ √ “I learned new ways in identifying and approaching new customers and identified a few new customers and achieved a few sales.”

HR Team √ √ “Yes we increased / improved our sales development skills.”

Olive Tree Gifts √ √ √ “New skills developed includes database development, customer approach, social media and financial reporting. I did win business through using these new skills but it’s difficult to quantify.”

Zoo Creative √ √ √ “We gained new skills in marketing our business. We were put in contact with a high end customer who we have since completed a lot of projects for which has in turn helped us win business in London and Dubai.”


√ √ “New skills in how to use social media to promote my business.”

The Gift Box √ √ √ “We can now promote ourselves better on the social media side and we have noticed increased footfall and sales since doing what our mentor advised.”


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Company New Skills New Products / Services

New Business Specific Outputs

CPS Surveying √ √ √ “Improved skills on how we can promote ourselves through social media.”


√ √ “General awareness raised on social media and how we could use it.”

Inside Art √ “New skills developed in how to plan financially when setting up a business and the mentor also signposted me to a lot of other support.”

Guapo √ “Now more financially aware within the business.”

Primrose Cafe

√ √ “Yes on the costing’s/financial side of things and it definitely increased profitability.”

Mace Express √ “I learnt how to manage staff and accounting and learnt how to be lighter on my stock control.”

Organic Colour Care

√ “Yes on the financial side (Mark-up, wholesale price, selling price and cost price).”

Gala Marquees √ “New tender development skills, the programme improved the scores we got in tenders but as of yet we haven’t won anything.”

Irish Nutritional Products

√ √ “I have developed new skills on how to develop a brand/ research the correct colours/identify what eye is catching. As regards to business won the product is still in testing so I am unable to tell yet.”

Garden City Designs

√ √ “I learnt new skills around the back pages of a website and how this links with Google rankings as well as learning basic book keeping skills. I haven’t won any new business yet but I can anticipate that I will due to better rankings on Google, however I am unable to quantify.”

Garden Vogue √ √ “I learned how to set up a successful website. It’s hard to say for definite if there was new business won, it’s difficult to measure.”

NU Print Tech √ √ “Yes, we are now putting into place the HR practices that we learned from the mentor.”


√ “I have gained new tendering skills. No new business has been won yet as I don’t meet the criteria as I am only a start up.”

Ceeba Exotic Foods

√ √ “I now know what is required to complete a business plan and have since changed the focus of the business and now have the skills to revise the business plan accordingly.”

Design IT √ √ “I have new skills on how to market the business and how to approach potential customers.”

Daniel Devine √ √ √ “We can now confidently target work outside of Facebook whilst maximising the results from social media.”

Thirteen12 √ √ “The tendering support helped us to win other jobs – approximately 15-20 new projects in 2014.”

Richmond Centre √ √ “We won a Business Award at the Derry City Business Awards for Social Media activities.”

Cool Fuel √ √ “The whole direction of the business was changed and new business was won as a result of this, although I can’t quantify this.”

Patricia Mahon Corporate Cat’ing

√ √ “New skills were developed and new products / services created through the Programme.”

Chef’s Mate √ “A lot of new skills were developed that we will implement in the future focused on improving profit margins.”

Quinnspares √ “We developed a new skill of handling the delicate issue of absenteeism.”

Actors Gymnasium

√ √ “The mentoring provided my business with a catalyst and provided me with more anchoring and structure with excellent stability.”

Blossom Beauty √ √ √ “Our advertising improved, we became the only local retailers of the very popular HD Brow product and we also received a grant from Invest NI to complete a training course on HD Brow – a very popular treatment amongst clients and potential clients.”

Derry Photos √ √ √ “Yes – new clients were gained through bosting web traffic and focusing on repeat customers.”

Ink N’ Stationery √ √ √ “We developed new skills in terms of giving credit and conducting background checks which resulted in enhancing the profitability of the business.”

Sandra Montgomery

√ √ “New skills were developed and new business was won. We learned how to project the company more effectively, enhanced profile and networking skills resulting in new business being achieved.”

Derry Self Catering Apartments

√ “There are no specific new skills but we have improved our website as a result of the programme.”

Total Number / % of Companies Interviewed

36 (70%)

18 (35%)

18 (35%)

-


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The evaluation gauged that:

70% of businesses interviewed received new skills from the Programme directly.

35% of companies that participated on the Programme developed a new product or service

through the Programme.

35% of companies won new business as a direct result of the Programme. In addition to this, a

number of other companies are very confident that they will win business in the short-to-medium

term as a direct result of Business Opportunities Programme participation.

5.4.6 Increasing Business Profitability

In follow-up to the previous section on “Specific Outcomes”, in some cases, companies were able to

declare that the Programme helped directly to increase the profitability of the business.

As the table below details, a total of 23 companies (45% of the sample interviewed) found that the

support and guidance gained from the Programme – particularly the mentoring – was instrumental and

/ or will be instrumental in enhancing overall business profitability.

Some companies could not put a precise percentage figure on this, others recorded it through an

increase in new projects or by the number of new customers gained.

In some cases, profitability was increased by 100% with others recording profitability uplifts of over

20% as a result of the Programme (see table below).

Company Increase Profitability of the Business

Percentage Increase in Profitability / Number of New Projects or Customers

Blossom Beauty √ 100%, 40 new customers

Zoo Creative √ 30-40%

Chef’s Mate √ 20-30%

Liv’in Crystal √ 20%

Olive Tree Gifts √ 20%

The Gift Box √ 10-20%

Primrose Café √ 5-10%

Richmond Centre √ 8%

D&M Farm Services √ 1-2%

Thirteen12 √ 15-20 new projects

Derry Photos √ 4 new clients

Graphix Signs √ TBC

HR Team √ TBC

Guapo √ TBC

Mace Express √ TBC

Organic Colour Care √ TBC

Daniel Devine √ TBC

Patricia Mahon Corporate Catering √ TBC

Quinnspares √ TBC

Ink N’ Stationery √ TBC

Sandra Montgomery √ TBC

Derry Mailbos √ TBC

Nolka Design √ TBC

Total

23 companies (45%)

-

5.4.7 Job Creation

In order to capture some vital outputs from companies interviewed, the companies were asked if there has been an increase in staff numbers since Programme participation and whether there were any plans to recruit additional staff in the short-to-medium term.


44

Company New Jobs Created / Planned Number of New Jobs Created / Planned

Olive Tree Gifts √ 2

CPS Surveying √ 1

Guaop √ 1

Primrose Café √ 3

Organic Colour Care √ 1

Derry Self-Catering Apartments √ 2

Richmond Centre √ 1

Chef’s Mate √ 1

Quinnspares √ 3

Derry Mailbos √ 2

Graphix Signs √ 23 planned

Zoo Creative √ 2 in next 12 months

BM Property Maintenance √ 1 planned next 3 months

TOTAL

13 companies

17new jobs created, plus 26 planned

Across the 51 businesses interviewed, 17 new jobs have been created across 13 companies as a direct result of Programme participation. An additional 26 jobs are set to be created in the forthcoming 12 months by companies that participated on the Programme.

5.4.8 Positives Aspects and Areas for Improvement for the Programme

The companies were invited to provide their opinions on the positive and negative aspects of the

Programme. The response was very heavily weighted on the positive side with most companies citing

the standard of the mentoring as being particularly effective and worthwhile.

It was also noted by companies that the wider events coupled with the quality of the Programme

management and administration were important aspects of the Programme.

A flavour of some of the key comments are highlighted below, to reflect the overall response from

companies:

Positive Aspects of the Business Opportunities Programme

“The Programme gave us the opportunity to sit back and look at how we could improve our financial/accounting processes.”

Graphix Signs “I found the initial Get Started for 2013 event very good and made a few good contacts. The mentoring was also very good and I received a lot of good advice.”

Liv’in Crystal “Enterprise Week was very positive from a networking perspective, added to by the business mentoring received.”

Derry Photos “The mentoring was the most positive aspect as it was really tailored to my needs, specifically the support around setting financial projections.”

Inside Art

“The face to face support was integral as it helped me focus on what I needed to do.” Queens Quay Social

“It was great to have an expert come into your business to make sure you are doing things correctly.”

NU Print Tech


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“The one-to-one advice and guidance from personnel at Derry City Council and also the calls, emails and ongoing support from the mentor.”

Thirteen12 “The quality of the mentoring and the relevance of the mentor’s experience made a significant difference to my business and business confidence going forward.”

Irish Unique Art

“The business received proper mentoring which served us much better then attendance at workshops. The mentor assessed the nuts and bolts of our business and the direction was changed for the better.”

Cool Fuel “We had a strong relationship with the mentor. The initial mentor matched was changed as it was not the right fit, showing the flexibility of the Programme and its focus on client satisfaction.”

Chef’s Mate “It was great to be able to focus on the human aspect of the business, for example, time management and the discussion of simple ideas through authentic, conversational approach.”

Actors Gymnasium

The areas for improvement centred on the desire from companies for additional mentoring time,

however, overall there were no major calls for enhancements of the Programme or critique of any

particular aspects of it.

Business Opportunities Programme – Areas for Improvement

“Perhaps there could have been design support to improve the website and a web designer to help us on the technical side.”

Derry Self Catering Apartments “Perhaps just more time I got so much out of it so would have liked more mentoring.”

Garden City Designs “The intervention was quite short, although a lot was completed in this time I would have liked longer engagement- not a criticism.”

NU Print Tech “In general (not related to the programme) Spencer Road is neglected in any initiative there should be more done by Council to make this area of the city more attractive to shoppers.”

Garden Vogue “I would appreciate more information on grant funding for new equipment and staff.”

Iain Yang IT Consulting “More networking events would be good.”

Liv’in Crystal

5.4.9 Future Support Offerings & Programme Content

Each of the companies were asked if they would be willing to participate in future Derry City Council business development / enhancement initiatives.

Willingness to Take Part in Future Derry City Council Business Development Initiatives

Yes No

100%

0%


46

As shown in the table above, there is clearly a strong appetite from companies that have participated on the Business Development Programme to receive additional support and / or attend more events / workshops. Additional Types of Programme Content Required

To close off the interview, each of the company contacts were asked: “What additional programme content would you like to see delivered by DCC or other economic development organisation?” The responses can be broken down by theme, by format, by various business stage and other ad hoc requests.

Thematic Content Required from Future Programmes

Business planning support. HR support Marketing training/ mentoring Social media support and guidance Sales development training/mentoring and management Business leadership and motivation skills development. PR, Marketing and branding support. Staff training and basic IT skills.

Financing for business growth. Web design and development support

Events / Workshops / Seminars Required from Future Programmes

Events and workshops relevant to the topics in the previous table.

Additional networking events to help with targeting new customers.

More meet the buyer events where companies can make contact with potential customers.

Inspirational speakers such as Dr Ken Robinson on creative thinking would be beneficial to

all types of business. Training for staff / young people for continuous skills development and the creation of well-

trained personnel.


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Ad-hoc Requests for Support

“For Derry City Council to look at parking on Spencer Street, this is killing custom. They should make the street more attractive and market this area of the city.”

Garden Vogue

“As an artist it would be great to have a gallery of published works – perhaps with other local artists.”

Daniel Devine

Support for Businesses at Various Stages of Development & Growth

“An initiative that would focus on funding applications, providing practical tips and pitfalls. The initiative could look at local arts businesses and reach out to freelance artists in Derry matching them to experienced contacts.”

Actors Gymnasium “New businesses require input from solicitors, accountants etc as there are so many potential pitfalls. It is also currently difficult to find out what grants are available. Companies should understand the need to plan stringently and document this prior to Invest NI grant requests.”

Ink N’ Stationery

“I think it is important to provide financial support and advice to start-ups and micro-enterprises.”

Derry Photos “A post start-up set up and growth support initiative / Programme would be useful.”

MJs Total Fitness “A higher level, focused tendering programme would be helpful – with workshops and mentoring.”

Nolka Design “I would like to see a continuation of the Programme as it stands. Our new marketing person could use some additional training and support.”

Richmond Centre

An important closing point was made by the contact at Richmond Centre who emphasised the continued necessity to support early stage and developing businesses. To supplement the current offering, the contact at Derry Mailbox concluded by stating: “The Business Opportunities Programme allowed us to take a good step-up in the development of the business. We now need an offering that will help bring us to the next stage.”

A sentiment that was shared amongst many company respondents – and the mentors in the previous section - was made, again by the representative at the Richmond Centre: “Overall it was a very good Programme, representing excellent value for money – especially if companies are prepared to listen and learn from experienced mentors.”


48

5.5 Business-to-Business Procurement Programme




Actual Outcome(s)

2013 Business to business Procurement Programme

There would be 3 key aspects of the Procurement Programme: i. Needs Mapping ii. IT Procurement Portal iii. Workshop Training To map the procurement needs for the City of Culture and other major related events required directly by City of Culture Company and partner organisations. To establish an IT portal where companies can access all relevant procurement information. Provided relevant procurement training.

At least: i. 500 companies accessing portal and

support

ii. 60 companies receiving direct training

iii. 30 companies or clusters of

companies winning new business

i. Objective Exceeded: 1,073 Businesses accessing portal and receive information on local procurement opportunities.

ii. Objective Exceeded – through combining Direct Training / Workshops delivered through the Procurement Programme with other procurement events delivered through other aspects of the overall Programme e.g Enterprise Week.

Procurement Events / Workshop / Training Sessions 2013-2014


1. - Procurement & Marketing Event 15

2. 19th & 20th June Procurement 16

3. 26th & 27th June Procurement 17 4. 2013 & 2014 Various Workshops - Enterprise Week 77

5. 2015 Successful Bidding 21


The objective of 60 companies receiving direct procurement-focused training was exceeded, with 164 companies attending training workshop events relating to procurement and tender development, however, as stated above, 116 companies attended procurement events run through other aspects of the Business Opportunities Programme.

iii. Objective Not Met: The level of new wins reported fell below the objective / target of 30.

24 companies received new business as a result of the Procurement Programme, of which 12 companies won new business through attending the Meet the Buyer events, which also attracted large numbers and can be considered a success:

Procurement Meet the Buyer Events 2013-2014


1. March 2013 Meet the Buyer Event 42

2. February 2014 Meet the Buyer Event* 45

3. - Meet the Buyer Event (O’Hare & McGovern)** 24 Total Number of Attendees 111

*3 contracts signed on the day **9 companies won business from the event

In addition, some companies outside of the mentoring provided through the Mentor Bank focused on procurement development, with one notable “win” for City Hotel Derry.


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Comments:

IT Procurement Portal The project provided a dedicated support service to enable SME’s to access the procurement opportunities which the City of Culture will offered.

The procurement needs for the City of Culture and other major related events required directly by City of Culture Company and partner organisations were mapped out initially and continually updated by the project team. An IT portal was then established (OppShop - www.oppshop.co.uk) where companies could gain access to all relevant procurement information. Companies were able to register on the site, select their area of interest and receive alerts for opportunities in a given sector. Importantly, these included all procurement opportunities not only those which need to be tendered, but BOTH small and larger contracts.

Links to other procurement opportunities is also provided on the site including:

Central Procurement Directorate Northern Ireland: The Central Procurement directorate within the Department of Finance and Personnel provides advice, guidance and business opportunities for the private and public sector.

TED: TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) is the online version of the ‘Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union’, dedicated to European public procurement.

Centres of Procurement Expertise (CoPEs)

Health Estates Agency Northern Ireland Housing Executive Northern Ireland Water

Belfast Education & Library Board Roads Service Translink

South Eastern Education & Library Board Southern Education & Library Board Western Education & Library Board

Other NI Opportunities Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation Police Service of Northern Ireland

Workshop Training & Mentoring The Programme aimed to help local small firms to increase their success rates in procurement through the roll-out of a tender training programme supplemented with one-‐to- one mentoring. The programme was delivered by a team of procurement mentors who have significant industry and sector experience. It covered:

The public sector procurement process in Northern Ireland

How public sector can support and encourage small firms in procurement exercises

How small firms can access procurement opportunities

Cross-‐border tendering and export opportunities and associated legislation

Detailed local knowledge of the Council area

The unique challenges facing small firms and owner-‐managers

Each participant on the workshops received one day of one-‐‐to-one mentoring, delivered by a procurement consultant.

The mentoring was specifically targeted to the needs of the participant, and the content was designed based on feedback received from the participant as part of the workshop sessions.

Where possible, the programme used the mentoring to work with small firms on live tender opportunities. It assisted companies in developing their tendering skills, whilst increasing their public sector sales pipeline and

enhancing success rates.

The programme looked at the opportunities presented by development of strategic partnerships and explored the importance of working with others in bidding for new contracts, identifying / offering new services and products, and developing business.

Summary

33% (1 out of 3) of the sub-objectives for the Procurement Programme have not been met in terms of:

I. The number of companies or clusters of companies winning new business

Although all participants have received fresh advice, guidance and support in relation to procurement-related skills and tendering development, the level of successful bids or new business won has been limited. However, as stated above, the skills transferred through the workshops and mentoring may result in improved tendering performance in the future when relevant / suitable contracts arise.

http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/cpd

http://ted.europa.eu/TED/main/HomePage.do

http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/hea/hea_tenders.htm

http://www.nihe.gov.uk/news/tenders/

http://www.niwater.com/tenderopps.asp

http://www.belb.org.uk/Hqservices/tenders.asp

http://www.roadsni.gov.uk/

http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/Procurement/Tenders/

http://www.seelb.org.uk/tenders/index.htm

http://www.selb.org/purchasing/index.htm

http://www.welbni.org/index.cfm/do/Tenders

http://www.uregni.gov.uk/about/procurement_opportunities

http://www.psni.police.uk/about_procurement


50

5.6 City of Culture Specialist Thematic / Sector Support Programmes




Actual Outcome(s)

Specialist Thematic/Sector Support Programmes

To provide specialist training to the SME sector to develop capability and encourage collaboration, new business strategies and new products/services in sub-sectors with particular relevance to delivery of City of Culture.

At least: i. 170 businesses attend

specialist training, support & clustering programme

ii. 80 small medium enterprises collaborating

iii. 4 best practice visits

iv. 15 new products / services

v. 60 companies winning new

business

Objective Exceeded: Training / Events

No. Date Event Attendees

1. June 2012 Wayne Hemingway re. Clipper & Major Events 100

2. Nov 2012 & Mar 2013

Accommodation Workshops 120

3. Nov 2012 & Mar 2013

Visual Merchandising Programme 81

4. Feb 2013 & June 2013

Joint Product Development Workshops 100

5. Oct 2013 The Art of Selling 31


i, ii, iii, iv: Specialist Training Programmes Overall Outputs:

214 small-to-medium enterprises collaborating – Objective Met & Exceeded

4 Best Practice Visits undertaken - Objective Met

29 new products / services introduced - Objective Met & Exceeded

74 companies won new business – Objective Met & Exceeded

Specific Outputs, by Sub-Programme: 1. Craft in the City

16 Businesses Collaborating

Craft Brochure designed & delivered

All 16 companies provided with opportunity to promote business through the publication.

2. LegenDerry Food Programme

29 restaurants, 22 Cafes & 4 Food suppliers collaborating

LegenDerry Food Guide designed & delivered.

All companies provided with opportunity to promote business through the publication. 3. Market Start-Up Programme (aimed at Craft and Food Enterprises)

According to the Summary analysis provided by Council, out of the 43 individuals who came through the Programme, the following outputs have been created through the Get Started / Market Start-up Programme:


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Collaborating Attended Best Practice Visits

Developed New Product /

Service

Winning New Business

Progressing to Mainstream

Projects

19

25

21

27

21*

*Mainstream projects including: Regional Start; Pro Help; Propel; Craft Export Programme; SE Hub Programme; Business Opportunities Programme mentoring support and Steps to Work. The training workshops were backed up with Best Practice Visits and the organisation of Trading Opportunities at various Craft Fairs and Markets. The resulting outputs of the Programme are detailed in the table above with notable findings including:

27 individuals winning new business; and

21 individuals proceeding to mainstream support / projects. 4. FashionFest 2014 (aimed at Fashion Designers, Retailers, Health & Beauty Industry)

123 Businesses Collaborating

2 Best practice visits (Danielle Romeril and Wayne Hemmingway)

8 new products /services were developed.

3 businesses winning new business

5. In addition, One Big Weekend and Return of Colmcille events in 2013 provided 11 companies

with the opportunity to trade outdoors.

Comments: A series of specialist training and support events, workshops and programmes were aimed at the start-up and SME sector to develop capability and encourage collaboration in sub-sectors with particular relevance to delivery of City of Culture. These programmes were targeted and specialised for their sector or theme with collaboration, innovation and new products as overarching topics. The participants on each of these programmes were then able to access the mentor support provided through the mentor bank either as individual businesses or together as a collaboration to develop new products and services. At the outset, there was some flexibility in relation to the exact content of each of these sections to take into account the initial needs mapping exercise and the knowledge of business skills gaps that the Business Development team identified through liaising with businesses in the region. This resulted in the focus on:

Crafts Craft in the City & the Market Start-up Programme

Food & Drink Legenderry Food Guide & the Market Start-up Programme

Fashion (Design, Retail, Health & Beauty) Fashion Fest


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i. Market Start Up Programme The Market Start Up Programme, delivered by Enterprise North West, targeted individuals with new food and craft ideas, to encourage participants to explore market trading as a means to develop high-quality products, test the market place and ultimately establish their own food and craft business outlets. The Programme:

Provided tailored one-to-one support for participants

Enabled participants the opportunity to explore best practice, conduct market research and investigate suitable products

Developed individual business plans and identify strategic goals for future development and growth

Facilitated participants with “test trade” opportunities at Derry City Councils Walled City Market, Guildhall Craft Fair and Christmas Market to assess viability and sustainability of business idea.

As shown above, the outputs from the Market Start-Up Programme have been very positive with:

27 individuals winning new business; and

21 individuals proceeding to mainstream support / projects. ii. Craft in the City & LegenDerry Food Guides

The Guides offered the Food (56 companies) and Craft (16 companies) sectors in Derry City Council with an excellent promotional outlet which significantly raised their profiles in the region and beyond. Available both online and in hard copy, the impressively designed and formatted “brochure” of the sectors offered small businesses with a new channel for reaching out to new and existing audiences.

iii. Fashion Fest

The first event of its kind, Fashion Fest provided a unique opportunity for emerging designers, fashion and beauty traders, students and fashion entrepreneurs to showcase the latest trends, enhance business profile, whilst positioning Derry / Londonderry effectively on the fashion radar through the delivery of a four-day event across various venues that included:

Fashion Showcases for: Wedding; Designer and Retailer

Vintage Fair

Masterclasses

In-store Fashion & Beauty events

Catwalk events A total of 123 companies across the sector were engaged in delivering and / or attending the various events, resulting directly in the development of new products / services and the securing of new business, as outlined above. As with such large-scale “festivals”, however, many business improvements, new products/services and new contracts may not be recorded but may transpire as a consequence of the various events.

Summary

The aims of the Specialist Thematic / Sector Support Programmes have been met (5 out of 5 or 100% of sub-objectives). Indeed, further new business may well have been achieved through the sub-Programme, however, it can be difficult to capture this precisely and accurately. For example, a restaurant may have increased its customers significantly through its profile in the LegenDerry Food Guide or a hair salon might have gained more new clients as a result of word of mouth from Fashion Fest. It is often difficult to glean and confirm where new business has come from, however, undoubtedly new skills, confidence and knowledge have been gained by businesses that participated across the various aspects of the Specialist Programmes – as well as providing the region and business environment with excitement and enhanced stimulation.


53

5.7 Clipper Trade Programme




Actual Outcome(s)

Clipper Trade Programme

To develop an export training and related trade mission programme for businesses to ensure that the SME sector maximise the opportunities that the Clipper Round the World roadshow presents. The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race will stop in 14 ports over a 10 month period. On each stopover there is a week of opportunity to host trade missions, business meetings contacts between politicians/dignitaries and generally position and sell the sponsor cities. Derry City Council are leading activities to sponsor the boat and hold profile raising events in each stopover port in partnership with a stakeholder group comprising Derry City Council, Ilex, Chamber of Commerce, Invest NI, Tourism Ireland, Culture Company and University of Ulster. This is a unique opportunity for the SME sector locally to maximise trade links with 3 of the more relevant stopover ports which represent the best fit and prospect by sector and historical linkages.

At least: i. 50 companies attend exporting

awareness event

ii. 20 companies participate in training and mentoring support

iv. 3 homecoming events v. 50 attendees at home-coming trade

promotion event

vi. 20 local companies participating on local markets during Clipper homecoming events

Date Event Attendees

July 2012 Wayne Hemingway Master Class (Homecoming Event)

100

vi. Sub-Objective Met: Clipper Trails Guide The Clipper Trails booklet from Derry City Council was a guide for visitors heading to the Clipper Homecoming Festival in 2012. The aim of the trail was to highlight businesses in the city, and to encourage visitors to explore all that the city has to offer. The guide focused on three themed ‘trails’ for Clipper crew to explore the city they are; Arts and Culture, Fashion and Beauty, and Music, Food and Drink and it included:

Arts & Culture – 24 Businesses

Fashion & Beauty -18 Businesses

Music Food & Drink – 48 Businesses In addition, 28 local producers participated in the Clipper Markets.

iii. 3 stopover trade event activation plans

i & ii. Sub-Objectives Not Met: This Programme did not progress, however:

3.Halifax

iv. Sub-Objectives Not Met: 2 x Homecoming Events with high calibre attendees at home-coming trade promotion event. In addition, a Clipper Leadership event was held during Enterprise Week.

v. Sub-Objective Met: 2 x Homecoming Events with high calibre attendees at home-coming trade promotion event - one of which was as follows:

iii. 3 Stopover Trade Events took place in: 1.South Africa (Capetown)

2.New York


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Comments: The Clipper Trade Programme (export awareness, training, mentoring and planning) did not progress for the following reasons: o The timeframe was not achievable. o Not enough interest was received or shown from private sector companies. o The Clipper Yacht race locations did not suit, as target export markets for the local business base.

Some of the funding for the Clipper Trade Programme was reallocated to specialist thematic mentoring. However, the Stopover Trade & Homecoming Events were delivered producing the following results:

Clipper Trails Guide promoting 90 local businesses across Arts & Culture, Music, Fashion & Beauty and Food & Drink Summary 3 out of 6 or 50% of Sub-Objectives of the Clipper Trade Programme were Met. Although the homecoming event was successful, the SMART objective was not met in relation to the Export Trade Programme, due to the fact that there was no SME interest, and the target venues were not of interest to companies – show some misalignment of the strategic export needs of small businesses in the region, and the destinations. Based on the size and export capability, the Clipper destinations represent expensive, high risk and challenging markets for small companies (that are more focused on closer, less risky markets). The approach may have been to match up specific export sectors and markets – but the timeframe constraint referred to may have made that option impossible.

2 x Homecoming Event with 100 attendees


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5.8 Summary of Performance against Programme Objectives

At this juncture of the evaluation, prior to presenting the views, opinions and feedback from the key players involved in the programme, the table below summarises the extent to which the Programme has performed against the Indicators agreed at the outset of the Programme with Invest NI and updated / amended in January 2014.

Element / Activity Primary Objectives Project Performance Indicator / SMART

Objective

Project Performance Indicator / SMART Objective Met?

One Stop Shop

To ensure access not only to the direct

opportunities for City of Culture and

other major events but also to sign

post and co-ordinate all the available

business support in the City.

200 businesses receive direct support i.e training or mentoring.

At least 500 business receive indirect support i.e:

i. Attend awareness events/networking, ii. Make enquiries or

iii. Access procurement portal

Establish a CRM

system


Objective not met. Database of 1,433

registered individuals with 1,045 SME’s




i. Business week 2013, 2014 & 2015. At least:

900 unique attendees

40 events over 5 days

13 new products / services

3 new businesses created

ii. Awareness sessions. At least:

6 awareness sessions run

50 unique business attendees at each event

5 businesses win new contracts

iii. 12 x Business Club events



At least: I. 190 attendees at awareness sessions -

4 workshops x 20 participants each

II. 15 individuals provided with specialist training

III. 10 businesses go forward to mainstream programmes

IV. 3 new businesses started



iii. 15 new products/services created

The Business Opportunities Programme – Meeting the Performance Indicators / SMART Objectives

Yes – objectives met in full (100%) and exceeded.



support

At least: i. 300 companies receive mentoring

ii. 60 companies win new business

Yes - objectives met in full (100%) and exceeded.

Established list of at least 2,700 registered businesses


56

Element / Activity Primary Objectives Project Performance Indicator / SMART

Objective

Project Performance Indicator / SMART Objective Met?

‘2013 Business to

business Procurement Programme: Needs Mapping IT Procurement Portal Workshop Training




At least: i. 500 companies accessing portal and

support

ii. 60 companies receiving direct training

iii. 30 companies or clusters of

companies winning new business.

Specialist

Thematic/Sector

Support Programmes

1-11

To provide specialist training to the

SME sector to develop capability and

encourage collaboration, new

business strategies and new

products/services in sub-sectors with

particular relevance to delivery of

City of Culture.

At least: i. 170 businesses attend specialist

training, support & clustering programme

ii. 80 small medium enterprises collaborating

iii. 4 best practice visits

iv. 15 new products / services

Clipper Trade

Programme

To develop an export training and

related trade mission programme for

non-Invest NI clients and to ensure

that the SME sector maximise the

opportunities that the Clipper Round

the World roadshow presents.

At least: i. 50 companies attend exporting

awareness event

ii. 20 companies participate in training and mentoring support

v. 50 attendees at home-coming trade promotion event

v. 60 companies winning new business

Yes - objectives met in full (100%) and exceeded.

Two out of three sub-objectives were met, however, one of these – direct procurement training - was assisted by the training provided through other elements of the Business Opportunities Programme, for example, Enterprise Week.

vi. 20 local companies participating on local markets during Clipper homecoming events

iii. 3 stopover trade event activation plans

iv. 3 homecoming events

50% (3 out of 6) of sub-objectives met. Funds from the Clipper Trade Programme were allocated to other key aspects of the Programme.


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6.0 PROGRAMME VALUE FOR MONEY

6.1 Introduction

Value for money is typically based on the measurement of the real business benefit of an initiative to the

participants involved against the cost of delivery of that initiative.

In the absence of baseline data collected from participants at the start of the initiatives, and a

comparative evaluation of how this has improved/impacted upon their business following participation,

it is difficult to measure value for money.

This said, throughout the many consultations for this evaluation, interviewees were asked to comment –

as outlined in Section 5.4 - on the actual outcomes and benefits provided by the Programme – a

Programme that was free of charge to all participants.

The perceived value for money of the Business Opportunities Programme presented here is based on:

Programme information on costs and outputs provided by Council.

Conversations with:

Business Opportunities Programme stakeholders

Delivery agents and Mentors who delivered aspects of the programme.

Interviews with 51 participant businesses

6.2 Measuring Value for Money – A Combined Analysis

Based on an assessment through a combination of :

i. The detailed Programme information provided by Council.

ii. The qualitative and quantitative information gathered from external mentors

iii. The qualitative and quantitative information gathered from 51 participating businesses

… the following table summarises the level of Value for Money delivered through the Business

Opportunities Programme.

Element / Activity Primary Objectives Project Performance Indicator / SMART Objective Met?

Cost Value for Money

Establish a CRM

system


Objective not met. £15k Underspend transferred / re-allocated to Enterprise Week, however, the CRM system may have resulted in more improved Programme reporting and local enterprise intelligence / knowledge.


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Element / Activity Primary Objectives Project Performance Indicator / SMART Objective Met?

Cost Value for Money




Yes – objectives met in full, with some exceeded.

£58k Yes




£36.4k Yes




£121.5k Yes.

‘2013 Business to

business Procurement Programme: Needs Mapping IT Procurement Portal Workshop Training




Two out of three sub-objectives were met, however, one of these – direct procurement training - was assisted by the training provided through other elements of the Business Opportunities Programme, for example, Enterprise Week.

£29.8k Not in full – as it currently stands. The VFM for this sub-Programme will be based on future business won through tendering activity of participating companies.

Specialist

Thematic/Sector

Support Programmes

1-11

To provide specialist training to the

SME sector to develop capability and

encourage collaboration, new

business strategies and new

products/services in sub-sectors with

particular relevance to delivery of

City of Culture.


£35k Yes.

Clipper Trade

Programme

To develop an export training and

related trade mission programme for

non-Invest NI clients and to ensure

that the SME sector maximise the

opportunities that the Clipper Round

the World roadshow presents.

50% of sub-objectives met. Objectives partially met. Funds from the Clipper Trade Programme were allocated to other key aspects of the Programme as outlined in Section 4.8.

£89.7k Underspend

transferred / re-

allocated and used to

provide Value for

Money as follows:

Market Start-up

Programme (£35k);

Clipper Market

Programme (£10k)

Tourism Product

Commercialisation &

Package

Development (£10k)

Enterprise Week

(£828)

According to the combined analysis, almost all of the initiatives within the Business Opportunities

Programme represented very good value for money. This may have been helped by the fact that:


59

A significant portion of the overall delivery was carried out by DCC staff rather than external delivery agents. The Business Opportunities team could act as a central point to help weave all elements of the Programme together.

When external delivery agents were procured, the budget allocated to these activities was very conservative and delivery agents were asked to deliver within these budgets.

It was also pinpointed early on by DCC that the CRM system and the Clipper Trade Programme were not

going to represent good value for money, hence the funds were allocated to aspects of the overall

programme that would excel further with additional, well-placed funds.

6.2.1 Stakeholders Views on Value for Money

The stakeholder organisations interviewed were asked about the perceived value for money of the

Business Opportunities Programme. A mixture of responses was received by the key organisation

representatives.

One stakeholder pointed to the potential cost-saving of reducing Council’s direct delivery role in the

Programme, stating that it may be best for Council to strategically partner with external organisations

that can deliver large chunks of the Programme, thus releasing vital Council staff to focus on other aspects

of Economic Development and becoming more “Purveyors” of such programmes, as opposed to assigning

large teams to part delivery and fully oversee it.

Other stakeholders are very keen to champion the direct, hands-on role of DCC in delivering the

Programme and the relationships and networks that have been formed through Council being “close” to

all aspects of the Programme. An important element of consistent Programme delivery has been the high

level of contingency provided by the Business Opportunities Programme team.

One of the key points is to ensure that when on the front line of delivery, Council staff are fully qualified

to, for example, diagnose business issues and bring credible mentor briefings to the table - prior to

mentoring assignments being undertaken. Based on the feedback in this report apart from the occasional

mentor brief that had to be revised during the first mentor meeting and the rare case of a mentor not

being the right match for a company, the feedback across the board regarding Council capability and

work rate in administering and delivering the Programmed effectively is very positive.

6.2.2 External Mentor Views on Value for Money

The external mentors were asked to provide their views on the value for money provided through the Programme. With the mentoring free for participants, the comprehensive response was that: “Yes – for companies / clients the Programme very much provides excellent value for money as it is free and – if maximised correctly, is highly beneficial. The cost to clients for the mentoring would be prohibitive.” Four of the mentors interviewed expressed concern at the mentoring daily rate which they felt was very low. An expression of caution was raised in terms of maintaining the quality of mentoring through ensuring the daily rate is at an acceptable level.

6.2.3 Company / Participant Views on Value for Money

From a company participant perspective, the value for money question was not asked as they did not pay

for either the mentoring, participation on Programme(s) or attendance at events.

Participants were, however, asked to highlight the real business benefits of the support they received.


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The complete analysis of this is shown in Section 5.4. Overall, a very high number of participants reported

very qualitative benefits such as skills development, new products and services introduced and new

business won.

The majority of the 51 participants interviewed reported very positive outcomes to the support they

received with only a few providing negative feedback. Based on these 10, the perceived value for money

is very high considering the small budget/amount of time allocated to it by Council.

6.3 Value for Money Summary

A combination of all the viewpoints expressed with the supporting documentation and statistics suggests

that the Business Opportunities Programme is perceived to represent good value for money in general

with specific initiatives representing better value for money than others. In terms of the value of what

participants got out of the initiatives against the cost of delivery for DCC, the following initiatives

represented perceived high value for money:

o Get Started for 2013 o ‘This City of Culture Business’ Business Engagement Promotion Programme o OppShop (incorporating DCC, ILEX and City of Culture tender opportunities). o The Mentor Bank o Specialised Thematic / Sector Support Programme such as:

Enterprise Week Fashion Fest

The “Specialist Thematic/Sector Support Programmes”, “Mentor Bank” and certain aspects of the

Business-to-Business Procurement Programme offerings, for example, produced the following outputs

gained including:

New skills

New products / services

New business won

Business profitability

Jobs created

… from these programmes have been strong enough to represent good Value for Money.

The initiatives which were perceived to represent less value for money were specifically:

o Procurement Programme – a number of sub-objectives not achieved, with one achieved through other Programme elements (e.g procurement-related training at Enterprise Week). However, as the action plans / tasks are implemented over the forthcoming months, the value for money provided by the Procurement Programme (and Sector Support Programmes) may rise further.

o Individual, free workshops / seminars across all programmes – low turnout / commitment from registrants for little return.

The presence of the CRM system may have been money well spent through enhancing the management of the company database, the linkages across Programmes and the needs of local enterprises more efficiently and effectively.

The following section (7.0) presents a summary of the Evaluation and some recommendations for DCC

for future programme delivery and content.


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7.0 CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

The final section of this report presents some conclusions and recommendations for DCC for future

programme delivery.

7.1 Overall Programme Delivery / Management

Derry City Council’s (DCC) approach to the delivery of support to local businesses in the area is fairly

unique in comparison with other local councils in that the majority of the delivery is carried out by DCC

and as a result they have a more direct relationship with local businesses and can respond to their needs

accordingly.

DCC have, however, realised that certain types of support are outside their capabilities and recognise

that external expertise is also required.

The consultations with stakeholders, delivery agents, mentors and companies presented and highlighted:

i. An overall very positive view of DCC’s management and administration of the initiatives they were

involved in.

ii. The value of the initiatives to those who participated.

iii. Clear appreciation amongst stakeholders and delivery agents for the hands on approach of DCC

with regards to engaging with local businesses, potential start-up companies, micro-enterprises

and entrepreneurs.

iv. The fact that the DCCs Business Opportunity Programme team is clearly in tune with the local

enterprise environment. This is demonstrated figuratively, for example, by:

o The number of companies interviewed who found out about and took up a place on the

Programme through communications direct from Council.

o The level of work put into the major enterprise building and networking events such as

Fashion Fest and Enterprise Week (and their links with other Programmes) have

contributed to the success of the Business Opportunities Programme.

In the administration of future programmes DCC is advised to place more of an emphasis on pre- and

post-programme evaluation of participants in order to:

i. Accurately measure programme impact

ii. Quantify the tangible benefits to businesses; and

iii. Ultimately demonstrate the achievement of the outputs detailed in their Letter of Offer from the funder.

Some very specific feedback has been suggested throughout the evaluation report in relation to the

operational and administrative aspects of the Programme. Where pertinent, this has been included in

this Conclusions & Recommendations section.

One of the key points in relation to the DCC delivery team is to ensure that when on the front line of

delivery, Council staff are fully qualified to, for example, diagnose business issues and bring credible

mentor briefings to the table - prior to mentoring assignments being undertaken.


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7.2 Creating Awareness & Attracting Local Businesses

Overall the marketing and promotion of the Business Opportunities Programme has been far-reaching and very effective. The promotional mix and the variation of messages used was wide-ranging – both targeted at specific groups and more general - with good use of positive case studies from previous participants. An important point to make here is that after each initiative, event, seminar, sub-Programme, the BOP team was eager to gauge the success and value of particular aspects of the marketing conducted. This was implemented through “De-Brief” sessions and update meetings with constant checks on and improvements upon the marketing activities undertaken. The BOP team started to form a clear picture as to what worked and what did not – from a practical, marketing and promotional perspective. The debrief sessions created the team’s own recommendations, for example, following Fashion Fest, some of the learning points were as follows:

Visibility in retailer shop fronts, billboards inside and outside Derry City.

Greater awareness to a national audience to boost visitor numbers into the City.

A dedicated social media channel to provide clear, specific messages.

Earlier communication of marketing messages targeted at the right audience(s).

Capitalise on, for example, Enterprise Week audience for Fashion Fest and other events – and vice versa.

The feedback from mentors and, in particular, participants substantiated the fact that the level of awareness of the Programme (created through effective marketing and promotion) amongst the target population was very effective.

7.3 Individual Initiatives – Meeting the Needs of Local Businesses

The overall offering presented by the Business Opportunities Programme was ambitious with some

demanding objectives agreed. Nonetheless, the Programme’s overarching aim was to provide all

emerging, micro and small businesses with a support offering that was flexible and versatile enough to

meet their needs.

The large-scale events such as Enterprise Week and Fashion Fest successfully fed the pipeline for

companies to move into various other aspects of the One-Stop Shop, providing what one stakeholder

called “the scaffolding” of support for local enterprises in the Derry City Council area.

The evaluation of individual initiatives shows that there were varying levels of success amongst the

initiatives within the Business Opportunities Programme.

The initiatives which were broadly successful and where there was positive participant feedback were:

o Get Started for 2013 o Enterprise Week o Fashion Fest o OppShop Tender Portal o Mentor Bank o Sector Support Programmes

The initiatives which were less successful were:

o Tendering / Procurement Programme – more than one sub-objective not met in full o Business Club – some specific events with low turnout o Clipper Trade Programme


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Those initiatives which appeared less successful than others were due to the following key reasons:

o Little demand for support of that particular theme.

o The delay in meeting particular objectives e.g new business achieved.

o The inclusion of companies that were not fully “bought-in” to the initiative or committed to the event.

Some recommendations for future initiatives were presented during the evaluation process. These are

summarised below:

Content

o Potential of delivering sector specific sales & marketing initiatives e.g. food tourism, renewable energy, creative industries, retail and hospitality sectors.

o More programmes for more established businesses in particular sectors with training and 3-4 days of mentoring support, including action planning and implementation support.

o One-to-one Support / training focused on:

- Business planning support. - HR support - Marketing training/ mentoring - Social media support and guidance - Sales development training/mentoring and management - Business leadership and motivation skills development. - PR, Marketing and branding support. - Staff training and basic IT skills. - Financing for business growth. - Web design and development support.

o Additional networking events to help with targeting new customers.

o More meet the buyer events where companies can make contact with potential customers. o Inspirational speakers such as Dr Ken Robinson on creative thinking would be beneficial to all types

of business. o Training for staff / young people for continuous skills development and the creation of well-trained

personnel.

Continuation of Support for Business at Various Growth Stages – With Additional Offering

o The “One-Stop-Shop” concept of continued support for pre-start-ups, start-ups, micro-enterprises,

small businesses is crucial.

o New initiatives for companies looking beyond the North West region such as through tendering and

procurement and / or exporting. Enhancing capabilities for companies at this stage of growth is a

current gap.


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Export Development Initiatives

In light of the Clipper Trade Programme’s shortcomings, if linking export programmes to major events / initiatives in the future - or when delivering export development programmes, it is advisable to: o Be more realistic re the target markets – fit the markets to the business base (and the export

capability of the business base).

o When or if targeting more distant markets – assess the sectoral fit, for example:

Technology / software and the US West Coast

Financial services and US North East

Introduction of a Think Tank / Research Facility

In addition to the 4 key types of offering i.e

i. Programmes

ii. Mentoring

iii. Events

iv. Tender Portal

… One of the stakeholders suggested that there should be a Research aspect added to the Programme in

the form of a Think Tank / forum that is constantly focused on providing “the Programme” with new ideas

in order for it to remain sustainable.

Structure/Delivery

o More one to one support / Mentoring Time: The amount of mentoring time should be dependent on the needs of the business. Some businesses may require 1 day, others require up to 4 days plus.

o More robust criteria testing at the outset to ensure companies are committed to, for example, the mentoring.

o Increased mentoring support for particular companies who have proven the need and demonstrate clear objectives.

o A dedicated space to work with smaller clients would have been welcome.

o Another Council does not require signatures on contact reports which means the two-page updates

can be uploaded directly.

o An initial workshop for companies would have been worthwhile – to brief them on what the mentoring is about and what can realistically be achieved for them. This could also include all other mentors to give them a chance to get together.

o A more stringent process for companies seeking mentoring should be developed. Participating

businesses should demonstrate that they have bought into the process and that they have the right mindset for receipt of mentoring. A dedicated resource who can them implement the post-mentoring actions is also a winning factor.

These recommendations were suggested by participants, stakeholders and external delivery agents /

mentors and supplemented by Envision’s knowledge and experience in delivering Business Development

Programmes across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

the business opportunities programme final...

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