Freshfield boost with growth hub contract

Freshfield, the Preston-based marketing communications consultancy, has landed the two-year central marketing services contract for Boost Business Lancashire, the new £7.2m Lancashire Business Growth Hub, following a competitive pitch.

As part of the contract, Freshfield will provide a fully outsourced marketing service covering marketing planning and co-ordination, design, media relations, social media, event management and content marketing.

Boost has been led by the Lancashire LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership). It has been developed and will be delivered via a partnership between Lancashire County Council, Community & Business Partners, UCLan, Lancaster University, Regenerate Pennine Lancashire and Winning Pitch, offering a range of programmes to ambitious businesses.

The aim of Boost is to grow the county’s economy by £20m and create at least 1,200 new jobs and safeguard 700 more by 2015.

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has provided £3.6m of funding to the project.

Simon Turner, managing director of Freshfield, said: “Growth hubs are playing a significant role in the UK’s recovery and it’s exciting to be part of a project that will see growth-hungry businesses access high quality advice and in turn drive the economy in Lancashire.

“There is a myriad of public sector business support available but owners of growing businesses quite often don’t know what is available and where to turn to. Our job is to get them to start that growth conversation with Boost."

Andy Walker, head of business growth and innovation at Lancashire County Council, said: “Our primary target is to help ambitious, growth-hungry businesses to realise their potential. It’s an exciting project - the biggest of its kind in Lancashire - and one that will act as a catalyst for growth in the county’s economy.

"We were looking for a consultancy which understands the needs of growing businesses and could handle a substantial multi-channel campaign. Freshfield has impressed us enormously and we are already seeing businesses sign up to Boost as a result of its efforts.”

Freshfield is a full service marketing communications consultancy advising clients in the Advanced Industries, Built Environment, Education, Professional and Financial Services, Public Sector and Retail and Leisure sectors. With headquarters in Winckley Square, Preston, Freshfield is Lancashire’s only member of the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA).