Limited places available on Lancashire scaleup programme

Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, is offering five businesses a place on a limited partnership cohort of its fully-funded Scale to Thrive scaleup programme with leading independent law firm Brabners, which is due to start in September.

The programme is designed for fast-growing Lancashire businesses and will include targeted business support which is available as part of Scale to Thrive alongside legal advice from Brabners’ experts on key business growth issues.

This will include areas of law such as Intellectual Property, employment law and gaining finance.

The partnership is the fifth cohort of Boost’s Scale to Thrive programme since it was launched in November 2023. It will bring together five eligible Lancashire businesses with five businesses from Brabners’ client base who will benefit from masterclass sessions, growth coaching as well as learning and networking opportunities with each other.

Businesses can apply via the online form on Boost’s website. 

Boost is Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, one of 41 Growth Hubs in the UK. It is led by Lancashire County Council and has supported over 14,000 businesses, helped create over 3,500 jobs while adding over £100m to the economy since 2013. 

Its Scale to Thrive programme is delivered by national business support organisation The Growth Company.

Chris Greenhalgh, head of strategic development, GC Business said: “When businesses scale, there are often specific legal issues that naturally arise. 

“By partnering with one of the most respected law firms in the North, Brabners, we will be able to offer the business leaders on our Scale to Thrive programme high-quality business support to help them scale, alongside the vital legal advice on issues which go hand-in-hand with that growth.

“Participants will hear from senior Brabners experts on issues including recruiting staff, producing fair and watertight contracts, protecting Intellectual Property, shareholder protection and business finance on areas such as receiving investment.”

Brabners is a B-Corp accredited independent law firm employing around 520 staff across four offices in the North of England. Its Lancashire office is based at Walton Summit, central Lancashire.

Nikki Whittle, partner, Brabners, said: “We already work closely with Boost and Lancashire County Council, including hosting a current Scale to Thrive cohort at our Lancashire office and this unique partnership is a strengthening of that relationship.

“Our Lancashire client base is made up of fast-growing firms and working directly with Boost will mean they receive high-quality, fully-funded support as part of their growth journey.”

From September 1 2023, Boost has been funded by Lancashire County Council, Department for Business & Trade (DBT), and UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocations from ten Lancashire local authority partners.

Businesses based in Blackburn with Darwen Council, Burnley Council, Chorley Council, Fylde Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, Pendle Borough Council, Preston City Council, South Ribble Borough Council, West Lancashire Borough Council and Wyre Council are eligible to apply to the Scale to Thrive programme.