Innovation

Are you wanting to do something different in your business but not sure how to get there? With 12 hours of specialist advice and support, our team can help you make a real impact on your business, and get your innovative project moving. This support is coming to an end on 31st March 2023.

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Connecting Innovation

Our independent and specialist innovation programme, Connecting Innovation, is one way for businesses to navigate what innovation support is available.

Through Connecting Innovation, SMEs could be eligible for up to 12 hours of support with our specialist team helping to:

  • Implement innovative practices or processes into your business
  • Access specialist expertise from the network of universities, catapult centres (not-for-profit, independent technology and innovation centres), research organisations, advisory services and private sector organisations
  • Provide ongoing one-to-one support to help make your project a success, through to implementation

Get in touch to see how we can help you on your journey. Connecting Innovation is delivered by the LEP in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund for England and the Local Growth Fund.

Read Connecting Innovation's privacy notice about how your information is used.

Innovation is crucial to building sustainable businesses

Any business that wants to make positive change through new ideas and new ways of doing things, or has a forward-thinking approach to their work, is innovating. Innovation is crucial to building sustainable businesses in our City Region – it is a source of competitive advantage, it creates efficiencies, increases revenues and improves productivity.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the cost of doing business crisis, have highlighted the importance of businesses doing things differently; having the agility to become more resilient, flexible and reactive to the economic changes and new ways of working.

If you’re an SME in West Yorkshire looking to develop a new product, have an idea for a new service or can see ways to improve your processes, yet feel unsure about the next steps or how to make it happen, we are here to help.

Our ambition at the LEP, as part of the West Yorkshire Innovation Network, is to create an inclusive and collaborative environment for innovation to thrive, connecting businesses with the right support to make their ideas or projects become a reality.

All things Innovation

  1. Space Hub Yorkshire

    The LEP and Yorkshire Universities are leading on the development of a Space Cluster, called Space Hub Yorkshire, through a new programme funded by the Government and backed by the UK Space Agency.

  2. West Yorkshire Innovation Network

    The West Yorkshire Innovation Network (WYIN) is coordinated by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership in partnership with the Combined Authority, and its aim is to create a collective place to help businesses access support, encourage and nurture innovative ideas and position the region as a hub for innovation.

Innovation News

  1. Characteristics of an innovative business

    When it comes to innovation – developing new ideas, creating commercial opportunities or doing things differently – there are often characteristics that individuals possess or businesses build, to aid and support the innovation process. Read our round up of what to instil in an innovative business.