Two more years! The Outset Plymouth projects are officially relaunched
Listening to speakers at the launch
As the first phase of the Outset Plymouth and Outset Finance Plymouth projects draw to a close, we are delighted to announce that a further £840,000 of joint funding has been awarded by the European Regional Development Fund and Plymouth City Council to safeguard both provisions until March 2015.
In the last three years, Outset Plymouth has helped 162 people to start their own businesses, leading to the creation of 199 new jobs within the city, while Outset Finance has helped unlock over £850,000 of funding for Plymouth businesses.
Both teams have also been successful in local partnership working, with many referrals coming from successful collaboration with existing provision such as fellow Urban Enterprise programme partners Working Links.
Lee Hughes, YTKO’s Director of Enterprise said: “Our record for delivering strong return on investment to our funders and making a real difference to our clients has resulted in the renewal of the Outset Plymouth contracts. We will continue to work within these communities, to help identify and support new entrepreneurs and tailor our programmes to suit their different needs.”
Outset advisor Gregg Harding prepares to be interviewed.
The programme reaches out to people within the local area from a wide variety of backgrounds, helping them to give themselves a job. Businesses launched through the programme range from graphic designers to research professionals, from architects to innovative sports development programmes.
One such business was Ghostly Publishing, started by local first-time entrepreneur Neil Trigger. After receiving guidance on his business and help to find and secure funding to the tune of £7500, Neil has seen his business grow to house 19 authors and illustrators. Ghostly Publishing’s books are now distributed through major retailers Waterstones and Amazon.
Neil says of his experiences on the Outset programme: “The courses are fantastic and have helped me greatly. Outset Plymouth is a tremendous force for good in Ghostly Publishing’s history.”
The programme has also announced a rebrand to coincide with the contract renewal.
Kate McEwen, Outset’s Head of Operations for the South West, explained: “The renewal of the contract gave us the opportunity to continue and grow our programme alongside the ever-growing businesses that we serve. The new branding represents our goal to develop the project while also continuing to deliver award-winning programmes and provide an excellent service to the people of Plymouth.”