Success of business support programme in Dorset brings huge benefits to the local business economy

The Dorset Business Growth Programme (DBGP) was run by Dorset Growth Hub, part of WSX Enterprise Ltd from March 2017 to December 2022. The project, which was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to the tune of £9.5 million, helped create 505 new jobs and £11.09 million of additional GVA to the Dorset economy.

For the course of the project, businesses and entrepreneurs in the Dorset LEP region received 1-2-1 support from expert business advisors, could attend a plethora of events aimed at supporting their business and/or could apply for grants to help start or grow their business.

Nick Gregory, Operations Director for the Dorset Growth Hub is incredibly proud of what the growth hub achieved during particularly challenging times,

“It’s outstanding what Dorset Growth Hub achieved during particularly challenging economic times. Two major economic upheavals were faced by the business community in this time; the impact of Brexit and the COVID pandemic. Because we were so well-researched and able to develop dynamically to clearly identify market failure, our activities were able to either fill gaps in the market support landscape or enhance existing service provision.”

Peter Grant, CEO of WSX Enterprise underlines the importance of the Dorset Growth Hub project,

“Prior to its launch, business support was fragmented within Dorset. The Dorset Growth Hub was a key gateway to business support and the Dorset Business Growth Programme sought to enhance this position for the benefit of business customers.”

At the conclusion of the project in December 2022, results showed that most targets that were set at the start achieved over 90% of those projected, and some exceeded 100%.

Anecdotally, many businesses and individuals supported were delighted with the support given by Dorset Growth Hub.

When asked to rate the Dorset Business Growth programme overall, 50% of businesses rated it as ‘excellent’.

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WSX Enterprise Ltd

A non-profit organisation WSX Enterprise Ltd runs a wide range of projects delivering business support in the UK as well as working with partners in Europe. As some examples, our projects support access to finance, digital skills, start-up guidance, and general business advice. Our team includes a wide range of business advisors with a breadth of industry experience supporting small and medium-sized businesses across our region.