In 2022, AMION completed a summative assessment of the ERDF-funded SPRING project for Loughborough University. The programme had overall funding of a little over £2 million, with ERDF providing 50%.
The programme was delivered by the iNet at Loughborough University and provided support for SMEs in the Leicestershire area in order for them to accelerate the introduction of new process, product and service enhancements as well as gaining access to new markets.
Support was provided through a mixture of non-financial specialist support activities and financial assistance to support SMEs to increase their capacities and capabilities. These activities included grant funding towards external costs and market and technology growth assessment research support.
The evaluation included a survey of beneficiaries (carried out by Spirul) and consultations with the project team from Loughborough University.
Our evaluation demonstrated that the project has been successful in achieving its own objectives and in supporting the growth of SMEs in the Leicestershire area.