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Inspire Elite [2022]
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In the past year 93 scaleup leaders have received intensive support from Inspire Elite to develop three to five-year strategies for growth. The programme offers peer-to-peer networking and workshops as well as one-to-one guidance from dedicated account managers and senior management team mentoring.
Inspire Elite was launched originally by provider Inspire in Swindon and Wiltshire after directors attended the ScaleUp Institute’s first Driving Local Economic Growth through Scaleup Ecosystems course. It is now delivered in Bristol and the Heart of the South West.
Inspire had identified that business leaders were still struggling to define their strategy in writing and that this could be an inhibiting factor for attracting funding. In response, it launched its Knowledge Accelerator 2021 combining two interactive workshops with one-to-one follow up support designed to enable a business leader to create a clear strategy for growth or for attracting investment.
Recent focus has been on operating at a deeper level to uncover and unleash leadership potential through one-to-one meetings and online and face to face peer events. Scaleups can access a NED mentoring programme – Inspired Board – and an initial cohort of 19 have now extended their placements for a second year. Participating scaleups report greater resilience and a strengthened strategic approach.
Inspire Elite scaleups have created 279 new jobs and 95 percent have increased turnover and are working to a strategic plan that includes developing their leadership knowledge and skills. A quarter of participants are ready to take advanced steps in their growth journey by using the Inspired Board service which is set to double in size over the next year.
The Inspire Business awards were launched in October 2021 to recognise scaleups that innovated or pivoted in response to the pandemic. This includes taking advantage of changed consumer preferences, overcoming disruption to supply chains or green innovation.
