HOVIP - Heads of the Valleys Innovation Programme

• Sole Traders
• Businesses with less than 20 employees
• Businesses with more than 20 employees
• Social Enterprise Business

Testimonials

"I have gained techniques for instigating discussion and decision making and will use in future staff meetings."

Gill Clarke, Acting General Manager, Candy Stripes Day Nursery.

2008 Highlights (March – December)

• 69 business beneficiaries to-date (Dec 08)
• Helped 31 businesses achieve £74k new business and £355k funding
• Delivered 7 HOVIP workshops
• One-third of Design Wales' branding workshops delivered in HoV
• 88% delegates (42) rated all workshops excellent or very good
• Held six events at HoV venues
• Penn Pharmaceuticals (sole sponsor of inaugural Wales Innovation Award) use the ViTCC six times in 6 months after HOVIP delivers tailored innovation workshops for the Company Forum
• BT, HSBC, NESTA, ngb2b and Wales Quality Centre sponsor HoV Innovation Awards & Market Place
• BT and NESTA double their sponsorship
• Double the number of HoV Innovation Award entrants (cf. 2007)
• 11 (out of 34) entrants for HoV Innovation Awards are social enterprises
• 171 visitors attended HoV Innovation Awards & Market Place
• One quarter of Market Place exhibitors signed new business within one month of the event
• HoV Innovation Award winner hosts first 'Inside Welsh Industry' best practice visit as a result of HOVIP / Wales Quality Centre pilot
• Holder of 2008 RCT Best New Business wins tender and produces HoV Innovation Award winners’ videos
• Sponsored launch of Merthyr’s input to National Enterprise Week
• 2008 holder of Queens Award for Enterprise Support becomes HOVIP associate
• Started Turning Heads Club for HoV Award entrants & winners
• HOVIP wins a Wales National Training Award
• Five HoV entries (out of 41) for inaugural Wales Innovation Award