More than one business in Nottingham’s Creative Quarter looks likely to flourish thanks to the award of £150,000 from Nottingham Technology Grant Fund (N’Tech).
Lace Market based AppInst Limited is marking its recent successful N’Tech grant application by offering £10,000 worth of free apps to other local enterprises based in the Creative Quarter.
App Institute is headed up by a serial entrepreneur who returned home to Nottingham two years ago to launch his latest initiative – after 10 years working across Sweden, South Africa, Thailand and Australia.
The business is the brainchild of Ian Naylor and Becky Halls and provides mobile apps for businesses and organisations – customers already include Yeomans and the NHS. The company has just launched its new Business Apps platform aimed at smaller enterprises that allows the creation of smartphone apps with no tech skills which has a wide range of functions – such as m-commerce, bookings, integration to social media, food and drink ordering. According to research 81% of smart phone owners use apps daily and 64% use apps for online purchasing.
App Institute is using the N’Tech grant to recruit an additional 25 full-time staff over the next 18 months and to fund a marketing campaign to boost the launch of its app building platform. The team, which currently stands at six, should reach 50 within three years.
Ian Naylor (39) is a real Nottingham success story – he left school at 16 as a YTS trainee and got his first opportunity to work in IT at Welcome Finance in West Bridgford. Last year his company was recognised at the Nottingham Tech Start-Up of the Year awards. The early success of App Institute is also thanks to the support of the Next Business Generation (NBG) programme which provides mentoring and support to businesses in early stage development. NBG offers intensive support to “spark”, “develop” and “launch” new business ideas.
N’Tech grants are geared towards the growing life science, digital content and clean technology sectors, the N’Tech fund is run by Nottingham City Council. The programme is focussed on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the greater Nottingham area.
Ian Naylor comments “We’re really pleased to have been successful with the N’Tech grant which will help our business development, create new jobs and more business into the city. Being part of the Next Business Generation has provided us with invaluable support.
“App Institute was intentionally founded in the Creative Quarter – one of my first jobs was on Stoney Street so I have fond memories of both working and living in the area. I am passionate about this area which is why I am celebrating our N’Tech grant by offering the first 20 businesses in the Creative Quarter who email me on [email protected] our Business Apps build service free of charge.”
Both N’Tech and Next Business Generation are core elements of the Nottingham Growth Plan a blueprint for the city’s future business growth and one of the most ambitious strategies of the UK’s Core Cities. Measures introduced as part of the plan have played a key role in encouraging new business formation through various finance and support packages.
Toby Reid from Next Business Generation commented “Ian at App Institute is a perfect example of a dynamic entrepreneur with great ideas and we’re delighted that coming onto the Next Business Generation is assisting in the development of his business.”
N’Tech grants are funded solely through the Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF). Nottingham City Council secured RGF from the Government for grants to help fast track development of businesses based in the city. The funding can provide grants of £20,000 to £1million per successful company to support growth and expansion.
The N’Tech fund has so far had 32 successful applications across the digital content, life sciences and clean technology sectors and awarded grants to the value £3.4 million with 648 jobs created and safeguarded.
Councillor Nick McDonald, Portfolio Holder for Jobs and Skills at the City Council, said: “Clever, innovative companies like App Institute are really what the Creative Quarter is all about. We’re leveraging the power of engagement, technology and community think in order to create a self-sustaining business community that features the best of Nottingham talent. N’Tech funding is bringing jobs and development to the city through encouraging companies like this to flourish here.”
