Scotland’s creative entrepreneurs aspire to high growth

9/8/12

Scotland's creative entrepreneurs are confident that they can lead the way to economic growth, with 86 per cent of the first participants in the highly successful enterprise training programme, Starter for 6, hoping to aspire to annual growth of 10-20 per cent over the next five years, reflecting a new confidence in the sector

Starter for 6 was established in 2007 by innovation foundation, Nesta, and provides support for up-and-coming creative entrepreneurs across Scotland. The programme, now supported by Creative Scotland and delivered by Cultural Enterprise Office, supports creative start-ups in Scotland with training and coaching, peer mentoring, aftercare support, and the opportunity to pitch for investment up to £10,000.

The business performance of the first three cohorts of the Starter for 6 programme (2007-2009) has been measured year-on-year since starting and completing the training and mentoring scheme. The results show that the 210 individuals and businesses that took part in the first three years of the programme run by Nesta saw a combined increase in turnover of £2m and contributed £1.5m Gross Value Added to the Scottish Economy.

Jackie McKenzie, head of Innovation Programmes in Scotland, Nesta said:  "It is wonderful to see that Starter for 6 is still reaping rewards for Scotland's creative businesses - and the wider economy - five years on from the first cohort joining the programme. More encouraging still is that these businesses expect to see further growth year on year over the next five years. The results are credit to the programme's foundations laid by Nesta and the continued delivery by Creative Scotland and Cultural Enterprise Office."

Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive, Creative Scotland said:  "The Starter for 6 programme highlights the potential of Scotland's creative industries.  This report outlines the programme's impact in improved business performance, as well as increased confidence levels within the creative start-up community.  Starter for 6 offers a good blueprint to build Scotland's future economic growth as well as its creative development and, working with Cultural Enterprise Office, we are looking forward to building on these early results."

A full evaluation of the impact of Starter for 6's first three cohorts, Starter for Success, is now available from www.nesta.org.uk. Key findings in the longitudinal evaluation of participants between 2007-2009 show:

• 77 per cent of Starter for 6 participants developed  new  skills or knowledge on the programme
• On average Starter for 6 businesses attribute £11,000 of their gross turnover growth to the programme
• 64 per cent of participants have had continuing contact with other participants after completing the programme, resulting in joint projects or customer/supplier relationships being established
• The programme helped overcome barriers in accessing finance.  Thirty-four operating businesses raised finance additional to the Starter for 6 investment and 35 per cent of those felt that participating in S46 helped them to raise the investment.
• Over  82 per cent  of  participants  indicated  a  positive  impact  from the programme training that  helped  to develop  and  refine their ideas  as  well as identify clear routes to market.

Drawing on the successes, knowledge, activities and insights of the programme, Nesta launched the Creative Enterprise Toolkit in 2010 for creative individuals considering starting-up a business and those supporting creative start-ups. The toolkit has provided advice to thousands of businesses and graduates/students internationally and is available from Amazon.

Notes to Editors

For more information contact Graeme Downie, Nesta Communications Manager in Scotland on 07595 710 856 or at graeme.downie@nesta.org.uk

The evaluation was completed by SQW in November 2011 and was the result of a 5 year study of the impacts delivered through the Starter for 6 Programme in Scotland. 

Download the report

About Starter for 6

Starter for 6 was launched by Nesta in 2007 and licenced to Creative Scotland in 2009 and is delivered across Scotland by Cultural Enterprise Office.

About Nesta

Nesta is the UK's innovation foundation. We help people and organisations bring great ideas to life. We do this by providing investments and grants and mobilising research, networks and skills.

We are an independent charity and our work is enabled by an endowment from the National Lottery.

Nesta Operating Company is a registered charity in England and Wales with a company number 7706036 and charity number 1144091. Registered as a charity in Scotland number SC042833. Registered office: 1 Plough Place, London, EC4A 1DE

www.nesta.org.uk

About Creative Scotland

Creative Scotland is the national development agency for the arts, screen and creative industries.  Our vision is that Scotland will be recognised as one of the world's most creative nations - one that attracts, develops and retains talent, where the arts and the creative industries are supported and celebrated and their economic contribution fully captured; a nation where the arts and creativity play a central part in the lives, education and well-being of our population.

About Cultural Enterprise Office

Cultural Enterprise office is Scotland's specialist provider of business support to creative micro businesses and cultural practitioners.