Knowledge Exchange for Better Business (KE4BB) Evaluation – North Northants (Interim Report)

The project entitled ‘Knowledge Exchange for Better Business (KE4BB) – North Northants’ focuses on improving the productivity and competitiveness of small businesses through a tailored menu of knowledge exchange activity. The programme is funded by the UK Community Renewal Fund and beneficiaries of the programme are SMEs with under 50 employees, classified here as ‘small businesses’. North Northants KE4BB focuses the exchange of knowledge and expertise between the University, its partners and local SMEs, with the objectives of increasing their competitiveness, developing innovative practices, and driving increased productivity. It creates future employment opportunities through engagement with the University and its network of trusted partners, thus promoting the National Industrial Strategy and driving economic growth.

This report represents interim data on the efficacy and impact to date of North Northants KE4BB, based upon data gathered between December 2021 and October 2022. Specifically, this evaluation aims to assess:
• The extent to which support benefits SMEs and wider stakeholders.
• The extent to which support helps businesses access knowledge exchange, improving competitiveness and increase productivity.
• The extent to which short and long-term change are gained through the support (see Appendix B Theory of Change for detail on expected changes).