Case Studies from January 2026

Sector: Manufacturing

Location: Chesterfield

Established in 2017, The Fluency Business Group is an integrated business group, comprising Fluency Marketing, Fluency Events, Fluency People and Fluency Exchange.

It supports high-growth engineering, advanced materials and manufacturing companies of all sizes to access new markets, secure investment, win major contracts and build international partnerships. Its team of eight, together with a number of associate professionals, work with clients across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the USA on growth strategy, market development, events and event support, investor readiness, international marketing, and recruitment.

Challenges faced

Post-pandemic recovery and growth have been challenging, impacting on investing in recruitment, technology, and training for essential project management tools such as CRM. Scaling internationally while remaining capital efficient has also been a challenge. As Fluency supports complex, export-driven engineering and advanced materials companies, it must invest ahead of revenue in specialist staff, market intelligence, international marketing platforms and global travel. Volatile economic conditions, inflation and exchange rate fluctuations have also made it harder to commit to overseas expansion.

Solution – Support Given

The Accelerator project has provided one-to-one Business Adviser support and fully funded webinars in leadership, HR and international trade. An Export Accelerator grant of £8,000 has supported exhibiting at CAMX 2025 in Florida, the leading composites and advanced materials trade show in North America. The funding was used to secure exhibition space, marketing materials, travel and participation in the CAMX hosted B2B matchmaking programme, enabling Fluency to enter the US market in a structured and commercially focused way.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

Attendance at CAMX enabled promotion, market research and intelligence gathering to refine the business’s offer for the US and to build relationships. Two key outcomes have been achieved: acceleration of US market entry by at least 12 months, providing direct access to decision-makers, OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and advanced materials innovators; and, through the CAMX matchmaking portal, the securing of one-to-one meetings with pre-qualified US companies, several of which are progressing towards contracted work with forecast export revenues of £1.3m.

Support also enabled the design of new marketing and sales processes for international expansion and to lay the groundwork for new export-linked roles within the business, including in Export Accounts and Digital Marketing.

“Export Accelerator support has been transformational for Fluency. It allowed us to enter the US market in a serious, commercial way, not just by attending a trade show, but by building relationships, securing meetings and creating a real pipeline of opportunities. For a Derbyshire-based business operating in global engineering and advanced materials markets, that kind of support directly boosts growth, job creation and long-term competitiveness.”

- Gemma Hardy, Managing Director

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Sector: Manufacturing

Location: Nottingham

Mantic Games was set up in 2008 and is based in Bulwell, Nottingham.

The company designs, manufactures and publishes tabletop games and models. There are currently 30 employees in the UK and two in America.

Challenges faced

For Mantic Games one of the biggest barriers to growth has been outdated technology and processes. In addition, like many other businesses rising costs, energy, wages, inflation; have also hindered development.

Solution – Support Given

Mantic Games has been supported by East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser, David Dobson and the Accelerator project. David was able to support the business and provide guidance on its application for a £2,000 Growth Voucher towards specialist digital consultancy support.

It was identified that there was an opportunity to modernise the business through better processes, automation and potentially AI. With many of the current workflows still carried out manually, the senior management team was keen to understand how these processes could be streamlined, digitised, and enhanced through an appropriate blend of new software and getting more out of its current tools.

The Growth Voucher funded support from consultant, Rob Gregory of Magnifica Technologies who has provided structured engagement including detailed process mapping, data analysis, and user requirements gathered through an on-site workshop together with additional off-site research and technical exploration.

From this work Rob has provided a report of recommendations outlining opportunities, any obvious solutions, technology approaches, and next steps to move projects forward.

Accelerator also funded a premises energy audit for Mantic Games to review areas where cost savings could be made, ahead of lighting replacements (LEDs).

To help build internal skills, knowledge and confidence, some of the teams have also attended Accelerator workshops including Mastering Graphic Design using Canva and Adobe Express, Harnessing AI for Business and Getting Started with Business Process Information.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

It’s early days but the business expects the support to reduce energy costs alongside providing a brighter working environment. In the operations area, it anticipates improved efficiency and productivity by reducing time wasting, manual operations and process.

Mantic Games is also expecting a 52% reduction in lighting costs and a reduction in emissions of 0.59cCO2e.

“Our adviser, David has been extremely helpful in conversations and in supporting us through the application process for the Growth Voucher.”

- Matt Gilbert, Director

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Sector: Blind Manufacturing

Location: Derby

Blind Screen Ltd is an international blind design and manufacturing business based at Pride Park, Derby. Founded in 2022 by Lenny Reynolds and Paul Cheetham FCIM, the business draws on over 20 years of blinds industry experience.

Independent testing at Energy House Labs, University of Salford, shows Blind Screen retains up to 81% of heat on single glazing and 49 to 56% on double glazing, delivering household heating energy savings of 10.8 to 15.1%. This performance places Blind Screen among the most thermally efficient blinds in the UK, with results that stand up at a global level. Blind Screen designs and manufactures in the UK and supplies through over 3,000 trade partners nationwide.

In 2025, Blind Screen operated with one manufacturer. By the start of 2026, it onboarded three additional manufacturers to support growth, covering Ireland, Australia, and adding UK capacity to meet demand. Blind Screen launches with Hillarys in March 2026. It plans a Latin America launch in 2026, covering four more countries, then North America and Europe in 2027. Blind Screen employs 11 people and has reached 1 billion views and 1.7m followers on social media.

Challenges faced

As the business grows it’s faced a number of new challenges. Blind Screen wanted to scale into international markets but needed to protect its design and licensing. It also needed a solution to support consistent training and demonstrations for trade partners across the country, rather than relying on people travelling to Derby.

There was also a need to standardise installation to reduce fitting errors, speed up installs and improve efficiency across its partner network.

Solution – Support Given

Previously the business has been supported by Innovate UK Business Growth funding and advice from East Midland Chamber’s Innovation & Growth Specialist, Neil McCluskey. Neil helped the business refocus and reposition its strategy. Read the previous Case Study we did for them.

More recently, through further support from Neil, the business has been accepted onto the Innovate UK Scale Up programme, which is the highest level of business support from IUK and puts Blind Screen in the top 3% of UK companies who engage with IUK.

The team has also had ongoing one-to-one support from Chamber Business Adviser, Sonny Lakhani and the Accelerator programme. As part of this support a diagnostic was completed, and action plans, which identified the most relevant need for investment. Sonny helped position the business in its funding applications to get the most impact for a positive outcome.

The good news is that Blind Screen was successful in its application for the Export Accelerator growth grant which provided £8,000 of funding towards the design, consultancy and tooling of a new component called the Levelling Block. The total project cost was £10,600.

Sonny also helped Blind Screen successfully apply for a £2,000 Accelerator Growth Voucher. This funded specialist training to qualify a driver for its mobile training and demonstration academy, using Hughes Driver Training.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

This support has ready had a positive impact on the business:

• Faster, more reliable installs: installers now save around 15 minutes per Blind Screen installation because the Levelling Block standardises the process.
• Lower manufacturing cost: Blind Screen has reduced manufacturing cost by around 6% per product through standardisation.
• Stronger export readiness: the Levelling Block has added a mechanical safeguard for markets where design rights prove harder to enforce. This has strengthened its licensing position in territories such as the USA, MENA, and South Africa.
• New process rollout: the Growth Voucher has enabled a 'training academy on wheels' model. Blind Screen now take training and demos directly to partners across the UK.
• Jobs and growth: the support has strengthened its export push and has supported its plans to introduce an International Sales Manager role as part of its growth.

“The support has been well run and practical. It removed key blockers at the right time. It helped us move faster on export capability, partner training, and product protection.”

- Paul Cheetham, Co-Founder & Scale Up Marketing Director

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Sector: Manufacturing

Location: Nottingham

Sewjackie and Advanced Textile Solutions Ltd are two complementary textile businesses owned and operated by female entrepreneur, Jackie Cunnigham.

Each is built around the same core skills but serves very different customers (B2C and B2B respectively).

Sewjackie, an enterprise set up during Covid, allowed Jackie to develop a strong understanding of product design, quality, and what customers value in handmade accessories. Advanced Textile Solutions Ltd was born when Jackie was approached to design and make textile components for a first-of-its-kind brain-scanning helmet, positioning her as a leading specialist in this very niche area.

From that initial piece of work, the business has grown organically through equally niche opportunities such as racehorse saddle pads and technical T-shirts for online motor racing.

Challenges faced

One of the main challenges in growing both businesses has been managing capacity while maintaining quality. As a founder-led business, Jackie is responsible for all aspects of the work, from design and making to day-to-day operations. Revenue is not yet at a level to justify employing someone on a permanent basis so filling gaps in Jackie’s own knowledge, in areas such as technology and marketing, is essential to maintain growth.

Solution – Support Given

Jackie has taken full advantage of the Accelerator programme’s fully-funded workshops and has benefitted from a Growth Voucher for website and marketing consultancy, helping her to refine her website structure, improve clarity of messaging, and think more strategically about marketing and customer journeys, rather than just promotion.

As an active member of the East Midlands Manufacturing Network, run by East Midlands Chamber, Jackie has found the forums invaluable for connecting with other manufacturers, sharing knowledge, and learning from peers facing similar challenges.

The Chamber, together with NBV Enterprise Solutions, also pointed Jackie to investment funding from Innovate UK for advanced and new machinery and support from the University of Nottingham’s Create Growth programme which has further built her confidence in strategy, finance and growth planning.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

Access to workshops, mentoring, consultancy and networks has helped Jackie become more confident in running and growing her businesses, while the Innovate UK grant and new machinery have transformed production. The support received has helped reduce costs, open new sales opportunities and streamline processes (halving the time it takes to sew one of Jackie’s most popular products), as well as manufacture new, more complex products. Cumulatively, the support received means Jackie is now ready to scale and confidently plan for future staff recruitment.

“In the early days, I often struggled with imposter syndrome, feeling like I didn’t belong or shouldn’t be here. The advice, guidance, and support I’ve had along the way has been life-changing and has given me the confidence to grow both businesses and take them to the next level.”

- Jackie Cunningham, Owner

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Sector: Retail & Manufacture

Location: North East Derbyshire

Paws Trading is a family run business, spanning two generations, which originally started on eBay in 2004.

The business specialises in high quality dog products including professional veterinary bedding (Vet Bed), training toys and natural dog treats. It focuses heavily on products for working dogs, training, agility, and active pet owners, with an emphasis on quality, functionality and value.

Paws Trading is based in Clay Cross, North East Derbyshire, selling products both online and at dog shows/events across the UK. The team of six employees, led by Managing Directors Paul and Paula Wilkinson, is supported by family and additional staff at busy times.

Challenges faced

As a small family-run business, Paw Trading faced several barriers to scaling:

• Despite there being demand for its products, it had limited visibility in new and international markets which made it difficult to reach customers outside of the UK.
• The business was facing increased competition, particularly from lower-cost overseas alternatives, making it even harder to stand out without stronger brand visibility.
• There was also a lack of in-house skills particularly around SEO and pursuing the opportunities of international market development. The team were stuck with a variety of manual and time-intensive processes which limited capacity to focus on such growth activities.
• Finally, rising operational costs including materials, shipping and wages meant additional pressures for the senior team and cashflow.

However, breaking into new markets, such as France, and improving online discoverability, were identified as the most critical challenges that could unlock the next growth stage for Paws Trading.

Solution – Support Given

Paws Trading has been supported by East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser, Richard Crowden and the Accelerator programme. Richard has provided dedicated support to identify priority growth areas for the business including international expansion and digital visibility. The support focused on strategic planning, market development and improving productivity.

Richard also provided advice and guidance with two funding applications. Firstly a £1,600 Accelerator Growth Voucher to invest in SEO consultancy, improving its online visibility, keyword performance and search rankings. This increased organic traffic and helped Paws Trading compete more effectively in a crowded online marketplace.

The business also successfully applied for an Export Accelerator grant of £2,000 which has supported its entry into new international markets, specifically France, helping Paws Trading develop the systems, knowledge and confidence needed to sell cross-border and reach new customers.

Attendance at Accelerator workshops and access to wider Growth Hub support has also strengthened understanding of digital growth, international trade considerations and long-term scalability.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

The support has played a key role in helping Paws Trading overcome long-standing barriers to growth, delivering both immediate and long-term impact. This includes:

• Successful entry into new markets with France now an active and growing sales channel for Paws Trading.
• Improved online visibility, resulting in increased organic website traffic and a stronger brand presence.
• Greater competitiveness, enabling Paws Trading to compete on quality, trust and expertise, rather than on price alone.
• Time savings and improved efficiency, allowing the team to focus more on product development, customer engagement and market expansion.
• Increased confidence in scaling, with clearer processes and a stronger digital foundation to support future growth.

The business report that the SEO work via the specialist consultancy alone has delivered ongoing benefits by improving search performance and reducing reliance on paid advertising, while international market support has opened entirely new revenue streams.

In terms of impact the improvements to internal processes, SEO performance and systems have reduced manual administration and marketing tasks by approximately 5-7 hours a week, equivalent to 260-360 hours a year.

This timesaving has allowed the team to redirect effort into higher value activities such as product development, customer engagement and entering new markets, including France.

Process efficiencies and better planning have also helped reduce unnecessary operational usage, contributing to an estimated £800-£1,200 per year in energy and operational cost savings through more efficient working practices and reduced rework.

Overall, these changes have strengthened productivity, reduced pressure on the team and created a more sustainable platform for growth.

“The grants and adviser support have been pivotal in helping us overcome barriers we couldn’t tackle alone.

From improving our SEO and online visibility to successfully entering the French market, the support has given us the tools, confidence and momentum to grow beyond the UK and build a more resilient business.”

- Paul and Paula Wilkinson, Managing Directors

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Sector: Education

Location: North East Derbyshire

Learn to Shine Education Ltd is an award-winning Alternative Provision* supporting local schools and students, through face-to-face and online support, to re-engage with education through inclusive, welcoming and engaging practice.

It also provides private education to support mainstream students in catching up, keeping up or providing challenges ensuring they are positive and content when at school. The team of 23 staff members support families through consultancy, dyslexia/dyscalculia services and more recently have become an ADHD coaching centre.

The business which began in 2018, is based in Eckington and covers North East Derbyshire, Sheffield and Rotherham.

(*customised support for students needing a flexible environment.)

Challenges faced

Throughout the pandemic there were many new entrants into the market setting up tuition businesses but luckily with a strong reputation, Learn to Shine Education was able to maintain its customer base. In fact, the business has grown.

However, because of this additional competition, often offering cheaper rates, the business has not raised its prices even though all its own costs including taxes, energy bills and rates have increased. This has put extra pressure on managing the business and cashflow.

Recruiting the right staff can be a challenge too with larger companies offering various ways of working which suit some people better, however, staff turnover is low which is a positive for the business.

Most crucially it has not been easy for Learn to Shine Education to scale up. There’s been a lack of knowledge of how to expand online, competition from others and difficulties in finding the right contacts for new premises and local authority contacts.

Solution – Support Given

Learn to Shine Education has been supported by the Accelerator project and East Midlands Chamber Business Adviser, Richard Crowden. Richard has worked with Managing Director and Principal Teacher, Katie McDonough on a one-to-one basis to review where the business is now and where it wants to be.

Richard provided guidance with its application for a £2,000 Accelerator Growth Voucher which has funded specialist consultancy services for SEO and enhancing its website. The consultancy has also helped to create new online education modules which can be sold via the website and created a process manual so the site can be updated internally.

In addition to this support, the team have attended a number of Accelerator workshops to enhance knowledge and build their own skills. This includes HR Essentials, Using AI for SEO, the One-hour Google Ads Course, Introduction to Marketing AI and ChatGPT and Getting Started with Monthly Accounts.

Impact - The Difference it’s Made

The support has allowed Learn to Shine Education to understand HR processes and SEO better. The consultancy work has helped the business be found by the right kind of customers, increasing its visibility and ensuring it is ranking above competitors.

Katie estimates that they have saved around five hours per week improving efficiency and productivity, not to mention the many hours of stress/energy saved!

“The support has been imperative to our business. We have learned so much through the workshops and are excited to join more in the future. I have every confidence that our next steps will be supported just as well.”

- Katie McDonough, Managing Director

Read the full Case Study