Skills Development

Through our skills development service, we help organisations and individuals to identify gaps in skills and knowledge and to formulate a development plan based on these audits. With many years of experience in educational and management roles, we can provide learning opportunities to develop through coaching, mentoring and training. We have worked with a range of organisations in the agri-food, research and education sectors to enhance the leadership, business and technical skills among their teams. We also work with young people in rural areas to deliver personalised learning programmes and skills development opportunities on a one-to-one, small group or remote learning basis.

Funding Applications

With over twenty years’ experience in the applied R&D sector we have the skills and experience to develop and write technical documents in support of funding bids, competitions or competitive tenders.

Successful grant funding applications can be prepared for small and large grants from Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP), local authorities, Trusts or Charity organisations as well as for major UK funding sources such as Innovate UK (the UK’s innovation agency) and Research Councils UK (the strategic partnership of the UK’s seven Research Councils).

In addition to writing grant applications, we have written technical responses and financial proposals to secure funding for the delivery of service contracts and for business improvement projects.

Project Management

As experienced project managers, we have worked on a diverse range of activities from long-term strategic projects to smaller one-off projects, covering all aspects of business development, marketing, operations, research, consultancy, and training.

No matter what size the project is, we recognise that improved service delivery and organisational growth is best generated from projects that deliver against specific business goals and outcomes. To this end we provide a customised service that helps businesses to define their project needs.

We then work through the complete project lifecycle covering its planning, leadership, stakeholder management, staff development, delivery and performance management. We ensure that projects are delivered to time, cost and the required standard.

Technical Writing

Having worked in research and knowledge transfer in the Agri-food and Environment & Health fields for many years we are experienced technical writers. 

We have written published scientific papers, book chapters, literature reviews, project reports, technical manuals, guidance and policy documents, training materials, continual improvement plans, and applications for funding.

Through our services, we can translate complex technical information for a range of audiences. We will produce clear, concise and well-informed material that explains concepts and presents analyses in a readable and digestible form. We can produce copy for print publications, internal documents, online documentation, websites, and presentations.

Analysis and Advice

Having worked in scientific research and regulatory organisations, and the education sector for over 20 years, we are well versed in collecting data and information, scrutinising and interpreting them, to make well-formed conclusions.

We can help businesses and organisations to make decisions that lead to growth by providing independent, expert advice that is based on rigorous analysis and interpretation.

Our areas of expertise lie in the biosciences, specifically around Agri-food, and Environment & Health risk analysis, as well as in the education sector. Our breadth of experience as leaders and managers mean that we are able to provide customised and professional advice around business strategy and planning, funding applications, learning and training, and project management.

Interim Management

With experience of senior and Executive management in a leading plant science research organisation, including nearly 6 years as Operations Director, John brings a wealth of senior executive and Board level experience to this service. We are able to provide independent and effective business solutions, up to Board level, that may include change, transformation and turnaround management, business improvement, crisis management and strategy development.

Importantly, this service goes beyond the investigation, analysis and provision of expert advice delivered through short term consultancy; it also focuses on translating that advice into action and delivering results for clients. In other words, the emphasis is on practical implementation of the advice provided. This function particularly suits John’s skill set as an experienced Executive with strong operations management capability. Our primary focus would be to assist research and innovation-led organisations to raise business performance through improved strategic and operational delivery.