Growth
Works.

A £25 million publicly-funded business growth programme in its final year — underperforming, disengaged and losing community trust. We rebuilt the brand, repositioned the messaging and turned the entire programme around in twelve months.

116%Of job creation target delivered

6,376Jobs created vs 5,486 planned

£507mNPV GVA projected impact

£24.40Return per £1 invested

The Challenge

A programme with potential — and a brand that wasn't delivering it.

Growth Works was a £25 million publicly-funded, commercially-delivered business growth service operating across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Its mission was to support high-growth potential start-ups and innovative businesses to scale, create jobs and attract inward investment.

Despite the ambition, by its final year the programme faced low community engagement, a fragmented brand identity, inconsistent messaging and underperformance against its core targets. There was a real risk of the programme ending without meeting its contractual obligations — and without leaving the lasting legacy it was designed to create.

Our Approach

Strategic brand intervention — fast.

We acted as the external Brand and Marketing Lead, repositioning Growth Works from a transactional outreach operation into a trusted, relationship-led entrepreneur network. The strategy focused on four areas:

Brand Refinement

Reworked brand assets and visual consistency. Shifted tone from transactional to relationship-focused. Highlighted success stories and human impact to rebuild trust.

Marketing Optimisation

Developed targeted campaigns to reach high-potential businesses. Streamlined communications across channels. Produced content that reflected real-world business impact.

Community Building

Shifted focus from isolated outreach to fostering an entrepreneur network. Encouraged peer-to-peer connections through events, online content and referrals.

Operational Alignment

Aligned marketing timelines with service delivery cycles for maximum conversion. Supported internal teams with tools and templates for consistent brand use.

The Results

The programme didn't just recover — it over-delivered.

116% of job creation target achieved — 6,376 jobs delivered versus 5,486 planned
£507m NPV GVA projected impact over three years — a return of £24.40 for every £1 invested
Performance "significantly ramped up towards the end of the final year" — as noted in the official programme evaluation report
Increased business engagement through improved messaging and network-building
Delivered a strong final-year performance that exceeded all expectations

"Growth Works began as a fragmented, underperforming programme. By the end of our involvement, it had become a recognised, trusted and well-connected growth service for the region — leaving a lasting legacy for business support in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough."

Jennifer McNamara, BMO Brand Building

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Growth
Works.

A programme with potential — and a brand that wasn't delivering it.