The Talent and Innovation programme has been delivered by The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University over a number of years, through a successful ongoing partnership supporting businesses across Nottingham City to improve innovation, productivity and skills.
Through the programme, businesses have been able to access a combination of financial support, technical expertise and opportunities to engage with talented students and graduates. Support has included Talent Grants, Technical Innovation Vouchers and innovation-focused workshops, enabling businesses to access expertise and resources from across both universities. Most recently, the program was funded by Nottingham City Council and East Midlands Combined County Authority from 2024-2026, which delivered support to over 100 businesses, delivering a clear financial and societal benefit to Nottingham Businesses and their communities.
Talent Grants
Talent Grants provided Nottingham City-based organisations with funding to promote and develop innovation within their businesses, including innovative practices, products and services enabled through new or innovative roles.
Businesses received a £2,000 grant to subsidise the recruitment of a student or graduate for a minimum eight-week period and included access to opportunities to engage with students and graduates regarding these roles from both the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University. This approach encourages the generation of skilled jobs and retention of graduates within the Nottingham region.
Technical Innovation Vouchers
Technical Innovation Vouchers enabled Nottingham City businesses to access up to £5,000 of specialist technical support through Nottingham Universities’ Technical Innovation Centres of Excellence. Businesses were able to access expertise across a wide range of disciplines, including: the Food Innovation Centre, Chemistry Innovation Laboratory, Institute for Aerospace Technology, Design Matters, Precision Manufacturing Centre, Virtual and Immersive Production Studio, UNIEI & UNIP.
The programme provided businesses with a route into the expertise, facilities and talent available across both Nottingham universities, helping to turn ideas into practical innovation and supporting businesses to develop new products, services, processes and capabilities.
The success of the Talent and Innovation Programme demonstrates the value of sustained collaboration between the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University and the Nottingham business community, creating opportunities for businesses to access university expertise and talent that might otherwise be difficult to reach.
For more information about the programme and future opportunities to work with the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, please email the project team at talentandinnovation@nottingham.ac.uk.
This project was funded by Nottingham City Council (2024-2025), East Midlands Combined County Authority (2025-2026) and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund
