PRACTICAL support is being offered over two days to help businesses make the most of their commercial, innovation and entrepreneurial capabilities.

Innovation Workshops, by PAPI- Product and Process Innovation, are moving online from May to support businesses during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond.

The workshops are available to small to medium-sized businesses in the Leeds City Region and are fully-funded, making them free to attend.

They will provide practically-focused support from business coach Dr Jo North, of The Big Bang Partnership.

Participating businesses will receive expert coaching and support to develop a personalised innovation plan.

Businesses from all sectors in the Leeds City Region which ncludes York, Selby, and Harrogate, are welcome to register to attend.

PAPI is a grants scheme managed by the University of York and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

PAPI online innovation workshops are two days of activity via Zoom (the free-to-use video conferencing tool).

Day one is May 5 and is held again on May 13. This will focus on business growth advice, support and expertise specific to each business via one-to-one and small group sessions online.

Day two happens via a series of short online sessions across the week of May 18.

This will be a practical, tailored session on topics such as finance and cash flow, when and how to pivot, making good decisions in difficult circumstances, and more.

These sessions will be designed around feedback from day one attendees.

Demand is expected to be high for workshop places.

Anyone interested is being urged to apply quickly at https://leeds.papi.org.uk/innovation-workshops/

For more information, contact papi-innovation@york.ac.uk.

Previous workshop delegate, Michelle Brown, from Wild Things Family Forest School said: "If you ever chance to be a delegate on the PAPI Innovation Workshop, I would strongly recommend it, I have had access to lots of new tools, masses of inspiration and so much energy to take my business forward."