Driving Business Success and Economic Growth Across West Yorkshire

The Northern Max Accelerator programme, part of the AD:VENTURE initiative (previously funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)), was launched in 2017. This programme was designed to assist early-stage digital and tech-focused businesses (under three years old) in the Bradford region with overcoming common hurdles and challenges to growth. In 2024, with new funding from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the programme expanded its support to trading businesses in both Bradford and Leeds. Over the years, Northern Max has achieved significant milestones, supporting the growth of numerous businesses.

Greenborough Management has proudly delivered the Northern Max programme for six consecutive years, providing essential support to a wide array of ambitious businesses. Russell Copley, the founder of Greenborough, remarked, “The impact of this programme across the region has been undeniable. Feedback from businesses across all cohorts highlights that the support they received was crucial, and the relationships and collaborations formed have been integral to their success.”

In 2018, when Greenborough Management was awarded the programme delivery, they introduced their innovative 10×10 programme within their tender application. Designed by Russell Copley and Michelle Davis, the 10×10 programme addresses common challenges faced by early-stage businesses. Speaking about its introduction to Northern Max delegates, Michelle Davis explained, “The formula we created with 10×10 speaks to the needs of growing businesses. The workshops encourage conversations within the group, meaning they take away more than what’s discussed in that one session. The sequence and delivery of every element of the programme has been designed to offer businesses a greater chance of accessing funding, growing organically, and achieving their goals.”

Over the past six years, Greenborough has supported 132 businesses through the Northern Max programme, with an additional 18 businesses supported through a “lite” scheme as they weren’t fully eligible for the full programme. Through extensive feedback and data analysis, Greenborough estimates that these businesses have contributed approximately £10.5m to local economy, with 60% of businesses still trading at an average of £75k per annum in 2024.

However, the journey for early-stage businesses is fraught with challenges, particularly in securing funding and achieving growth. Despite these challenges, more than 60% of the businesses supported by Greenborough are still trading, with 78% of these noting significant growth since completing the programme.

Speaking as an example of the programme’s impact is from Nick Hird, co-founder of ViDrate, a company from the 2022 cohort that creates natural, healthy hydration solutions. Nick shared, “The Northern Max programme was an invaluable experience. It equipped me with key skills to navigate the often lonely and daunting world of business, and the network we were able to build has been a huge bonus in how it contributed to ViDrate’s success.”

When ViDrate joined the Northern Max programme, the company was around 3 years old, although the directors had only been solely working in the business for around 12 months. Nick expresses, “At this point we were finding our feet and selling direct to consumer via our website. Although we had a tested product, we still needed direction. Now, ViDrate is on the shelves of some of the biggest retailers in the UK, online sales are increasing month on month and have almost 10,000 monthly subscribers. We are an Amazon ‘best seller’ among many categories, and we are exporting our products to around 10 countries worldwide.”

During the 2022 Northern Max cohort, ViDrate employed 3 members of staff. Now, they have 11 full time team members, and a similar number part time plus various consultants. The business’s turnover has also increased by an impressive 1500%.

Speaking on the overall experience, Nick mentioned, “The network has been great, and I still speak to many of the people from the programme. I also loved coming back as a Judge and Mentor in 2024! I personally think that time management is a huge issue starting a business and the thought of 10 x away days is daunting. But the value was, and has been huge to me and people should genuinely ensure they find the time (and do it properly to maximise the benefit).”

The Northern Max Accelerator programme has proven to be a vital resource for early-stage businesses in the Bradford and Leeds regions. With continued support from Greenborough Management and the chosen programme mentors, Northern Max has not only driven economic contributions but has also fostered significant business growth and success.

Colin Glass OBE, successful business owner and experienced mentor has offered his time to Northern Max delegates since the programme began says, “Northern Max is a brilliant programme for businesses. It’s great to see the changes business owners go through during the programme, and we always keep in touch.”