LDA gives Design London green light for lessons in design for capital’s businesses

The LDA announced that a consortium of Design London and Grant Thornton UK LLP has won the bid to deliver the pioneering Designing Demand programme and complementary services for businesses in the capital.

Design in the capital received a major boost today with the announcement that the London Development Agency (LDA) will be launching a £3.5m design support programme in the summer for London’s aspiring small businesses.

This venture combines Grant Thornton’s business expertise, knowledge of the SME market and strong investor networks with Design London’s excellence in design, business and research. Together they will go beyond the remit of Designing Demand to develop a sustainable resource of design support that will help London’s businesses excel.

 Nick Leon, Director of Design London, said,

 “This partnership puts design led innovation centre stage for small and medium sized businesses, transforming business performance, enhancing skills and contributing to the economic resurgence of key sectors and communities. Design London brings a unique combination of creativity, technological expertise, and business acumen – represented by each of the partners - to the Designing Demand programme.”

 Designing Demand was developed by the Design Council and is delivered nationally by the regional development agencies. It shows business leaders how design can turn ideas and technologies into profitable products, services and brands. The consortium will offer an extended programme of design support by capitalising on their strengths and tailoring new services for business based on their executive development courses and associated facilities such as rapid prototyping and technology labs.

 Ends

 Notes to Editors

• The London Development Agency is the Regional Development Agency responsible for the sustainable economic development of London.

• Design London was established by lead partner The Royal College of Art with Imperial College London in 2007, supported by £5.8 million backing from funding bodies HEFCE and NESTA.  The venture combines creativity and expertise in design from the Royal College of Art, engineering from Imperial College's Faculty of Engineering and the business of innovation from Imperial College's Tanaka Business School. Established following the Cox Review, Design London has four main pillars: creating new teaching programmes, conducting top-level research, incubating new business ideas and pioneering the next generation of innovation technology.

• Grant Thornton UK LLP is a leading financial and business adviser with 31 offices nationwide. We are the UK member of Grant Thornton International, one of the world's leading organisations of independently owned and managed accounting and consulting firms providing assurance, tax and specialist business advice to privately held businesses and public interest entities.  The strength of each local firm is reflected in the quality of the international organisation. All Grant Thornton International member firms share a commitment to providing the same high quality service to their clients wherever they choose to do business.

• The Design Council is the UK’s national strategic body for design. It aims to strengthen and support the economy and society by demonstrating and promoting the vital role of design in making businesses more competitive and public services more effective. www.designcouncil.org.uk

• Designing Demand is a national design support programme developed by the Design Council and delivered by regional development agencies. It came as a result of the extensive Cox Review of Creativity in Business, published in December 2005, which emphasised that Britain needed to move beyond low-cost manufacture and up the value chain in order to continue to compete globally. One of the key recommendations was for a national programme that helped SMEs understand how creativity and design can boost innovation. www.designingdemand.org.uk

Designing Demand has developed four strands to meet business demands:

• Designing Demand Workshops: fast-paced and practical one-day workshops showing SMEs what design investment could do for them.
• Designing Demand Generate: a support service to help both established businesses and start-ups identify the right design project for their needs and take it forward.
• Designing Demand Innovate: an intensive support service helping early-stage technology ventures use design to commercialise new technology.
• Designing Demand Immerse: an intensive strategic service for mature businesses, helping them embed design to tackle core business issues and make a lasting impact on performance through up to 18 months of direct support