Help To Grow with UWS: Chamber Endorses Growth Management programme for SMEs with next Cohort starting 29th October 2025.

The team at Renfrewshire Chamber are encouraging ambitious SMEs to sign up with UWS for their fully funded management programme: Help To Grow.

The Help to Grow: Management (H2GM) programme has been designed for SME business leaders and senior decision-makers, to give you tailored advice that will help you grow your business, develop your brand, better understand customer needs, identify new opportunities, and enhance your competitive edge.

The programme is valued at £7,500 and UK Government covers 90% of the costs, but aware of ongoing challenges for businesses, UWS are offering an exclusive additional 10% bursary to remove any barriers for anyone looking to take part. If you were to put two people through the programme, both would be covered by this bursary. There is no application needed for the bursary; our H2GM-delivery team will organise the funding behind the scenes. 

Chamber CEO Bob Grant said “Help to Grow with UWS is a brilliant opportunity for you to upskill and build foundations of your future business success. With industry experts from the UWS team delivering the 12-week programme places are filling up quickly and we would encourage all our members to explore this fully funded opportunity.”

The criteria are that leaders and senior management from SME businesses that have been operating for over a year and employ at least 5 employees (this includes part-time members of staff to make the 5) are eligible for the programme.

If you employ 5-9 employees and less than 249, you can put one employee forward for the programme. 

If you employ 10 or more employees and less than 249, you may put two employees forward for the programme. 

Please note that the bursary will apply to both participants. 

The course is delivered with hybrid model over the 12 weeks:

Induction and weeks 1, 3, 6, 9 & 12 will take place at the Paisley campus. These sessions last around 4 hours (usually 1-5pm),

Weeks 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 & 11 will take place online via Zoom – these sessions last 2 hours (usually 1-3pm).

In addition to the workshops, there are optional online peer group sessions which run on the same weeks as the online workshops. The groups last for one hour, and also take place on Zoom. While not mandatory, UWS receive continued feedback from participants that they find these sessions really helpful as it is a chance to discuss the content, share problems and ideas and get feedback from one another. Additionally, there are 10 hours of 1-2-1 mentoring support where you select the mentor of your choice to support you at a time that suits both you and your chosen mentor

About the Programme

To qualify businesses should:

• Be a small or medium sized enterprise (SME) based in the UK.
• Be registered as a Private Limited Company
• Employ between 5 and 249 people
• Have been operational for at least one year
• Not be a charity

Participants should:

• Be a chief executive, owner /founder or hold a senior management role.
• Have at least one direct report
• Commit to completing all sessions.

To register your initial interest and more information please contact us on 0141 847 5450 or contact our team Jill Carrino jcarrino@renfrewshirechamber.com or Stuart Murray smurray@renfrewshirechamber.com

Alternatively, email info@renfrewshirechamber.com