Good Growth - Burnley
This four-month programme is designed for ambitious Burnley business leaders, looking to grow their businesses in a way that enhances both people and planet.
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About the Programme
Businesses do not operate in isolation to their surroundings, their growth strategy will determine the impact they have on their employees, their communities, and the environment. It is widely accepted that when organisations consider their purpose and responsibility, they generate both social and business value that enables them to thrive. Understanding the dynamics involved and being able to baseline and measure them, are critical when creating and implementing any growth plans.
This programme, underpinned by world-leading research produced by Lancaster University Management School, will develop business leaders so they can implement 'Good Growth' strategies within their organisations, paving the way for long-term success through sustainable growth.
Designed for senior decision makers from Burnley-based business from all sectors. This programme would suit businesses with 5+ employees.
This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Good Growth programme is designed and delivered by Lancaster University as part of the Lancashire Universities Innovation Programme in partnership with Burnley Council.
Supported by Boost; Lancashire's Business Growth Hub.
Start Date: 20th November 2025
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Benefits to Business
The design of the programme utilises our extensive expertise and success over the last 20 years, of facilitating change and transformation of businesses. You will be introduced to the ‘Good Dividends’ framework and digital tools, underpinned by Management School research, that will enable you to create and implement a ‘Good Growth’ plan in your business.
Purpose
Assess how each dimension of your business is contributing towards your purpose. Create a baseline you can build on and measure growth against
Explore
Explore and consider how your business practices can contribute to solving local and global challenges
Build
Build a 'Good Growth' action plan with clear objectives to generate positive outcomes for both people and place, inside and outside your organisation
Reflect
Reflect on your leadership practices and how this will influence the impact of your action plan amongst your team members
Enhance
Enhance long-term business value, by developing a clear, purpose driven strategy
Establish
Build a valuable peer network to share fresh and impartial perspectives as you move forward
Professor Steve Kempster, Lancaster University Management School
"Good growth is critical to business. It is about increasing turnover and profit, but doing this in a sustainable way that enhances relationships with partners, suppliers, customers, employees and indeed the place of business – our communities. It is not about growth at any cost that could damage others. This is not just an ethical approach but research confirms that those businesses that have a sustainable growth strategy over a number of years outperform their competitors."
What's Involved?
Delivered over 4 months, the programme includes 4 full-day, in-person workshop sessions. Throughout the programme you will work collaboratively with a trusted group of SME leaders to share challenges and find solutions. The programme culminates with a 'Good Growth Catapult'
Establishing Growth Objectives
Clarify your business purpose and assess how well each area of your business is contributing to it, so you can establish your growth objectives.
Framing Action
Now you have a baseline to measure growth against, our academic expertise will facilitate a session to help you identify how you can realise your growth objectives.
Designing Growth Measures
Get specific on how you can benchmark progress in your business so you can maintain momentum and achieve results.
Reviewing Action
Reflect on your experiences implementing your growth plans in your business with your peers and explore solutions to challenges faced.
Good Growth Alliance Summit
Participants, academics and guests of the businesses involved, will be invited to attend a final summit, to review & present action plans, explore opportunities and share your next steps both individually and collectively through the established non-exec boards.
Timetable
Activation
20th November 2025 | 9am - 4.30pm at Burnley Football Club
The Burnley Good Growth Programme begins with an activation session. Our expert facilitators will introduce you to key concepts from the Good Growth Model. This activation process forms the foundation for the programme whilst building a supportive peer network for sharing challenges and ideas. During this session we will explore the Good Growth model and introduce the on-line portal through which we will develop our strategic plan for growth. The initial session revolves around the fundamental concept of ‘Purpose’ from which you develop subsequent strategic objectives, measures and actions.
Establishing Growth Objectives
4th December 2025 | 9am - 4.30pm at Burnley Football Club
In this workshop you will develop your Good Growth objectives and develop KPIs to create your individual plan on a page. The emerging objectives and needs of each business will enable us to form an expert panel of academics for the following session.
Innovative Action
15th January 2026 | 9am - 4.30pm at Lancaster University
Today you will explore how you can work with the University. We will set up a carousel of Academic/Participant meetings to discuss your evolving Plan-on-a-page. During the afternoon you will have a short tour of the University facilities and the opportunity to work on refining your plan in preparation for the subsequent Catapult event.
Good Growth Catapult
12th February 2026 | 9am - 4.30pm at Lancaster University
At the catapult event each business will present their Plan-on-a-Page to a small group of stakeholders from their own business, local policy makers and academic and professional services teams. We will round-off the event by sign-posting further opportunities for ongoing collaborations with the University.
Mick Gornall, Managing Director at Towers + Gornall
"Participating in the programme has been a game changer. It has re-invigorated our business mindset and has completely changed how we approach growth as a strategy. Profit is no longer the only focus."
Costs & Eligibility
This programme is fully funded and available to businesses who are eligible under the Shared Prosperity Funding criteria, as follows:
- Businesses registered in the Burnley Council local authority
- Received less than £315,000 of subsidies in the last 3 years
Find out more about how and why Lancaster University and our funding bodies holds your information.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
