Sci-Tech Daresbury has announced the strategic partner organisations which will enhance business support services for high-tech SMEs based on the site.

DWF, Dow Schofield Watts, Grant Thornton, IBM, Inventya, Marks & Clerk and the University of Liverpool have been named as Sci-Tech Daresbury’s “Gold Partners” for the period 2015 to 2016.

The Gold Partners are a select group of partner companies which offer high-level strategic support for Sci-Tech Daresbury companies in areas such as intellectual property, financial and tax management, corporate finance & funding, legal services, technology commercialisation, scientific research and cloud solutions.

The seven Gold Partners include Dow Schofield Watts, which provides expertise in corporate finance, fundraising & company sales and DWF providing legal expertise in areas such as employment, corporate fundraising options, data protection and other compliance.

The partners will provide the 100 SMEs based at the science and innovation site with access to specialist skills and advice through events, roundtable seminars and one to one advice.

John Downes, Managing Director of Langtree and member of the Sci-Tech Daresbury joint venture board, said:

“The high-growth SMEs we have here require the highest quality expertise and business advice from a range of professionals.

“Sci-Tech Daresbury’s Gold Partner scheme addresses needs in areas such as strategic development, finance and taxation, IP management and attracting investment. We are delighted to have the seven Gold Partners on board, a number of whom have been working with us on this programme for a number of years. We’re confident that their varied areas of expertise will prove hugely valuable to the SMEs on site.”

The Gold Partner programme is one of several benefits open to science and technology businesses that start up or relocate to Sci-Tech Daresbury, along with access to a wide-range of opportunities and expertise, including access to markets and key customers, business collaborations, funding and investment, and key skills through the Sci-Tech Daresbury network.

Sci-Tech Daresbury has also achieved Enterprise Zone status, which allows business rates to be reinvested in the site to provide important new support infrastructure and specialist office, laboratory and technical space.

 Each partner will offer specialist expertise:

• Dow Schofield Watts deliver real value and guidance to motivated companies with aspirations for growth. Our expert team provides complete corporate finance advice covering; fundraising, investment, exit strategy, company sales, company acquisitions and due diligence together.  In addition to corporate finance, the wider firm also covers specialist advisory services including VAT, Forensic Accounting and Corporate Recovery.
• DWF will provide legal services focusing on employment, corporate fundraising options, commercial routes to market, data protection and other compliance,  commercialisation and enforcement of intellectual property, tax savings for SME’s, private client and wealth management, disputes, contracting and procuring intelligently.
• Grant Thornton’s dedicated technology and innovation practice has an enviable track record of working with successful and dynamic companies, at all stages of their business life cycle, and will advise SMEs on site to help them realise their ambitions for growth through areas including audit and tax advice, financial planning and commercialisation of intellectual property.
• IBM will support businesses that are part of the wider Daresbury community to extend their reach and opportunity for establishing contacts and increase sales of their products and solutions to as wide an audience as possible. IBM will ensure its solutions, services and cloud offerings are available to SME organisations to assist them in achieving these goals.
• Inventya is a leading Innovation Consultancy specialising in Science, Engineering and Technology sectors. We assist companies in three main areas; Market Research, Innovation Management and Finance. More specifically our activities range from commercial viability studies and market entry strategies to market-oriented due diligence and to raise UK and European funding. Via its activities Inventya helps to reduce risk and optimise investment during the new product or service commercialisation process. Inventya is also a delivery partner in the Enterprise Europe Network, providing free business support to help businesses find international business partners, funding and to succeed in new markets.
• Marks & Clerk, patent and trade mark attorneys, will provide companies with intellectual property advice: identifying, protecting and defending their innovations and brands both in the UK and globally.
• The University of Liverpool is one of the UK’s leading research institutions with an annual turnover of £410 million, including £150 million for research.  Liverpool is ranked in the top 1% of higher education institutions worldwide and is a member of the Russell Group.