Enterprising Cumbria
Enterprising Cumbria is a publicly-funded economic development organisation, jointly resourced by Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness Councils, that delivers free business growth, employment support, skills training, and net zero programmes to SMEs and individuals across Cumbria.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersCumbria, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Enterprising Cumbria does
Enterprising Cumbria is a publicly-funded economic development organisation headquartered in Penrith, Cumbria, that supports businesses, individuals, and place-based initiatives across the county. The organisation was launched on 3 June 2024 as the successor to the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (originally established in 2012) and is jointly resourced by Cumberland Council and Westmorland & Furness Council. Its delivery remit spans business growth advisory, employment support, skills training, net zero transition, careers information, and major place-based campaigns such as Barrow100.
The organisation runs a portfolio of named programmes: the Cumbria Accelerator provides growth advisory to SMEs; Connect to Work is a five-year DWP-funded contract (approximately £10 million total) targeting 3,000 participants into employment; Skills Bootcamps has reached 1,000 learners across digital, construction, and net zero pathways; Barrow100 supports 100 businesses in Barrow-in-Furness tied to defence and nuclear capital programmes; and the Cumbria Careers Hub delivers schools-facing careers information. Additional capacity is delivered through partnerships with the North West Net Zero Hub, the Department for Business and Trade, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and the UK Government's Business Growth Service, for which Enterprising Cumbria is the named regional delivery partner.
The business model is grant- and contract-funded rather than commercial: services to eligible businesses and individuals are provided free of charge, with revenue derived from the two unitary councils and a growing pipeline of central government contracts and funds. A 17-member board — including senior representation from Sellafield, BAE Systems, and the University of Cumbria — provides regional strategic oversight. Following its accession to the Cumbria Combined Authority in May 2026, the organisation is structurally embedded within the county's devolved governance framework and the Going for Growth economic strategy.
Enterprising Cumbria firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Enterprising Cumbria
- Legal name
- Enterprising Cumbria
- Website
- https://enterprisingcumbria.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Enterprising Cumbria is a publicly-funded economic development organisation, jointly resourced by Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness Councils, that delivers free business growth, employment support, skills training, and net zero programmes to SMEs and individuals across Cumbria.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Enterprising Cumbria industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Economic Development Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills) (EDAJAKAG)
Keywords
Where Enterprising Cumbria is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cumbria
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Enterprising Cumbria business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Government Funding: Enterprising Cumbria is funded by Cumberland Council and Westmorland & Furness Council to deliver economic development services across Cumbria. Additional funding comes from Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Business and Trade, and UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
- Connect to Work Programme: Nearly £10 million contract over five years from DWP to deliver supported employment to eligible participants across Cumbria through Inspira partnership.
- Cumbria Accelerator Programme: Fully funded business support programme for local businesses and pre-starts, funded by UK Government through UK Shared Prosperity Fund, providing free advice, mentoring and access to funding.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One time | Free business support for Barrow businesses and residents |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Enterprising Cumbria product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Enterprising Cumbria is a publicly-funded economic development delivery body that provides free business growth support, employment support, skills training, and clean energy/decarbonisation services to businesses and individuals across Cumbria, UK. Its core programmes include Cumbria Accelerator (one-to-one business advice and mentoring), Cumbria Connect to Work (employment support for those facing barriers to work), Skills Bootcamps (vocational training), Net Zero support, and the Careers Hub. Services are free to eligible participants and funded by Cumberland Council, Westmorland & Furness Council, and UK government programmes.
Product overview
Enterprising Cumbria operates as an economic development delivery body offering a portfolio of interconnected programmes. The core offerings include Cumbria Accelerator (business growth and innovation support), Cumbria Connect to Work (employment support), and Skills Bootcamps (vocational training). These are complemented by specialized initiatives such as Barrow100 (targeted Barrow business support), Net Zero/Decarbonisation services, the Careers Hub (careers education), and the Going for Growth Strategy initiative. The organisation also delivers workshops like the AI & Digital Productivity Masterclass and Finances Made Easy. Services are primarily funded through government programmes including UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Department for Work & Pensions, and the North West Net Zero Hub.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cumbria Accelerator: Business Support Programme A fully funded business growth and innovation programme providing one-to-one advice, mentoring, and support for start-ups and growing enterprises across Cumbria, including access to a £500 pre-start grant for new businesses.
- Cumbria Connect to Work An employment support programme helping people across Cumbria facing barriers to work, offering up to 12 months of supported employment including personalized job matching, training, and ongoing coaching, delivered in partnership with Inspira and local councils.
- Skills Bootcamps Flexible, government-backed training programmes offering free skills training for adults (19+), with courses in areas like HGV driving, construction, digital, and land-based sectors, subsidized up to 90% for small employers.
- Barrow100 Business Support Campaign A targeted campaign supporting 100 businesses in Barrow-in-Furness with free expert advice, resources, and practical support to address challenges in recruitment, retention, productivity, and innovation.
- Net Zero and Decarbonisation Support Clean energy and decarbonisation support services including carbon audits, green finance facilitation, business decarbonisation planning, and initiatives funded through the North West Net Zero Hub.
- Cumbria Careers Hub A careers education initiative connecting schools and employers across Cumbria, providing resources, toolkits, and events to help young people understand career opportunities and develop essential employability skills.
- AI & Digital Productivity Masterclass An interactive workshop teaching businesses how to use AI and digital tools to reduce overwhelm, automate repetitive tasks, and streamline daily operations using tools already in use.
- Finances Made Easy Workshop A practical, jargon-free online workshop showing small business owners how to manage finances using a simple six-step weekly routine in just 90 minutes, delivered by Windmill BTS Ltd.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,000 learners reached through Skills Bootcamp Programme
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Enterprising Cumbria
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Enterprising Cumbria technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Enterprising Cumbria partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- InspiracoreInspira appointed as Service Co-ordinator for the £10 million Connect to Work programme, working closely with Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness Councils through Enterprising Cumbria to deliver supported employment to 3,000 people across Cumbria. Inspira has 25 years of experience in employment support programmes.
- UK Government Business Growth ServicecoreEnterprising Cumbria named as regional delivery partner for the UK Government's new Business Growth Service, part of the Backing Your Business national economic plan to support SMEs.
- North West Net Zero HubcoreEnterprising Cumbria Net Zero team is funded by the North West Net Zero Hub, one of five regional hubs covering England, funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The hub promotes investment in local energy and decarbonisation projects.
- Cumberland CouncilcoreOne of two unitary councils supporting Enterprising Cumbria. Council leader Cllr Mark Fryer supports economic development initiatives. Enterprising Cumbria formally joined Cumbria Combined Authority to support county's future growth.
- Westmorland and Furness CouncilcoreOne of two unitary councils supporting Enterprising Cumbria. Council leader Cllr Jonathan Brook supports economic development initiatives. Council involved in Connect to Work delivery and devolution priority programme.
- Liz HardwickminorDigital Productivity Specialist delivered AI and Digital Productivity Masterclass workshop for Enterprising Cumbria to help businesses work smarter using modern technology.
- North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation TrustminorNCIC collaborated with Cumbria Careers Hub to develop a careers toolkit inspiring students to explore Allied Health Professions careers, including PowerPoint presentations, lesson plans and teaching resources.
- Kendal CollegeminorCollaborated with Cumbria Tourism and Kendal College to deliver Food Technology event for Year 11 students, hosting over 40 students from five South Lakes secondary schools.
- Cumbria TourismminorPartnered with Cumbria Tourism and Kendal College for culinary careers event promoting hospitality industry opportunities to students.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Enterprising Cumbria competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Be the Business: UK-wide, government-backed business productivity and growth advisory organisation providing SME business improvement programmes and peer networks. Same business advisory/peer-learning model as Enterprising Cumbria's Cumbria Accelerator, but operating at national rather than regional scale.
- Federation of Small Businesses: UK-wide membership organisation providing business advice, support and lobbying for small businesses. Comparable business advisory and SME advocacy functions but at a national scale; offers policy influence that Enterprising Cumbria cannot replicate directly.
Direct peers
- Inspira: UK social enterprise delivering employment support, careers guidance and personal development services, and is Enterprising Cumbria's Service Co-ordinator for the £10m Connect to Work contract. Closest functional peer on the employment/skills side, with ~25 years of comparable delivery experience.
- Business Durham: Local economic development and business support organisation covering County Durham, providing business advisory, growth programmes and access to funding. Highly comparable functional model to Enterprising Cumbria in an adjacent North East geography.
- Cumbria Chamber of Commerce: Local business membership and support organisation covering the same Cumbria geography, offering networking, business advice and advocacy to Cumbrian SMEs. Directly comparable in customer base (Cumbrian businesses) and core offering (advisory, events, training connections).
Regional players
- Tees Valley Combined Authority: Combined authority with statutory economic development, skills and growth responsibilities covering Tees Valley. Comparable in remit (publicly-funded economic development and skills) but serves a different North East region with combined-authority (not two-council) structure.
- Greater Manchester Growth Company: Combined-authority-backed economic development, inward investment and business growth agency covering Greater Manchester. Comparable publicly-funded economic development remit but operating in a different, larger metropolitan region.
- Lancashire Skills and Growth Hub: Lancashire-focused skills and business growth advisory service providing training, bootcamp-style programmes and growth support to SMEs. Closely comparable Skills Bootcamps and employer engagement model; operates in an adjacent North West geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Enterprising Cumbria social profiles
Digital presenceEnterprising Cumbria financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Enterprising Cumbria leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Enterprising Cumbria funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Enterprising Cumbria M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Enterprising Cumbria
What does Enterprising Cumbria do?
Enterprising Cumbria is a publicly-funded economic development delivery body that provides free business growth support, employment support, skills training, and clean energy/decarbonisation services to businesses and individuals across Cumbria, UK. Its core programmes include Cumbria Accelerator (one-to-one business advice and mentoring), Cumbria Connect to Work (employment support for those facing barriers to work), Skills Bootcamps (vocational training), Net Zero support, and the Careers Hub. Services are free to eligible participants and funded by Cumberland Council, Westmorland & Furness Council, and UK government programmes.
Is Enterprising Cumbria a public or private company?
Enterprising Cumbria is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Enterprising Cumbria founded?
Enterprising Cumbria was founded in 2024. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Enterprising Cumbria based?
Enterprising Cumbria is headquartered in Cumbria, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Enterprising Cumbria make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are connect to Work Programme and cumbria Accelerator Programme.
Who are Enterprising Cumbria's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Be the Business and Federation of Small Businesses. Direct peers are Inspira, Business Durham and Cumbria Chamber of Commerce. Regional players are Tees Valley Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Growth Company and Lancashire Skills and Growth Hub.
Does Enterprising Cumbria have an API?
No public API is recorded for Enterprising Cumbria.
What industry is Enterprising Cumbria in?
Enterprising Cumbria's product category is Economic Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAEAC, Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs, with a secondary code of EDAJAKAG, Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.