Cornwall Innovation Invests £100,000 in Business Support Advisor Role

When the Shared Prosperity Fund came to an end in Cornwall this March, plenty of growing companies were left wondering where their next bit of free advice was coming from. One Cornish organisation decided not to wait around for an answer.

Cornwall Innovation has put more than £100,000 into a dedicated in-house Business Support Advisor role, stepping in to replace the funded provision that disappeared when government-backed schemes wound up earlier this year. The result, according to figures released today, is that over 100 high-growth companies across its three Innovation Centres are still getting free business advice, mentoring and collaboration opportunities.

A gap that needed filling

The end of programmes like the SPF in March 2026 left a noticeable hole in the local business support landscape. Rather than see its customers go without, Cornwall Innovation chose to fully fund its own service.

Matt Harrington, Head of Cornwall Innovation Centres, said: “With many external funding sources coming to an end, we were determined that our customers wouldn’t lose access to high-quality business support at no extra cost. The Business Support Advisor role has bridged that gap brilliantly and become a real driver of growth and connection within our centres.”

110 businesses helped so far

The role is held by Rebecca Loto, who joined Cornwall Innovation back in 2023 specifically for this purpose. To date, Rebecca has worked with 110 businesses across the three Centres, offering one-to-one advice, mentoring, on-site workshops and strategy sessions.

A big part of her work has been getting companies to talk to each other. That has produced new partnerships, shared projects and a steady stream of referrals between businesses based at the Centres.

Rebecca said: “It’s been fantastic to see how businesses have responded to the support on offer. Many have said it’s helped them simplify their planning, build confidence and see real growth. Hearing feedback like ‘a game changer for my business’ or that our sessions brought renewed clarity makes such a difference. The best part has been watching companies connect across the centres, collaborate and celebrate each other’s progress.”

More information about Cornwall Innovation and its three Centres is available at cornwallinnovation.co.uk.

📷Matt Harrington and Rebecca Loto, Cornwall Innovation Centres