DEVISE will take a virtual trip to explore the project’s additional activities, in their contribution to the improvement of the policy instruments addressed by the partners in Derry and Strabane (Northern Ireland).
Project partners Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) will present their findings and early results of support programmes in response to COVID-19 Digital Transformation within the region. Through the COVID-19 Regional Context Assessment, DSCDC worked to develop an additional Good Practice for the region ‘Recovery and Revitalisation’.
DCSDC delivered various responses to SMEs within all sectors to support their economic recovery and revitalisation. These included: risk review and legislation, workshops and support programmes, and funding. DSCDC put in place substantial support which focused on tourism, hospitality, retail and close contact sectors during COVID-19 restrictions.
DCSDC project partner Gemma Scarlett states that, “we aimed to boost customer confidence to return to town centres and villages in the knowledge that businesses are taking positive steps to keep their customers and staff safe”.
Further to this, Gemma outlines the following three support services which were offered under the Recover and Revitalisation Programme to SMEs.
- COVID-19 Reassurance Mark, which is a downloadable resource to support SMEs with up to date information and provide consumer confidence.
- Webinars, Mentoring & Workshops.
- Grant Funding, for £5,000 and £3,000 was also made available for SMEs to implement COVID-19 safe guards. Additionally, support for start-ups was also made available.
As a result, support referenced within the Recovery and Revitalisation good practice totalling approx. £900k was disseminated to SMEs within the region in response to COVID-19 safe guards, digitalisation and equipment and innovating service or product offering.
In reference to opportunities for the policy instrument, DCSDC shares with the partnership the idea of ‘Digitalising the Traditional’ where Gemma explains that long terms challenges should also be highlighted: “SMEs could be tempted to revert back to old way of working if they lack in areas such as digital skills and training opportunities, as there is confusion and disparity amongst digital and non-digital SMEs.”
This impacts on an SMEs ability to enhance their digital capacity both in the interim and long term. Policy instruments must ensure that support offered to SMEs going forward is cognisant of this and adapts to SME needs to support growth.
COVID-19 Recovery and Revitalisation
DCSDC shares one good practice to enhance SME capacity, improve local economy and support prosperity of the region: ‘COVID-19 Recovery and Revitalisation’. This practice involves different aspects such as business support, infrastructure, social economy and a tourism proposition. “The transformation potential of this good practice includes various grants processes, increase footfall in town centres, encourages citizens and visitors to feel safe in the regions city centres, digitalising key services and connecting people”.
