Fifty thousand pounds ... design consultancies

This week sees the Design Business Association (DBA) and NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, launch Small/Medium/Large in their search to find eight design consultancies set to become growth and performance role models for the UK design industry.

Small/Medium/Large 2006 (S/M/L) is an initiative set-up to help eight micro to small design companies grow in size and performance by offering a subsidised programme of business strategy and mentoring worth £50,000.

S/M/L will help these entrepreneurial design consultancies focus and develop their goals, identify what's holding them back and enable them to plan for the future – without compromising their creative standards, client service or profitability.

This year, any design business with two or more years' worth of full accounts can apply (the 2004/05 criteria previously limited it to only those operating between three and seven years).

Deadline for entry is 5pm Monday 6 March 2006.

The DBA and NESTA are collaborating with creative specialist business accelerator Pembridge Partners LLP to bring together a unique combination of design and creative business expertise. The partnership will provide the finalists with expert advice on how to map out an action plan to achieve rapid growth and increase performance. They will then be mentored through the process over a six-month period.

This year, every company that enters S/M/L will receive a comprehensive report objectively benchmarking them against their peers and offering solutions to the issues that could be hindering their performance.

Apply online