Sheffield Hallam University, in cooperation with the University of Sheffield, was interested in bidding for funding through the Creative Industries Clusters Programme, led by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. To support a credible and robust bid, the Universities commissioned Kada Research to assess the current make-up and potential of the creative industries in the Sheffield City Region.  The client suspected there were some hidden gems but needed some robust evidence to back up their instincts.

The study involved the collation of a business sample for the sector using a combination of commercial datasets, local knowledge and locally complied lists.  An agreed business survey was drafted, piloted and conducted in 2018 with 180 businesses from three sub sectors: design, publishing, and music and performance. This study included a summary of current activities and characteristics, an assessment of growth and barriers to growth, and a review of the environment and support for growth. The report showed that Sheffield has a vibrant and productive creative sector but has a number of business support needs.

Sheffield Hallam University worked closely with KADA to develop a major research and innovation proposal to central government. Karl and his team responded proactively and were able to provide the in-depth analysis we needed for the bid – and all within three weeks of agreeing the commission. KADA then provided us with additional support on the bid, drawing on their expertise and experience of economic development. I cannot recommend KADA highly enough.

Professor Peter Wells (Assistant Dean, Research and Knowledge Transfer, Faculty of Development and Society).

Get in touch: If you are thinking about collating some evidence to inform a bid or want to conduct a business survey e-mail karl.dalgleish@kadaresearch.co.uk and we will respond within 24 hours.

Idaq Networks has been providing high speed broadband services to businesses in Sheffield and Rotherham since 2013. The services are delivered using Wireless technology called Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), conventional underground copper and fibre cables are not required.

We helped Idaq Networks draft their submission that resulted in a 10 year deal with Sheffield City Council to provide free Wi-Fi internet access in the outdoor areas of Sheffield City Centre and a number of public buildings. The service is to be rolled out during 2018/19 and will be available to City Centre residents, businesses and visitors. Idaq Networks intends to create one of the best public access Wi-Fi service in the country with blanket coverage within the City ring road. The network will be available throughout the City Centre with speeds up to 20Mb/sec.

Our first task was to identify the added value and the many benefits that could be realised from the service (business, social and smart city benefits). We helped the team articulate the technical requirements, resilience measures, customer experience and performance metrics. We set out their experience, the proposed coverage and tiered service offer. We also needed to work through the health and safety and security and customer service standards. Other features of the bid included a roll out plan and plans for network exploitation by businesses and others.

Once the bid was shortlisted we helped Idaq respond to comments from the appraisal process in advance of their presentation.

“Everyone at Idaq Networks is very excited to be involved in this project. We are a local company and we have already invested heavily in Sheffield developing a commercial network providing high speed internet access to local businesses. This project will enable us to bring free internet access to everyone living in, working in and visiting the City centre in a very short period of time. The project will also allow us to help the Universities, innovative individuals and business start-ups with the development of new technologies and products” Mark Roebuck, Director of IDAQ Networks Ltd. December 2017