IT business heads for growth with Boost

A Lancashire software business aims to secure three additional NHS trust contracts and grow its team over the next 12 months after receiving help from specialists in business support.

Meantime has designed and developed a programme called Audit Management and Tracking (AMaT) which streamlines a trust’s auditing process and helps it become more efficient.

Business owner Fenner Pearson has been in the IT industry since 1988 and has worked with blue chip companies including BT, ASDA, Heathrow airport and JP Morgan. He set up Meantime as a business in 2004.

He was introduced to the Innovation Agency through a networking event in November 2016. The Innovation Agency is the Academic Health Science Network for the North West Coast, with a specialist commercial team supporting businesses with healthcare innovations, and Fenner attended a range of its SME workshops and events.

The introduction was arranged by Boost, Lancashire's Business Growth Hub which is led by the Lancashire LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) and Lancashire County Council, and is supported by funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Fenner said: “We have several more NHS trusts in the north west potentially looking to implement our system. It’s a slow and steady process but we have gone from one NHS contract to three in the last 18 months. We have also secured additional investment to leverage the NHS opportunity. With this kind of growth, I will certainly be looking to appoint an account manager to support these clients.

“Steve and Mike from the Innovation Agency have made valuable introductions for us with key decision-makers at other trusts in the north west. Having greater exposure to the NHS and a better understanding of its culture and infrastructure has been extremely useful. Steve’s judgement and advice has certainly helped Meantime win new contracts.”

Steve Adams, Commercial Programme Manager at the Innovation Agency, commented: “We were really pleased to be able to help Fenner and introduce him to the right people in the NHS. He has a great business ethic and the drive to succeed. His audit management and tracking system is unique in the healthcare market, and I’m sure it will continue to have great success.”

Fenner adds: “The Innovation Agency is helping us share our story of who we are and how we are working closely with the NHS. They recognise our product has potential to make the process from capturing and analysing data across all divisions of a trust more efficient.” Boost Business Lancashire has received £3.8m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for ERDF. Established by the European Union ERDF funds help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information, visit www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.