CyberGrowth
Getting more East Midlands SMEs cyber secure
CyberGrowth is a fully-funded programme offering skills development to improve the digital resilience of regional small businesses.
Shaping your secure digital future
Businesses know that cyber security is no longer simply an IT issue – it’s a critical skill for all team members.
The recent wave of high profile cyber attacks on UK businesses shows that even large companies can fall victim to hackers.
East Midlands CyberGrowth helps you reduce risk of becoming the next casualty.
Our funded in-person programme will help 30 regional SMEs learn how to integrate security systems – and take practical steps towards securing their data.
The 4 workstreams
East Midlands CyberGrowth features four separate workstreams - meaning all levels of knowhow are covered.
Cyber Resilience Incubator
15 businesses will gain a structured introduction to building organisational resilience – with particular focus on core governance and strategy.
Cyber Resilience Accelerator
10 businesses will attend 4 focused workshops, gaining expert support to develop internal cyber workforce plans and reskill staff into cyber security roles.
Cyber Resilience Enterprise
5 businesses will be allocated specialist researchers from De Montfort University, for 100 hours of funded internship to help develop and trial new cyber security initiatives.
East Midlands Cyber Summit
100+ businesses will be invited to join leading speakers and delegates for a day-long cyber security conference hosted at De Montfort University Leicester in February 2026.
What you get
East Midlands CyberGrowth offers practical, hands-on workshops for businesses that want to take action about how they manage cyber risk, train staff, and protect operations.
Cyber crime is one of the biggest economic threats to UK businesses. By taking part in CyberGrowth, your organisation will learn how to make digital security a central part of organisational thinking – from shop floor to boardroom.
You will:
- Develop tailored cyber governance and resilience plans, strengthening your organisational security and aligning with government frameworks.
- Access practical workshops and expert mentoring, focussing your team on embedding best practice into all business operations.
- Unlock opportunities for workforce upskilling, through structured training and use of the latest cyber security tools.
- Join a supportive digital network, opening the way to potential access to research partnerships and more.
Who can attend
East Midlands CyberGrowth is funded to support 30 businesses before March 2026 – with priority being given to:
- Ambitious businesses which are preparing to scale securely in today’s threat landscape.
- In-house cyber leads who are responsible for cyber risk, compliance, or business continuity.
- Regional companies based in Leicester and Leicestershire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire.
More about CyberGrowth
Innovate UK has partnered with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to deliver the £1.8m Cyber Local scheme for 2025-26.
East Midlands CyberGrowth has been funded as part of a wider portfolio of regional programmes. It is delivered by East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster, which is led by Dr Ismini Vasileiou, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Informatics at DMU.
Join East Midlands CyberGrowth
From fully funded workshops to our flagship East Midlands Cyber Summit, registering for CyberGrowth is your first step towards safeguarding the digital security of your East Midlands small business.