Studio Zao’s Role in Driving Innovation in the IMPACT Programmes for Torbay and Croydon Clients
Studio Zao is proud to collaborate with Torbay and Croydon Councils on our IMPACT programmes, part of the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
Overview
Studio Zao is proud to collaborate with Torbay and Croydon Councils on our IMPACT programmes, part of the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Through innovation-led initiatives, we’re driving economic growth, supporting local businesses, and creating lasting value in both communities. Running until March 2025, the programmes are designed to reduce regional economic disparities and foster long-term prosperity.
By delivering targeted interventions, we help businesses, entrepreneurs, and community leaders implement meaningful, sustainable innovation. Whether revitalising Torbay’s entrepreneurial landscape or enhancing Croydon’s night-time economy, our efforts ensure that public funding translates into enduring economic change and community resilience.
Innovation at the Core of the IMPACT Programme
Innovation is the cornerstone of the IMPACT programmes in Torbay and Croydon. By providing structured frameworks and tailored support, we enable local businesses and entrepreneurs to adapt to market shifts, develop new products, and create strategies that promote both job protection and creation. These programmes are built to have lasting impact, supporting sustainable business growth well beyond the duration of the funding.
Through Innovation Bootcamps, Hackathons, and Accelerators, as well as 1-2-1 Innovation Labs, we empower businesses to reimagine their value, connect with local communities, and drive solutions that contribute to regional economic success. Our goal is to ensure that innovation isn’t just an abstract concept but becomes a practical, scalable driver of business and community progress.
Tailored Innovation for Regional Needs
In Torbay, we are leveraging established sectors such as technology and hospitality to create a cycle of entrepreneurship. For example, through our Community Hackathon focusing on making Torbay the Paddleboarding capital of the UK, we brought over 30 local stakeholders together to plan, design, and commit to actionable steps for the future. We’ve also been working with local growth clusters such as the growing Creative Community in Torbay. In a similar Hackathon style, we brought local creative businesses and individual artists together to formalise collaborations, and create a forum for shared ideas and projects. These initiatives highlight how we embed new products, services, and business models into the local economy to foster a self-sustaining innovation ecosystem.
In Croydon, our focus is on the after-work economy, helping local hospitality and leisure businesses thrive in a rapidly changing environment. With evolving consumer behaviours and economic pressures, we are collaborating with businesses to create strategies that attract new audiences and cultivate a vibrant, dynamic local economy. An important focus of this being reshaping the high street as it evolves and recovers from the impacts of the pandemic, whether that’s through supporting existing high-street businesses to diversify their offerings, or supporting new businesses to bring something different to a once-bustling environment. Our ongoing efforts are aimed at ensuring these businesses remain relevant, resilient, and successful in the long term.
Community-Driven Growth
A unique aspect of the IMPACT programmes is their focus on community-driven growth. Success is not just measured by the advancement of individual businesses, but by the strength of the collaboration between businesses and their communities. By embedding innovation within local enterprises and aligning their growth with community needs, we ensure the economic benefits are widely shared. This creates the Innovation Assets needed to ensure the long term sustainability of these initiatives, and develop both areas as a hotbed for entrepreneurialism and growth.
Achievements
Our approach has driven promising results. In Torbay, where we’ve supported over 100 businesses and distributed 20 grants, and as a result companies are opening new premises, hiring staff, and launching new products and services. We have worked with a manufacturing business to launch their first in house product, supported a climbing gym to develop new services and take on more specialist staff, and worked with a digital marketing agency to improve their reach, leading to international work, amongst many other engagements. These results demonstrate the programme’s power to drive real, lasting economic change.
“The accelerator with Studio Zao helped me fine tune the idea from an initial concept into a fully thought out project. The structure of the workshops and the accountability has been great and kept me on track - I probably wouldn’t have gotten this far without it!” – Alan, The Bunker
"The grant has been instrumental in helping us set up new systems within our business, including a marketing CRM and client acquisition funnels. We're now working on creating training resources for our membership, which will allow us to better support our clients." – Dan, Indie Brand Builder
Looking Ahead
Our work with the IMPACT programmes in Torbay and Croydon showcases the transformative potential of innovation. By focusing on long-term outcomes, these initiatives are not only addressing current challenges but also laying the foundation for future economic resilience. Whether driving entrepreneurship in Torbay or supporting Croydon’s night-time economy, we are proud to be making a real impact for real people. As we continue our work, we remain committed to fostering a culture of innovation that benefits both businesses and communities for years to come.
