UMi
Background
Having previously worked together through Innovation SuperNetwork, UMi were already familiar with the value KLW brings — particularly Kathryn's connections across the North East digital sector and her strengths as a communicator.
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They approached KLW Marketing to deliver the impact evaluation for the Innovate UK North East Digital Technologies Launchpad programme. The evaluation needed to capture how the programme had influenced participating businesses since mid-2024, while also meeting Innovate UK’s funding and reporting requirements.
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Beyond measuring tangible outcomes such as growth, new products, partnerships, funding, and job creation, the evaluation needed to reflect softer but equally important shifts — confidence, capability, collaboration, and readiness to attract finance. Crucially, it had to provide a clear before-and-after view, evidencing progress over time and helping businesses clarify their next steps.
What we did
Working from a database of 100 businesses that had benefited from the programme, I designed and delivered a structured evaluation approach.
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This included:
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Carrying out in-depth interviews, both remotely and in person.
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Undertaking pre-interview research to ensure each conversation was informed and focused.
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Guiding discussions to surface meaningful insight, not just surface-level feedback.
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Collating qualitative and quantitative findings into an online evaluation framework.
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The approach balanced rigour with empathy, creating space for businesses to reflect honestly on their innovation journey while ensuring the data captured was robust and useful.
Impact
The evaluation will continue through to March 2026, supporting ongoing reporting and ensuring long-term outcomes and progress are clearly evidenced.
To date, the impact includes:
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A strong response rate, with 43% of participants engaged as of January 2026 (ahead of the March 2026 project close).
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Insight gathered from businesses at varying stages of maturity, from pre-seed through to profitable, revenue-generating organisations.
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Evidence spanning multiple pathways to future funding and growth.
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Representation across a wide range of sectors including healthcare, education, events, design, software development, and sustainability.
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The evaluation is providing Innovate UK and UMi with a clear, credible picture of programme impact, while also giving participating businesses clarity on priorities and next steps.