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Successful bid strengthens Maxim client

July, 2020

Raising awareness of what an organisation does, and how it makes a difference, can help secure influential advocates and have a major impact on the success of a business. Maxim Director Andrew Metcalf considers a case in point, client NIAB EMR.

NIAB EMR, the horticultural research institute based at East Malling in Kent, has recently received national recognition for its forward-thinking scientific research and secured £18m of government funding.

The Growing Kent & Medway initiative, led by NIAB EMR, is one of seven national projects that will drive innovation-led growth and support areas of R&D strength thanks to government funding provided through UK Research and Innovation’s flagship Strength in Places Fund.

It will build on more than a century of strategic and applied horticultural research undertaken at NIAB EMR, supported by horticultural charity East Malling Trust, both of which Maxim has advised for the last decade.

With matched funding, the Growing Kent & Medway project will benefit from £31m to stimulate research, innovation and enterprise to boost growth in this critical sector for the UK. It will promote the adoption of the latest horticultural technologies, plant growing techniques and the development of new and exciting crops to boost food production and economic growth, including the construction of new science facilities.

Strength in depth

Maxim’s role was to help build the case for the Strength in Places funding. The objective was to secure the support of local stakeholders and organisations, which included inputting key themes into the bid document.

Media relations helped highlight the scientific importance of the project, culminating in an announcement to the media and securing supportive quotes from the Secretary of State and the project’s partners.

Given the depth and breadth of the partnership it was vital to coordinate announcing the good news on the day, requiring a press release involving all the key players, including local politicians and stakeholders.

With a partnership of this scale there is always the need to manage the consistency of message during the announcement, to ensure it celebrates everybody’s role.

With NIAB EMR leading the project, Maxim took on the role of coordinating the announcement in Kent, resulting in its broadcast on BBC South East Today and strong coverage on radio, in print and online.

The project has received the backing of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, the Kent & Medway Economic Partnership, local councils and Locate in Kent, culminating in the backing of UK Research and Innovation.

Three cheers

The Kent-based scientists are also raising a glass after securing a £600,000 loan to create a Wine Innovation Centre.

This builds upon NIAB EMR’s recent investment in its research vineyard, laboratory and winery, opened last year by Tom Tugendhat, MP for Tonbridge & Malling, with the event organised and promoted by Maxim.

It will incorporate NIAB EMR’s research vineyard, laboratory and winery, funded by East Malling Trust. The 10,000m2 concept vineyard, planted in 2015 for scientific and demonstration purposes, makes it possible to deliver randomised and replicated trials to ensure the research is robust and supports forward-thinking viticulturalists.

The team of viticulturists and scientists at NIAB EMR has secured the loan from the Government’s Growing Places Fund to improve the region’s burgeoning wine industry. The funding was allocated to the project by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership.

Maxim successfully raised the profile of the research vineyard, laboratory and winery ahead of the Growing Places Fund bid, which led to strong media coverage in the national, local and viticulture press.

For further information about how Maxim helps secure advocates for its clients, get in touch.

Andrew Metcalf - Director

Andrew Metcalf

Maxim / Managing Director

posted in: maxim/client news, media relations, public relations,

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