Tech Challenge supports town centre businesses in North Warwickshire

"We have a wealth of creative digital know-how and expertise in our region, which we can harness to support of our brilliant independent businesses. I’m delighted to see projects like Maybe* Loyalty Rewards carving the way forward.”

A project helping to revive town centres in Nuneaton and Bedworth has been given a boost by Warwickshire County Council’s £80k Town Centres Tech Challenge fund - part of the Council’s rapid response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Tech Challenge fund, launched by the County Council in November 2020, is supporting three digital initiatives (two in south Warwickshire, one in North Warwickshire) which boost support for town centre businesses.

The initiative is part of a broader range of financial support for business to stimulate economic recovery.

The project in the North of the county to receive funding is Maybe* - a social media management platform which uses town guides to promote local towns and their businesses.

Maybe* has created virtual High Street Guides for both Nuneaton and Bedworth. It showcases live content from local businesses. The Nuneaton and Bedworth Town Guides make it super simple to support local businesses.

For businesses that need help to increase their digital activity, Maybe* provides a huge resource bank of tools and training to support them. For those that are already good at social media, Maybe* helps them to improve their results.

Maybe* Loyalty Rewards, allows shoppers in Nuneaton and Bedworth to build loyalty points for purchases based on their credit, or debit card transactions in participating stores. Once, non-essential businesses have reopened, they will also allow businesses to connect with shoppers when they are nearby. Every purchase by a registered shopper in participating businesses reveals other nearby businesses. It does not require any apps to be downloaded and is completely free for shoppers to access.

Jonathan White, Manager of Nuneaton and Bedworth Town Centres says: “We are delighted to have been awarded funding from the Warwickshire County Council Tech Challenge to enable us to deliver the Maybe* Social Media Management Platform, Maybe* Town Guides and Maybe* Local Rewards to the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth to help with recovery, following the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Leader of Warwickshire County Council and portfolio holder for economic development, said: “Businesses in our town centres were already facing difficulties before the pandemic, but now those difficulties have dramatically increased. We need creative solutions to help invigorate our town centres when it’s safe for people to return, and to encourage online support during lockdown and beyond. The good news is, we have a wealth of creative digital know-how and expertise in our region, which we can harness to support of our brilliant independent businesses. I’m delighted to see projects like Maybe* Loyalty Rewards carving the way forward.”

The Town Centres Tech Challenge fund was set-up after a business survey undertaken by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) identified the need for digital products which help support and promote town centres, engage existing and new customers and improve consumer confidence in returning following the end of the current national lockdown.

Assistance is also being given to South Warwickshire businesses to enhance their social media presence. The projects supported in the south of the county are LYT (Local Young Talent) and Myndy (My Independent).