Growth for Bolton Businesses
Build AI capability. Improve performance.
AI for Bolton is a funded test and learn programme for 15 Bolton businesses. Through the Government's Growth and Skills Levy, each business can access up to £18,000 per person to train an employee to become competent in AI and apply it directly to improving business performance.
We'll measure the difference it makes in each business, then share what works, what doesn't and what other Bolton businesses can learn.
Expressions of interest for the first cohort.
- Up to £18,000 of funded training per employee
- 15 Bolton businesses in the first cohort
- Measured and shared results from real business work
Funding is through the Growth and Skills Levy and depends on eligibility. Employers that do not pay the levy contribute 5% of the training cost.
Why Bolton
Stronger businesses. More opportunity for Bolton.
We care about Bolton: its people, its businesses and its future. Our ambition is to help local businesses grow while building skills and opportunity within our community.
The figures below provide a starting point. They show where Bolton stands against regional and national benchmarks, and why business performance and workforce development matter to this initiative.
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Employment
69.5% Bolton
- Bolton
- 69.5%
- North West
- 73.8%
- Great Britain
- 75.5%
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Workplace earnings
£643.20 Bolton
- Bolton
- £643.20
- North West
- £734.20
- Great Britain
- £766.60
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Higher-level qualifications
41.7% Bolton
- Bolton
- 41.7%
- North West
- 45.7%
- Great Britain
- 48.6%
Figures are survey estimates and may be revised. Employment and qualifications describe residents; workplace earnings describe employees working in the area. These measures provide local context, not a forecast of programme results. We will report the first cohort's progress separately.
The idea we are testing
What could Bolton businesses achieve with the right AI capability?
If businesses develop practical AI skills and apply them to problems that matter, can they free up capacity, improve service and create the conditions for growth?
That's the hypothesis behind AI for Bolton. We're starting with a focused group of local businesses, agreeing a baseline and measuring changes in real work. The results will help us understand what is worth repeating and what needs to change.
The first cohort
15 businesses. Real challenges. Shared learning.
This is for Bolton businesses looking to establish growth and AI capability, whether you are taking your first steps or already experimenting with tools.
The proposed programme combines practical workforce development, workplace application and opportunities to learn alongside other local businesses.
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Understand your starting point
Identify the business challenges you want to address and agree a small set of measures that matter to you.
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Build capability and apply it
Develop practical skills and responsible ways of working, then apply them to selected processes with human judgement and oversight.
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Learn together
Compare experiences with other Bolton businesses, share useful approaches and learn from the difficulties as well as the successes.
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Track progress and share the evidence
Review what changes against your baseline and contribute to findings that could help more local businesses benefit.
Potential projects could include faster quoting, less repetitive administration, better reporting, more consistent customer responses or freeing up time for growth activity.
We will start with your business problem, not a tool we want you to use.
Register your interestMeasuring progress
Less hype. More evidence.
We'll agree a small number of measures with each business before the work begins. The aim is to understand whether new capability leads to meaningful improvement, not simply count course attendance or tools installed.
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Time and capacity
Time spent on selected tasks, process turnaround and capacity released for other work.
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Business performance
Relevant changes in costs, sales, output or margins, where the evidence supports the connection.
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Quality and service
Accuracy, rework, response times and the experience of customers and colleagues.
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People and capability
Practical skills, responsible AI use, confidence and opportunities for development or progression.
Not every business will measure the same things. We'll distinguish observed results from estimates, and time released from actual cash savings. We plan to share aggregated findings and approved case studies, including lessons from changes that do not work as expected.
Your commercially sensitive information will not be published without your agreement.
Led by CVP Group
Local commitment. Human capability.
AI for Bolton is led by CVP Group, a Bolton-based training and workforce development business.
We develop people who can lead change, improve performance and use technology with confidence and judgement. This initiative brings that purpose into our local business community: helping businesses build capability and sharing the evidence of what it achieves.
For suitable employees, CVP's Level 4 AI Automation Practitioner apprenticeship is the structured route for developing these workplace skills, funded through the Growth and Skills Levy at up to £18,000 per employee. We will confirm eligibility, funding and the wider programme arrangements with you before any commitment.
Get involved
Could your business be part of the first cohort?
Tell us a little about your business, where you are with AI and what you would like to improve. We'll get in touch to discuss the programme and whether it is a suitable next step.
Registering your interest does not commit you to joining.
Questions you may have
Do we need to be an AI or technology business?
No. This is about applying AI to everyday business challenges. We will discuss where there is a useful opportunity and what your team would need to participate.
Is this just an apprenticeship programme?
The focus is business growth and practical AI capability. An apprenticeship may be an appropriate development route for eligible employees, alongside the wider cohort's focus on application, shared learning and measurement.
What will it cost, and what is the commitment?
The training is funded through the Government's Growth and Skills Levy, worth up to £18,000 per employee. Levy-paying employers can use their levy funds; employers that do not pay the levy contribute 5% of the training cost. Your employee will also need time to learn and to apply their skills to real work. We will confirm your eligibility, costs and time commitment before you decide whether to take part.
Will our business information be made public?
We plan to share aggregated findings and case studies agreed with participating businesses. Any named story or commercially sensitive information will require your agreement before publication.
Want to support the initiative?
We also welcome conversations with local business networks and organisations interested in contributing. Contact CVP Group.