What is the Challenge?

The Challenge is an invigorating 24 hour training session, created to test and refine your leadership, management and business skills with a group of like-minded and motivated business leaders. Set with the Apprentice theme in mind, you will be set in groups and given a challenging business situation task to handle and turn around. This will call on all your strengths and expertise as business professionals. There will be a panel of judges from senior business backgrounds to assess your conclusion and ascertain how you transformed the task and what leadership skills and experience you have developed since attending The Challenge. There will be a prize at the end to the winning team!

What benefits are there to me/my organisation by attending The Challenge?

Most SMEs in this current ecomonic climate are so busy staying alive, that they don’t get the opportunity to jump off the treadmill invest in themselves and bring benefits to the business. By attending The Challenge you and your organisation will both benefit from:

• new ideas and strategies on changing the ways you work within your organisation and managing staff more productively
• new business leaders’ network
• new business opportunities
• renewed focus on your role within your organisation
• constructive, comprehensive feedback from your colleagues and the facilitators

Is there a cost involved?

Yes and No! AKD is encouraging all eligible SMEs to use funding from the Leadership and Management Programme, which is part of Train to Gain. All eligible SMEs will initially need to pay £500 + VAT for the 24hr Challenge experience. But once you have attended The Challenge you will get your £500 back! So you don’t lose out – you get a free invigorating business experience! We understand that every penny counts and so we’ve been careful to structure this so that your funds are used wisely. This is why we don’t ask for full payment until 2 weeks before the programme. Your £500 investment will be returned to you within 30 days of you submitting your invoice - providing you have completed the necessary paperwork with original documentation.

Is it really free?!

If you’re eligible than yes it is!! The only element that the funding won’t pay is VAT, but you can claim this back (if you’re registered). As part of the Government’s Train to Gain initiative, there is funding available for SMEs to help companies improve their leadership, management and marketing skills. The funding is called ‘Leadership Management Specialist Advisory Service.’ Depending on your location, it will be TTG Broker for the London area and Business Link West Midlands for the Birmingham area. We’ve provided additional information from Train to Gain which explains the process.

Will I need to pay anything up front?

Every penny counts and therefore we want to help you with your cashflow. To secure your place on The Challenge, you will need to pay a non-refundable deposit of £75. The remaining balance is to paid 2 weeks prior to The Challenge. You should receive your funds with 30 days, which means that you get your investment back in about 45 days.

Do I qualify for funding?

The criteria set out by Train to Gain are as follows:

• Must be in a senior leadership position within the company
• The SME organisation must have 5 - 249 employees (does not include associates or consultants)
• The participant must have lived in an EU country for at least 3 years
• Can’t have claimed the grant before

Do I have to complete mountains of paperwork for this free funding?

No you don’t! Working in partnership with Train to Gain (for the London areas) and Business Link (for Birmingham areas), we assess your qualifying status before passing you onto either partnership. They will then contact you to either arrange a visit or will call you to give you the final qualifying approval status and then will go through the funding forms. They will help you complete it!

Part of the process is completing a training needs analysis for your company, which will include the development needs of the senior manager. So for example you may identify, innovation, or financial management or leadership as development needs. What’s so great about the Challenge is that it covers all of these issues for you.

You will also be given your claim form at this point to hold onto and return completed once you have attending your training session. AKD Training staff will be available to assist you at any point.

What are the dates and locations?

The Challenge will be held in a hotel or conference facility, where you will arrive around 5pm on the first day, network over dinner with other participants and then begin the Challenge in the evening, with an overnight stay. The anticipated finishing time is 5pm the next day. The dates are as follows:

• 29th – 30th October
• 12th – 13th November
• 25th – 26th February
• 18th – 19th March

Venues to be confirmed.

How do I get my money back?

You will need to return your completed Claim Form which has been signed by yourself (or whoever is attending The Challenge) and Akin Thomas of AKD Training along with the following original documents:

• The invoice sent by AKD Training to your organisation for £500 (+VAT) for The Challenge
• The remittance advice sent by AKD Training to your organisation
• Your invoice to either Train to Gain or Business Link requesting the funding from the Leadership Management Specialist Advisory Service for £500 (no VAT) for attending AKD’s The Challenge
• Your signed Claim Form!

Once Train to Gain or Business Link have received these documents they can process your application and payment will be made typically within 30 days. This is assuming you have completed the Claim Form correctly and enclosed the original documents mentioned above. If you don’t there will be a delay in you getting your funding back!