The Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Leeds, part of the British Library's nationwide network, serves as a cornerstone for aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses in West Yorkshire. Operating out of Leeds Central Library part of Leeds Libraries, BIPC Leeds provides free access to specialist business resources, including market research resources, intellectual property advice, and expert-led support.
BIPC Leeds is dedicated to encouraging innovation, boosting local economic growth, and empowering individuals from all backgrounds. By hosting events, providing workshops, offering one-to-one consultations, partnering with businesses for specialist advice and serving as a co-working space, BIPC Leeds equips individuals with the tools and confidence needed to succeed in a competitive business landscape.
A recent impact analysis report ran by the BIPC (Democratising Entrepreneurship 2.0: Libraries as Engines of Economic Growth and Recovery, April 2020 – March 2023) highlights how public libraries, through the BIPC Network, support economic recovery and entrepreneurship. The report covers:
This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
To achieve its mission, BIPC Leeds designed a series of workshops, bootcamps, drop-in sessions, and expert-led one-to-one consultations tailored to meet the needs of local entrepreneurs. The results speak volumes as they showcase an incredible return of £6.63 for every £1 of public funding spent, as well as the creation of 163 additional jobs and support for 878 new businesses.
Through the core services offered BIPC Leeds, they hope to offer a range of free support to aspiring entrepreneurs and individuals, including:
In August 2023, Youbee Media successfully tendered to deliver a Marketing Workshop as part of the BIPC’s Start Up & Grow programme. This ‘Introduction to Marketing’ session, a cornerstone of the two-day bootcamp, is designed to empower entrepreneurs with foundational marketing skills essential for launching their ventures. Spanning 8 dates between September 2023 and February 2025, the workshops are tailored to meet the practical needs of participants.
In addition to these workshops, Youbee Media’s Rebecca Hopwood has provided monthly one-to-one social media drop-in sessions, addressing key challenges faced by entrepreneurs. These 30-minute consultations, held both online and in-person, offer actionable insights on social media strategy tailored to individual businesses.
Since January 2023, Rebecca has also led two 'Social Media Summer School' series, comprising weekly evening workshops in July and August. Topics have included:
In addition to excellent feedback from attendees and impact statistics on the support received, the BIPC Leeds can boast some incredible outcomes from this initiative. Between July – September 2024, the centre has delivered:
Feedback from attendees consistently highlights the value of the sessions:
“Rebecca is a good listener and completely understood where my business needs are going.”
“Rebecca’s really great and engaging, brill energy, picked up some great tips.”
“Rebecca and the Youbee Media team have consistently delivered an impressive range of marketing and social media workshops for both start-ups and established businesses through the Business & IP Centre Leeds. Rebecca is not only incredibly professional but also maintains a positive ‘can do’ attitude in her approach to work. I highly recommend Rebecca and the Youbee Media team for their exceptional service and expertise in delivering valuable workshops and support.”
