A university programme has been helping Cumbrian firms to grow.

An independent assessment of the 12 European Structural and Investment Funds projects currently being led or supported by Lancaster University confirmed 900 full time jobs had been created or protected in Lancashire and Cumbria as a result.

The analysis by independent economic development consultancy, Ekosgen, saw 190 businesses surveyed to assess the impact the support they received had on their organisation.

Dion Williams, director of research, enterprise and innovation at the university, said: “These results are unprecedented and really show the return on investment from investing in projects which help grow our economy, in line with the UK’s industrial strategy.”

The report found for every pound of the £27.5m invested by ESIF in the various projects, the beneficiaries received £18 of value.

Projects that were assessed included the Cumbria Innovations Platform - a six-month programme designed for Cumbria-based SMEs to explore new markets or ideas for product and service development.

Companies helped by the platform include, Windermere-based EJ Jordan, which creates high-end in-home speaker systems, and touch-screen jukebox maker Jaybox, based in Penrith.

EJ Jordan director Colin Shelbourn said it revisited its entire strategy after joining the scheme.

He said: “The programme gives you a lot of extra confidence about how you tackle things, creates the space to question what you’re doing – and then helps you find a better way to do it.”

Jaybox had already successfully designed, manufactured and distributed a bespoke touch-screen jukebox before joining the Cumbria Innovations Platform, which it said helped clarify its ongoing strategy.

Sales director Jamie Barnett said: “It helped us see how we needed a new product – or products – and we needed to push for that. It also changed our view on what the market wanted, and the kind of company we’d be, moving forward.”