A BRADFORD finance firm has estimated support from a regional skills project will add at least 20 per cent to its income.

ABL Business, which is based in Cleckheaton, is also set to open four new offices this year due to rapid growth.

The finance consultancy company, set-up in 2013, has worked with Brook Corporate Developments as part of the West Yorkshire Consortium of College’s (WYCC) Higher Performing Workplaces project, which offers part-funded training in the region.

Brook Corporate Developments has helped ABL to increase efficiency by implementing ISO9001 - an international certification which requires a robust quality management system - and access training funding.

Because Brook are a registered training provider through the Higher Performing Workplaces project, ABL could access 40 per cent funding towards the cost of training from the European Social Fund (ESF).

Managing Director at ABL, Alex Beardsley estimates this support will add at least 20 per cent to the firm's income.

She added: “The (ESF) funding has also meant that we’ve been able to bring the training forward, so the business isn’t waiting around to capitalise on opportunities.

"It means that we’ll eventually be able to employ more people, be bigger and contribute more to society.

“Covid has actually had a positive impact on the business.

"My business partner and I have had the time to step back and really look at what we wanted to do going forward.

"Our staff have taken comfort in the fact that we’ve invested in training and an office refresh during the pandemic.

"They can see that we are here for the long haul.

"We are investing in this business, we believe in the business and we believe in our team.”

Dom Brook, of Brook Corporate Developments, said: “Our service offers more than just training.

"We are very much ‘hands on’ with lots of individual one-to-ones and mentoring to complement training.

"We’re working with the key decision makers in ABL to make sure that once the ISO processes are set they are then implemented correctly and there is continuous improvement from the team."