In March 2021, the UK government announced the Future Fund: Breakthrough scheme—a £365 million initiative aimed at providing critical funding to fast-growing, R&D-focused companies. As part of this economic stimulus, British Patient Capital, a subsidiary of the British Business Bank, was tasked with delivering this new funding programme. Coherence partnered with British Business Bank to ensure the digital assets for this programme were designed, developed, and launched in time for the Budget 2021 announcement, while maintaining complete confidentiality.
The Challenge
The Future Fund: Breakthrough scheme needed a quick and efficient launch, with the critical task of ensuring all necessary information was available on the British Patient Capital website at the moment of the government’s public announcement.
Time-sensitive and confidential, this project required tight planning and execution, with a hard deadline coinciding with Budget 2021. British Business Bank needed a trusted partner who could deliver a seamless user experience for its website while keeping everything under wraps until the official reveal.
Our Approach
Understanding the Requirements
We collaborated closely with British Business Bank to fully understand the target audience—innovative, R&D-focused businesses—and their needs. This allowed us to develop a solution that would offer a seamless, user-friendly experience, while ensuring all critical information was accessible.
Modular, Component-Based Development
Given the need for flexibility and future reuse, we adopted a modular approach. This allowed for rapid development while ensuring the components could easily be adapted for other initiatives down the line.
Design and UX
We presented three distinct user interface design options for both desktop and mobile, ensuring that the chosen design was not only visually appealing but also highly functional. Once the preferred design was selected, we adapted it to fit the new pages, including a detailed FAQs section and a custom homepage module for the Future Fund: Breakthrough initiative.
Out-of-Hours Support and Risk Management
Given the fixed deadline, we implemented robust risk mitigation strategies, including resource back-ups and out-of-hours support to accommodate any last-minute changes to scope or content. We worked closely with the British Business Bank team to ensure that any challenges were swiftly addressed, keeping the project on track.
Testimonial
“From the outset, Coherence understood the time-sensitive and confidential nature of the project. They were calm, efficient, and delivered on time, on budget with no complications at all. When the scope changed, they took action quickly and made themselves available at all hours. The project was a great example of our values at the British Business Bank, which we’re pleased to say the team at Coherence shares.”
Amanda Madigan
British Business Bank
The Outcome
We successfully delivered the Future Fund: Breakthrough website in time for the 2021 Budget announcement, providing a seamless digital experience for R&D-focused businesses looking to access funding. The modular, component-based design allows for future flexibility, ensuring British Patient Capital can continue to adapt and enhance their digital presence with ease.
Key outcomes include:
On-Time Delivery: The site was fully launched in time for the government announcement.
Reusable Components: The modular approach ensures the components can be repurposed for future initiatives, improving efficiency.
Improved User Experience: Businesses can easily access information about the Future Fund: Breakthrough, with optimised navigation and user-friendly design.
About British Business Bank
British Business Bank is the UK government’s economic development bank dedicated to making finance markets work better for smaller businesses. British Patient Capital, its subsidiary, focuses on supporting high-growth, R&D-focused companies by providing funding and promoting innovation.
