Hertfordshire Innovation Quarter (Herts IQ) is investing £1.8m from its Growth Investment Fund towards nine projects to boost sustainable travel, expand skills provision, and increase employment opportunities across Hemel Hempstead, St Albans, and the wider Maylands and Hemel Garden Communities areas.

The projects, representing a combined value of £5.7m, will strengthen the enterprise zone by enhancing access to jobs and training and launching green initiatives to improve key employment areas serving thousands of businesses and their employees.

Neil Rutledge, Chair of Herts IQ, said: “This investment is about backing projects that will make a real difference to how people live, work, and travel in and around the enterprise zone. These nine initiatives support Herts IQ’s commitment to creating workplaces that are fit for the future – built with sustainability in mind and providing growth opportunities for local residents and businesses.”

Skills-focused projects

1. Overcoming Workforce Barriers to Enhance Business Performance
Partner: Estu Global | Herts IQ investment: £235,000
A two-year programme giving businesses practical tools to address productivity challenges, drawing on research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to improve workforce performance and tackle skills gaps.

2. Skills Bootcamps
Partner: Hertfordshire Futures Skills Team | Herts IQ investment: £150,000
Funding to subsidise the cost of Skills Bootcamps, enabling more adults aged 19+ to access priority sector training, and more local businesses to upskill staff to aid growth and expansion.

3. Generation Events – St Albans and Dacorum
Partner: Hertfordshire Careers Hub | Herts IQ investment: £60,000
Three years of Generation careers fairs connecting employers with young people, helping strengthen the local talent pipeline and raise awareness of local career opportunities.

Environment-focused projects

4. Maylands Green Corridor
Partners: Sunnyside Rural Trust and Step2Skills | Herts IQ investment: £160,000
The creation of 15 new landscaped green spaces across Maylands whilst delivering vital training and work experience for residents with learning disabilities and autism.

5. STANTA Enterprise Agency Solar Project
Partner: STANTA | Herts IQ investment: £20,513
A 79.2 kW solar installation to cut carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency at the STANTA Business Centre.

6. Hemel Hempstead E-Bike Scheme
Partner: Dacorum Borough Council | Herts IQ investment: £500,000
A new e-bike hire network connecting Hemel Hempstead station, the town centre, and Maylands Business Park, supporting clean, low-cost commuting for residents and visitors.

Placemaking and connectivity projects

7. Maylands Wayfinding
Partner: Dacorum Borough Council | Herts IQ investment: £140,488
A full upgrade of wayfinding and signage across Maylands, strengthening place identity, and making the area easier to navigate for employees and visitors.

8. Nickey Line – Redbourn Road Crossing Improvements
Partner: Hertfordshire County Council | Herts IQ investment: £375,000
The first phase in transforming the Nickey Line into a safe, continuous active travel route, delivering two controlled crossings at the A5183.

9. Nickey Line – Eastman Way Access Improvements
Partner: Hertfordshire County Council | Herts IQ investment: £240,000
Design and early construction to improve links between the Nickey Line, Eastman Way, and the Maylands employment area. This is an early phase of the Hemel Garden Communities Nickey Line Vision & Strategy.