Author: Amelia Grant

Discover the latest list of funding opportunities
 
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £4.5 million to support research and development feasibility studies that provide immersive digital mental health therapeutic solutions.
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £1 million for projects that develop new innovative products and services for the UK music industry.
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £32 million for innovation projects that can improve productivity in key sectors through the use of artificial intelligence.
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £400,000 for projects resulting in new solutions to address bias and discrimination in artificial intelligence systems.
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £4 million to support the development and implementation of scalable and sustainable technologies for medicines, delivery and manufacture.
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £3 million for the development of data sharing or data exchanging technologies.
UK registered businesses can apply for grant funding alongside private investment from selected investor partners.
UK registered businesses, in collaboration with African partners, can apply for a share of up to £2 million for collaborative, urban innovation projects.
UK registered organisations and Canadian SMEs can apply for a share of up to £5.4 million for joint research and development projects focused on driving circularity in critical minerals.
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2 million for offshore wind research and development projects.
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £2 million to develop innovative proposals in partnership with Japan and other participating Eureka members.
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £5 million for industrial research projects that develop sustainable technologies, helping reduce emissions to achieve a net-zero future.
 
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Plus X Innovation is holding a Seed and Pre-Seed investment event…

Raising a first seed round is one of the most exciting milestones in the life of a startup. However, this challenge often comes with anxiety, unexpected hurdles and uncertainty. This intensive two-day innovation programme will give you the tools and knowledge to successfully raise your first round of investment.

A group of 6 active investors are looking for investment opportunities with companies seeking to raise up to £500,000.

The two-day event, taking place on 1st and 2nd of November will allow start-ups to develop their investment strategy, perfect investment documents and nail their pitch, supported by Plus X’s team of expert mentors. Application closing date: 25th October 2023.

Finally, all invitees will have the opportunity to pitch to the panel of investors and receive 1-2-1 feedback.

The event is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund so is free for all attendees. To be considered for this even, please complete this short form.

The event will take place at Plus X Innovation, Shipping Building, 252 Blyth Rd, Hayes UB3 1HA

This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

APPLY NOW

Are you ready to be a part of the solution and shape a sustainable future for Barnet? We invite you to join the BarNET ZERO Challenge – a competition that encourages individuals and communities to come forward with creative and innovative ideas that will reduce carbon emissions.

The BarNET ZERO Challenge is open to those who live, work or study in Barnet and are passionate about sustainability and have an idea that can make a real difference in the borough. Successful participants will be able to attend workshops to develop their idea, showcase their projects to a panel of experts, receive funding from a cash pot of £10,000 and prizes including:

  • X Box Live Subscription
  • 1 Year Microsoft Office Subscription
  • An opportunity to be part of the Natwest Accelerator Programme

The initiative is led by London Borough of Barnet and Middlesex University, with the generous support of Brent Cross Shopping Centre, NatWest and Microsoft.

About the BarNET ZERO Challenge

In May 2022, Barnet declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency recognising that urgent action is needed. London Borough of Barnet Council and Middlesex University have both committed to becoming Net Zero, and have teamed up to launch the BarNET ZERO Challenge.

The aim of the contest is to help develop innovative ideas for solving some of the borough’s sustainability challenge areas;

  1. Waste and Sustainable Consumption
  2. Learning, Communication & Partnerships
  3. Nature and Biodiversity
  4. Travel
  5. Housing, Buildings & Renewable Energy

The above five challenge themes have developed from Barnet’s Citizens’ Assembly discussions on Climate Change and Biodiversity – read more about this here:

Discover Barnet’s residents’ recommendations to becoming a more sustainable borough | Engage Barnet

How does the Challenge work?

Review the five challenge areas and decide which one you’d like to submit your idea for.

Write a 200-word outline of your idea, including an explanation of why you think it is a good idea and how it could be implemented.

Enter the challenge here:

Submit your 200-word entry, by completing the form here.(External link)

The closing date for entries is: 29 November 2023.

The following format is a guide:

Your idea in 200 words:

  • Provide a title to your idea that is catchy but sums up what the idea is about.
  • Introduce your idea in the first sentence by stating the essence of the idea in practice. (20 words)
  • Follow this up with further information on how the idea could be implemented in practice. (90 words).
  • Add some concluding comments on why you feel this idea could be implemented across the borough to reduce carbon emissions. (90 words).

Submissions will be reviewed by an independent panel and successful applicants will be invited to a launch event and to attend a series of workshops to help develop their idea.

After the workshops have finished, applicants will submit their updated idea for consideration by another independent panel of experts to determine finalists. These finalists will then receive additional support for their projects and a share of up to £10,000 and additional prizes.

The finalists will also be displayed online and in Brent Cross shopping centre for a public vote in May 2024 to determine the top three ideas.

Eligibility and selection

To be eligible for the competition, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Have the right to work in the UK
  • Live, work or study in London Borough of Barnet
  • Have an idea for a net zero solution that is practical
  • For individuals or community groups
  • Submit your expression of interest by 29 November 2023.
  • Agree to Challenge Terms and Conditions

Benefits and incentives

By participating in the competition, you will have the chance to:

  • Win part of the £10,000 prize fund; £5,000 for first place, £3,000 for second place, and £2,000 for the third place. The prize money can be used to further develop or implement your project.
  • Attend workshops led by NatWest and Microsoft to help develop and refine your idea.
  • Receive feedback and guidance from experts in the Net Zero field, who will offer support throughout the competition.
  • Network with other participants, judges, mentors and sponsors, who share your passion and vision for Net Zero.
  • Gain exposure and recognition for your project, as the competition will be promoted and covered by various media outlets and platforms.

Expectations and responsibilities

As a participant of the competition, you are expected to:

  • Commit to the timeline and milestones of the competition, and submit your deliverables on time and in the required format.
  • Communicate and collaborate effectively with mentors, judges and organisers, and respect their feedback and opinions.
  • Follow the rules and guidelines of the competition, and uphold the values of integrity, honesty and professionalism.
  • Acknowledge and respect the intellectual property rights of others, and ensure that your project does not infringe on any existing patents, trademarks or copyrights.

Contact details

If you have any questions or queries about the competition, please contact us by email at: BarnetZero@Barnet.gov.uk

SHIFT, east London’s innovation agency based at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, has today (Wednesday 4 October) launched a new scale-up programme of funding and support for London-based enterprises working to tackle the climate emergency. The project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Future Industries Demonstrator Programme provides pioneering start-ups and SMEs with financial backing, as well as linking them to the collaborative networks, workspaces and local knowledge resources that give them the best chance to succeed. The theme of the first challenge is ‘Natural Cities.’ Organisations that are working on a solution to one or more of these key challenges facing east London’s natural environment are particularly welcome to apply:
● Safeguard our Water Systems: Reducing risk from flooding and drought, restoring natural water bodies and protecting water resources
● Clean our Air: Reducing air pollution from existing sources and removing pollutants
● Halt and Reverse Biodiversity Loss: Promoting biodiversity and the wellbeing of natural spaces
● Fight Rising Temperatures: Combatting the urban heat island effect
● Create a Capital Without Waste: Minimising waste and its impactsApplications are now open to the first of these via the SHIFT website. SMEs and individuals can also sign up to become a SHIFT member to stay updated with all the latest information about the Future Industries Demonstrator Programme.

Applications are now open to the first of these via the SHIFT website. SMEs and individuals can also sign up to become a SHIFT member to stay updated with all the latest information about the Future Industries Demonstrator Programme.

● The Future Industries Demonstrator Programme has been created to invest in and support 215 London-based SMEs working to tackle the climate crisis
● First of three open innovation challenges calls for solutions to tackle the climate emergency, starting with enhancing east London’s natural environment
● Successful bids win £25,000 grant plus access to support, expertise and networks on and around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
● Two-year programme part-funded by £1.47m from the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Successful applicants will receive:
● £20,000 grant to supplement scaling plans
● £5,000 budget to support testbed deployment
● Access to world-class workspaces, including The Loop, east London’s hub for circular economy businesses.
● Expert support from specialists at innovation company Plexal and University College London
● 1:1 coaching with a circular business specialist
● Support programme facilitated by SHIFT.
● Businesses based in the Hackney Wick & Fish Island Creative Enterprise Zone will be considered for an additional capital grant up to £10,000 to supplement their scaling plans after completing their initial development through the programme.

The second and third Innovation Challenges will be open for applications in February 2024 and July 2024. The Open Innovation Challenges will focus on the intersection between the real problems that citizens and institutional buyers face locally and the market solutions that, with investment and tailored support, can accelerate the collective transition to Net Zero.

Abdul Rahim, the Chief Innovation Officer of SHIFT highlighted that this isn’t a call for piecemeal change, it’s a demand for systemic responses. That means considering the complexity of how different aspects of our urban environments are connected, and bringing forward holistic, comprehensive solutions.
Abdul Rahim, Chief Innovation Officer of SHIFT, said: “SHIFT is committed to bridging the gap between real, local need and market-defining innovations. By spotlighting challenges encountered by local communities, we hope to ensure that supported solutions possess genuine and significant potential to meet urgent challenges for east Londoners whilst accelerating the net-zero transition for the capital.”

Andrew Roughan, CEO at Plexal, said: “Plexal is a founding partner of SHIFT and little over a year from launch, it’s a pleasure to further our role within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park innovation district to be part of SHIFT’s Future Industries Demonstrator Programme. As an innovation company and workspace for trailblazing founders, our mission at Plexal is to solve society’s challenges through collaboration with organisations. Therefore, we’re excited to be delivering the Venture Creator programme to discover and support sustainability startups committed to achieving net zero as part of our involvement.”

Alex Russell, Executive Director, Hackney Wick and Fish Island Community Development Trust CIC, said: “We are excited to be a partner of The Future Industries Demonstrator Programme. The programme provides a great platform for SMEs with innovative ideas to tackle the climate crisis, in partnership with industry, community and academia. We also welcome the continued support of The Loop – the creation of a cluster of circular economy initiatives on the Park – under the stewardship of the CDT, a community ownership model.”

ENTRY DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MONDAY 16 OCTOBER

New this year, in recognition of the importance of fast growth innovative companies in our sub region, WLB launches the Innovative SME of the Year award for the West London Business Awards 2024.
Small to Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) with fewer than 250 employees or an annual turnover of under £40 million can enter this new award, which will provide you with an opportunity to set out your story since you were founded, give an overview of your recent achievements and your vision for the future.
Judges will be looking for clear objective setting, strategy & plan formation, with matching rigour in implementation and measurement, innovation and creativity in solving problems or approaching new issues. Where possible, provide evidence of customer delight – such as new business wins or exceptional customer retention, or significant customer success after acting on advice.

ENTER NOW

About the West London Business Awards
The Awards showcase business excellence, and are established as one of the pre-eminent award schemes in the capital for over 10 years.
A key date in the West London business calendar, the gala awards ceremony in February 2024 will bring together over 500 guests from across the sub-region’s business community, as well as representation from central and local government – a truly unique and special occasion. Partners include: Heathrow, Amazon Web Services, Brunel University London, University of West London, Venture X, Westfield London, AWS, HRUC, West London Institute of Technology and Ultra Education.
This year, 26 awards will be up for grabs, and all organisations that trade in West London* are eligible to enter before the extended deadline of Monday 16 October 2023.  This eleventh edition of the awards will showcase business excellence in West London around six themes: ‘SME Sector leadership’, ‘Sustainable & responsible business’, ‘Economic growth’, ‘Corporate leadership’, ‘Individual leadership’ and ‘Next Generation’, featuring up-and-coming West London business talent. Whatever the sector, whatever the business, there is a category to enter.  You may enter as many categories as you like that you feel represent your solution/business best.  See them all here and enter.

Entries cost £30 which is redeemable against the cost of a ticket at the gala ceremony in February 2024.

AWS to support Next Generation Awards with a mentoring package for young entrepreneurs…

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has joined forces with West London Business to support the next generation of West London entrepreneur through the West London Business Awards 2024.

Already a keen supporter of the London West Innovation Network, AWS now looks forward to also supporting the next generation of entrepreneurship. They will be providing the winners of each category in the “Next Generation” cluster with a package of support to help them take their initiatives to the next stage.

AWS has offered to support winners with refining their idea and suggesting a path to create it through:
• A 1-day workshop with an AWS Solutions Architect
• $1000 worth of AWS service credits to get started
• 3-month mentorship program with an AWS specialist

Part of the 11th West London Business Awards, the Next Generation categories include Kidpreneur of the Year (Under 12), Teenpreneur of the Year (Ages 13-18) and Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Ages 19-24).

To be in the running to win this amazing prize, entrants need to be doing business in West London* and submit their entries via the dedicated entry portal by Monday 16 October.

The shortlisted entrants will be announced in November 2023 and will then be invited to attend the awards ceremony in February 2024 where the lucky winners will be revealed.

Andrew Dakers, Chief Executive of West London Business, said of the partnership:
“This announcement marks the next evolution of our Next Generation Awards. We are delighted to have AWS in partnership with us to encourage West London’s young entrepreneurs to develop their businesses. With such an amazing package of support on offer for winners of our 2024 awards, I would encourage any young person with a prospering business to make an entry before the 16 October deadline.”

ENTER NOW

*To be eligible, your business must be based or trading within the boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea, Richmond or Spelthorne

The London West Innovation Network is to deliver a new programme from Ealing Council for fully funded and bespoke sales & marketing support for SMEs. Starting in October 2023 this programme reaffirms Ealing’s commitment to nurturing small and thriving businesses within the borough. Accelerate Ealing is a comprehensive programme designed to boost the sales and marketing functions of Ealing SMEs.

Between October 2023 to June 2024, the initiative will deliver support to 80 Ealing businesses across two cohorts. Demand is expected to be high and interested businesses should apply without delay.

Specialists from local sales & marketing experts Now|Comms and The Alternative Board – West London, have been selected to support delivery of this programme.

Registered business who complete the programme will leave with a better sales & marketing strategy geared for success, delivered through:

  • Peer learning and networking sessions
  • One-to-one guidance
  • Access to an AI assistant for additional support by Now|Comms
  • Free use of Now|Comms’ AI marketing toolkit ‘Joggl‘, enabling business profile creation, social media engagement, competitor analysis, SEO enhancement, and blog creation.
  • Interactive workshops led by industry experts
  • Periodic monitoring and support from the LWIN project team

Upon selection, businesses will be allocated to the sales or marketing track, or a combination tailored to their specific needs.

To be eligible you must:

  • Be based in the London Borough of Ealing
  • Have traded for at least three years with accounts filed at Companies House
  • Have a turnover not exceeding £50 million

To apply, register now which will take approximately 15 minutes, and we will follow up to assess your interest.

For enquiries, please contact: Farah Vallooran: farah.vallooran@westlondon.com or Amelia Grant: amelia.grant@westlondon.com

—-

About Now|Comms: Now|Comms, a B2B marketing agency, boasts 20 years of expertise in creating and managing marketing programs for large B2B tech enterprises and ambitious start-ups. Their award-winning marketing stack spans outsourcing marketing, web design, copywriting, lead nurturing, and marketing automation.

About The Alternative Board (TAB) – West London: TAB is the world’s largest peer-to-peer support and business coaching franchise, dedicated to helping forward-thinking SMEs increase profitability and growth. Their offerings include local business advisory boards, private business coaching, and proprietary strategic processes.

Beauhurst recently released a report mapping the high-growth ecosystems across London, comparing and contrasting them using heat maps. Currently, over 14k companies operating in London meet one or more of Beauhurst’s tracking triggers for high-growth companies, and these companies have an average of 72 employees and a combined turnover of £167 billion.

The most common sectors in London are technology-based, with 13.9% of high growth companies operating in the SaaS sector, and among the tech verticals, fintech make up 7.2% and artificial intelligence 6.9%. In terms of gender dynamics, male-founded companies make up 80.7% of the ecosystem while female founded ones account for only 17.4%, which is in line with the national trend in high growth companies.

The London company ecosystem is fairly mature, with 35.9% companies operating in the seed change and 36.4% operating in the later stages of growth and established. As for funders in the capital, Seedrs comes in the first place in a staggering 879 fundraisings. Following behind is Crowdcube and Future Fund.

Looking at the breakdown of London companies across the 32 boroughs, we find that the inner boroughs of Westminster, City of London, Camden, Islington and Hackney are the most saturated. Equity investment is the most common form of growth for startups. Here, we find that funding is most concentrated in the central boroughs. Innovation grants are another method of growth. With 12% of the companies located in Lambeth securing innovation grants, Lambeth takes the top spot. This type of funding is traditionally associated with medical/healthcare services.

The four boroughs with the lowest percentage of companies receiving equity funding are the four boroughs with the highest percentages of companies with 20% scaleup status. Interestingly—by this metric—it is actually the central boroughs with the lowest proportion of companies achieving 20% scaleup.  This could be indicative of many factors. For example, it is feasible that as companies grow their headcount and need larger offices, they opt to relocate to outer boroughs where rent for office space is more affordable.

Source: London: The Battle of Boroughs | Beauhurst

New this year, in recognition of the importance of fast growth innovative companies in our sub region, WLB launches the Innovative SME of the Year award for the West London Business Awards 2024.
Small to Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) with fewer than 250 employees or an annual turnover of under £40 million can enter this new award, which will provide you with an opportunity to set out your story since you were founded, give an overview of your recent achievements and your vision for the future.
Judges will be looking for clear objective setting, strategy & plan formation, with matching rigour in implementation and measurement, innovation and creativity in solving problems or approaching new issues. Where possible, provide evidence of customer delight – such as new business wins or exceptional customer retention, or significant customer success after acting on advice.

ENTER NOW

About the West London Business Awards
The Awards showcase business excellence, and are established as one of the pre-eminent award schemes in the capital for over 10 years.
A key date in the West London business calendar, the gala awards ceremony in February 2024 will bring together over 500 guests from across the sub-region’s business community, as well as representation from central and local government – a truly unique and special occasion. Partners include: Heathrow, Amazon Web Services, Brunel University London, University of West London, Venture X, Westfield London, AWS, HRUC, West London Institute of Technology and Ultra Education.
This year, 26 awards will be up for grabs, and all organisations that trade in West London* are eligible to enter before the deadline of Friday 6 October 2023.  This eleventh edition of the awards will showcase business excellence in West London around six themes: ‘SME Sector leadership’, ‘Sustainable & responsible business’, ‘Economic growth’, ‘Corporate leadership’, ‘Individual leadership’ and ‘Next Generation’, featuring up-and-coming West London business talent. Whatever the sector, whatever the business, there is a category to enter.  You may enter as many categories as you like that you feel represent your solution/business best.  See them all here and enter.

Entries cost £30 which is redeemable against the cost of a ticket at the gala ceremony in February 2024.

In 2022, innovation grants totalling £3.5 million were distributed to 34 companies in Hillingdon and Ealing. Now a year on, we look at the significant contributions these grants have made to their respective local economies.

The grants have generated jobs, furthered research and innovation and fostered local engagement, whilst also initiating collaboration. Inspiring stories across multiple sectors continue to unfold including JSA Group scaling the use of wildflower seeding to enhance greenspace in Hillingdon, to Radiant Matter having developed bio sequins for circular textiles economy– a company that wouldn’t have survived let alone thrived without the grant. Read more about the innovation journeys of our grant winners here.

The positive impact monitored so far includes:

  • an increase in local employment, with 78 new jobs created, including talent hires from West London universities like Brunel.
  • attracting further funding in the form of both public grants and private investment. Almost half of the supported businesses secured further funding, totalling a further £3 million investment in the region. Florian Ritcher, founder and CEO of sustainable farm automation company, Muddy Machines, said, “The grant was very successful in securing seed funding last year that raised £1.3 million for the company. As a result, 5 additional jobs were created in the company”. Cryogenx, a medtech business developing devices to combat heat stroke, secured further funding from CPI’s Health Technology Regulatory and Innovation Projects. Founder, Matt Anderson, observed, “The Hillingdon grant enabled us to demonstrate our experience with grant funding and would have been looked upon favourably when our application was being assessed”.
  • The businesses kept a keen on eye on sustainability with initiatives ranging from circular economy solutions, minimising and reusing waste to renewable energy innovations – and everything in between.
  • The report also identified key challenges, including rising costs of rent and the disruption in the supply chains due to Brexit and the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict which has impacted growth in the past year

Notes: The Ealing Pioneers and Hillingdon Enterprise funds, sponsored by the respective partner councils and delivered and managed by London West Innovation Network as part of West London Businesses was distributed in March 2022 to boost local economic growth and employment. 

The Innovation Grants distributed in March 2022 aimed to encourage and support local SMEs to innovate for local growth and employment. The individual grants ranged from £50,000 to £200,000 and were awarded to further innovation projects within the businesses. Industries spanned aviation/logistics, creative and media and retrofit/construction and circular economy innovations, encompassing a diverse spectrum.

The London West Innovation Network continues to support businesses in West London through its capacity building webinars, workshops, networking opportunities, partnership infrastructure and signposting efforts. Please reach out to us if you like to learn more about LWIN or become a member. Additionally, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date about the different business opportunities in the geography.

Ealing grant winners at the Grant Winners’ Networking Event organised by LWIN at Plus X, one of LWIN’s delivery partners

Hillingdon Grant winners at the same event