Accelerate Places pitches in to provide boost to Notts enterprise scene

Accelerate Places is turning up the heat on Nottingham’s entrepreneurial scene by organising a pitch night where the city’s aspiring entrepreneurs can go head to head in a knock-out competition aimed at giving them a boost to the big time.

Forward-thinking start-ups and scale-ups are being invited to pitch new business ideas to an expert panel, with a £5,000 cash injection, six months free dedicated desk space and a support and mentoring package awarded to the one who impresses the most.

The pitch night winner will also benefit from a number of free consultations on essential disciplines including finance, legal, events and PR & marketing – as well as the opportunity to work alongside like-minded peers in a collaborative, modern environment.

Lucy Moss, business manager at Accelerate Places said: “Nottingham is bursting with entrepreneurial talent. In fact, the city was recently named 3rd Most Entrepreneurial City in the UK, and we can’t wait to see some of the business ideas presented to us. The enterprise scene in the City is continuing to reach new strengths with the support of organisations such as the Midlands Engine, Creative Quarter and the Universities and we really want to be at the heart of supporting it.

“We have been in the city a year now and our experience tells us that entrepreneurs like to work in an environment where they can benefit from the expertise of other businesses doing similar things. So, giving them the chance to start out somewhere like Accelerate Places, with all the collaboration and support it provides, will give a new or growing business a fantastic boost in those vital stages.”

Businesses setting their sights on the comprehensive support bundle are being invited to upload a two minute video pitch to Accelerate Places’ YouTube channel from 25 August. Following the closing date on 14 September, five shortlisted companies will be chosen to present their ideas in person at the pitch night on 3 October.

Accelerate Places is also running a free ‘How to Pitch’ workshop in partnership with Nottingham Trent University’s Big House Elevator for anyone wishing to polish their presentation skills ahead of pitch night. Moss added: “The workshop is open to anyone, whether they are taking part in the pitch night competition or not. It will be a really useful and fun event for anyone simply wishing to hone their skills and perhaps gain the confidence needed to deliver that killer pitch.”

The workshop will be held at the Accelerate Places’ Wollaton Street offices on the evening of 5 September.