Race for places at the Nova Centre hots up
A STAFFORDSHIRE business park is hoping to attract new start-ups to replace firms already on the road to growth.
Since its opening in 2012, the Nova Centre at the Keele University Science and Business Park has helped to nurture many fledgling businesses.
With 2012’s tenants graduating after their two-year stay, the centre is now looking for suitable replacements for a new intake.
The successful knowledge-based businesses will benefit from low starting rents together with access to mentoring, legal advice, credit control and expert business assistance.
Former tenant Kate Salmon, founder and director at Starfish Creative, said: “Being situated on the Keele Science and Business Park was a great experience for us. It helped us move into a professional environment and be seen in a more professional light by our clients.
“The science and business park gave us the opportunity to connect with other businesses there and generate more work. Moving to the Nova Centre and the support from their team gave us the confidence to find our new premises and to keep going in the direction we want to go.”
A deadline of June 30 has been set for applications to join the centre, which is housed in a converted farmhouse. The two-stage process includes an application form, followed by a business plan review with Keele University Science and Business Park’s steering group panel.
Lucy Delaney, KUSBP Business Development Officer, said: “Seeing businesses of the Nova Centre develop to a stage where they need to find bigger offices means there are now fresh opportunities for more small businesses to use the facilities here. The support for businesses goes on for the whole two years, even helping find companies a new home or finding them a new space elsewhere on the science park when they leave.
“There is a real buzz around Keele University at the moment following the announcement of investment from the City Deal to turn the campus into a green technology network. The City Deal makes KUSBP a perfect place for environmental technology companies and other small technology or innovation lead businesses. It will mean that major companies will bring their newest innovations to be tested at Keele, opening up even more opportunities for Nova Centre tenants to attract investors.”
For information on how to enter, businesses should contact Lucy Delaney on mailto:A%20STAFFORDSHIRE%20business%20park%20is%20hoping%20to%20attract%20new%20start-ups%20to%20replace%20firms%20already%20on%20the%20road%20to%20growth.%20%20Since%20its%20opening%20in%202012,%20the%20Nova%20Centre%20at%20the%20Keele%20University%20Science%20and%20Business%20Park%20has%20helped%20to%20nurture%20many%20fledgling%20businesses.%20%20%20With%202012%E2%80%99s%20tenants%20graduating%20after%20their%20two-year%20stay,%20the%20centre%20is%20now%20looking%20for%20suitable%20replacements%20for%20a%20new%20intake.%20%20The%20successful%20knowledge-based%20businesses%20will%20benefit%20from%20low%20starting%20rents%20together%20with%20access%20to%20mentoring,%20legal%20advice,%20credit%20control%20and%20expert%20business%20assistance.%20%20Former%20tenant%20Kate%20Salmon,%20founder%20and%20director%20at%20Starfish%20Creative,%20said:%20%E2%80%9CBeing%20situated%20on%20the%20Keele%20Science%20and%20Business%20Park%20was%20a%20great%20experience%20for%20us.%20It%20helped%20us%20move%20into%20a%20professional%20environment%20and%20be%20seen%20in%20a%20more%20professional%20light%20by%20our%20clients.%20%20%20%E2%80%9CThe%20science%20and%20business%20park%20gave%20us%20the%20opportunity%20to%20connect%20with%20other%20businesses%20there%20and%20generate%20more%20work.%20Moving%20to%20the%20Nova%20Centre%20and%20the%20support%20from%20their%20team%20gave%20us%20the%20confidence%20to%20find%20our%20new%20premises%20and%20to%20keep%20going%20in%20the%20direction%20we%20want%20to%20go.%E2%80%9D%20%20%20A%20deadline%20of%20June%2030%20has%20been%20set%20for%20applications%20to%20join%20the%20centre,%20which%20is%20housed%20in%20a%20converted%20farmhouse.%20The%20two-stage%20process%20includes%20an%20application%20form,%20followed%20by%20a%20business%20plan%20review%20with%20Keele%20University%20Science%20and%20Business%20Park%E2%80%99s%20steering%20group%20panel.%20%20%20Lucy%20Delaney,%20KUSBP%20Business%20Development%20Officer,%20said:%20%E2%80%9CSeeing%20businesses%20of%20the%20Nova%20Centre%20develop%20to%20a%20stage%20where%20they%20need%20to%20find%20bigger%20offices%20means%20there%20are%20now%20fresh%20opportunities%20for%20more%20small%20businesses%20to%20use%20the%20facilities%20here.%20The%20support%20for%20businesses%20goes%20on%20for%20the%20whole%20two%20years,%20even%20helping%20find%20companies%20a%20new%20home%20or%20finding%20them%20a%20new%20space%20elsewhere%20on%20the%20science%20park%20when%20they%20leave.%20%20%20%E2%80%9CThere%20is%20a%20real%20buzz%20around%20Keele%20University%20at%20the%20moment%20following%20the%20announcement%20of%20investment%20from%20the%20City%20Deal%20to%20turn%20the%20campus%20into%20a%20green%20technology%20network.%20The%20City%20Deal%20makes%20KUSBP%20a%20perfect%20place%20for%20environmental%20technology%20companies%20and%20other%20small%20technology%20or%20innovation%20lead%20businesses.%20It%20will%20mean%20that%20major%20companies%20will%20bring%20their%20newest%20innovations%20to%20be%20tested%20at%20Keele,%20opening%20up%20even%20more%20opportunities%20for%20Nova%20Centre%20tenants%20to%20attract%20investors.%E2%80%9D%20%20%20For%20information%20on%20how%20to%20enter,%20businesses%20should%20contact%20Lucy%20Delaney%20on%20l.delaney@keele.ac.uk%20or%2001782%20734%20603. or 01782 734 603.
