Funding aims to create launchpad for next generation of business innovators
Leeds City Council has launched a funding scheme that is aiming to open the door to a bright business future for a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.
Having launched its Innovation@Leeds scheme earlier this year when it invited grant applications from organisations that provide training, mentoring and other forms of support for people aiming to develop their own innovation-led businesses, the council has now revealed the nine successful bidders.
The successful programmes which were selected following a competitive process and will each receive a grant ranging from £5,000 to £25,000, include Open Innovations, FinTech North, Paceline, Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network (AHSN), Whitecap Consulting, AI Tech North, The Grad Soc, No Code Lab and Nexus in collaboration with NorthInvest.
The grants will be used to fund conferences, workshops and peer support groups for a diverse set of innovators from across the city, giving them access to the latest information on technology trends as well as opportunities to build valuable business connections.
This mix of knowledge sharing, networking and enterprise-friendly activity will, it is hoped, provide a launchpad for aspiring entrepreneurs with ideas that can help tackle problems such as climate change and poverty, while also driving Leeds’s recovery from the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Commenting on the scheme and the council’s long-standing commitment to the city’s innovation ecosystem, councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy, culture and education, said: “Leeds is a city brimming with talent, and we want to do everything we can to help people put that creativity, spark and passion to use in ways that benefit both them and the local economy.
“These Innovation@Leeds grants will play a part in that important process by supporting some of the many local organisations that provide the training and mentoring needed to make ideas become a reality.
“We already have a fast-growing digital sector and plenty of fantastic, forward-thinking companies. Innovation@Leeds should now help shape a new generation of entrepreneurs who will write the next chapter in the city’s burgeoning tech success story.”
The grants have been funded by the council’s Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) budget in recognition of the challenges created by the pandemic and the need to drive economic recovery.
It’s hoped that this initiative will prove timely for start-ups that, for a variety of reasons, came into existence during the pandemic and are looking for guidance and advice as they find their feet in a much-changed business world.
If you’re interested in the innovation ecosystem and the next generation of disruptors coming from the North you should check out the Disruptors conference on October 20. The one day event brought to you by TheBusinessDesk.com alongside headline sponsors Deloitte, Clarion, UKFast and Quba and will challenge businesses to pick a side; the disruptor or the disrupted.
The virtual conference is also being sponsored by Nexus, Curveblock, Stickyeyes, Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, WeLink and Ribble Cycles. It will showcase the businesses already leading the charge and innovating from the north and the next generation of entrepreneurs and companies that are aiming to transform the regional, national and global economy.
The free to attend event will also encourage and inspire business leaders and managers who know they need to become a disruptor. It will also inform you on what is being done by our politicians and policymakers to attract technology companies and investments, boost skills and create the conditions for innovative businesses to flourish.
