Innovative Entrepreneurs is part of Enterprise West Yorkshire and funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority;. This programmes aims to provide the support, guidance and means for individuals and teams to transform their ideas into high impact, profitable businesses which can create positive impact within the region and beyond.
Overview
About The Innovative Entrepreneurs Programme
If you are solution focused, comfortable with taking risks and motivated to design, develop and pitch your idea until it becomes a reality then we want to hear from you.
No business experience is needed; just an idea and a passion for solving problems.
We’re looking for:
- Ideas that take a new approach to solving a problem.
- Products or services that haven’t yet been invented, which can solve major issues.
- Groundbreaking ideas that impact society on a large scale.
- Development of a new product, service or even process which adds additional value to an existing solution.
The progrmame will support 75 individuals over the next 2 years. The start date of each programme will be:
- January 2024
- April 2024
- September 2024
- January 2025
Criteria
To join the Innovative Entrepreneurs programme you need to be:
- Aged 18 or over.
- A resident of West Yorkshire, or owner of a start-up business located in West Yorkshire.
- Able to commit to completing the nine-month programme.
- Able to prioritise this programme over other commitments when needed.
What you receive
Part 1
Intensive Idea Development
April – June
4 x 7 hour in-person learning sessions
8 x 90-minute online learning sessions
10+ hours of one-to-one coaching
6 x 2 hour group mentoring sessions
Part 2
Investor Readiness Support
July-September
10 hours of Investor readiness support
3 hours 1-1 coaching
Mentoring
Pitch for grant funding
Part 3
Next steps
October-December
3 hours of 1-1 coaching
Networking events
Peer support group
In addition to the learning on the programme participants will also have access to:
Co-working office space
Each participant will have access to 12 months of co-working office space through one of the Founder Hubs, located within each of the 5 districts of the region.
Opportunity to win Grant funding
Each cohort will have 3 prizes of £5,000 of grant funding available to win.
From left to right, you have:
- Husain Alogaily / Compost-It
- Dani Davidson & Brandon Deane / HarmonaiHubs
- Jason, who is an angel investor, supports the cohort with pitch readiness training and coaching
- Ellie MacDonald / HelloHope CIC*
- Jason Crispin / IMAGINaiTION