Southampton Science Park is delighted to be awarded grant funding by Hampshire County Council to advance its Catalyst business accelerator.
Southampton Science Park is delighted to receive funding as part of Hampshire County Council’s ‘Investing in Hampshire’ scheme which aims to enhance economic recovery, innovation and sustainability across the county. The major grant of £61,000 will be used alongside matched funds to build on the success of the Science Park’s Catalyst business accelerator programme.
Catalyst is a unique opportunity for owners of early-stage technology companies to get focused support from experienced mentors to move their businesses forward fast. On completion, participants will have created an investment-ready business plan, had an opportunity to pitch to investors, and accessed the knowledge and networks needed to boost their chance of commercial success. They also benefit from a prestigious address at the Science Park Innovation Centre from which to do business for the duration of the programme.
Announcing the funding, the Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Keith Mans, commented, “The future prosperity of Hampshire centres around encouraging business to locate, grow and succeed here; ensuring tomorrow’s workforce has the right skills to thrive; and creating an environment which is attractive for people of all ages and backgrounds. With its focus on technology and innovation in Hampshire, the Southampton Science Park project has an exciting part to play in this ambition.”
Science Park CEO, Dr Robin Chave, said: “Our Catalyst initiative stands apart from other business growth schemes in that there is no cost to participants and no equity is taken from their companies. That’s why this funding from Hampshire County Council is so valuable and we are most grateful to Councillor Mans and his team for acknowledging the work that we are doing in stimulating innovation in Hampshire. He continued: “Access to funding is absolutely critical for early-stage businesses and unfortunately this is the reason that many start-ups – even those with the most exciting ideas, novel technologies and credible entrepreneurs at the helm – ultimately fail. That’s why the money we have received will be targeted at companies that show considerable potential for growth and job creation. Importantly, we can strengthen the Catalyst programme in this way with immediate effect, with the current Catalyst cohort having access to this fund straight away.”
The 2021 Catalyst programme will commence in July. Find out more and apply at www.science-park.co.uk
