Creative, Digital & Design Business Briefing — October 2015

Creative, Digital & Design Business Briefing — October 2015

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  Creative, Digital &Design Business Briefing A digest of useful information for UK businesses seeking funding and support, updated monthly October / November 2015 @KTN_Creative
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  Brought to youby the following organisations:
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  Contents • KTN events •Other events • Public funding calls • Other public funding • Public investment • Accelerator programmes • Private financing • Other financing mechanisms • Launching a new business? • Non-financial support for your business • Training & skills • Useful reports
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  14:00-17:30, Tuesday 3November – 8 John Adam St, London WC2N 6EZ The IC tomorrow ´Intelligent Data Insights Contest´ is offering six businesses up to £35,000 each to encourage innovation in artificial intelligence, data analysis and sensors across the themes of education, finance, advertising, wellbeing and travel. In addition to the funding awards available, the winners will have an exclusive opportunity to test and develop their solution in collaboration with our leading industry partners: IBM Watson, Carnival Corporation, London City Airport, Office of National Statistics, Barclays Bank and NMP with Bathstore. More info and how to register available here Intelligent Data Insights - Innovation Contest Briefing
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  12:30-15:00, Wednesday 4November – Digital Catapult Centre, 101 Euston Rd, Kings Cross, London NW1 2RA An informal information sharing session designed to support digital companies and learn more about Innovate UK and the Digital Catapult. This session will include representatives from across Innovate UK’s programmes highlighting a range of upcoming funding opportunities for digital companies, researchers and academic institutions working across a diverse range of sectors. Please note: If you are interested in giving a 5 minute presentation, slots are given on a first come first served basis at the event. Further info and registration details available here Digital Business Drop-In
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  14:00-17:00, Thursday 5November - The Mac, 10 Exchange St West, Belfast BT1 2NJ Join the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and Innovate UK in Belfast as part of the Belfast Media Festival for an afternoon session aimed at creative, digital and design companies, looking to access funding and support to grow. There will be presentations from both Innovate UK and KTN on the types of support and funding available, and also be a chance to meet with and discuss your business over a networking lunch. More info and how to register available here. Regional Digital Business Drop-In Belfast
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  Thursday, 5 November2015 from 10:00 to 16:00 – Central London The KTN, in collaboration with the H2020 NCP for ICT, is organising a briefing event for the European funding competitions for projects covering the following competition calls: ICT-01-2016: Cyber Physical Systems ICT-03-2016: SSI - Smart Systems Integration ICT-04-2017: Smart Anything Everywhere Initiative FoF-11-2016: Digital Automation FoF-12-2017: ICT Innovation for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS) More info and how to register available here. H2020 funding for Smart Systems and ICT for Factories of the Future
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  Wednesday, 11 November2015 from 10:00 to 13:30 – Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA Innovate UK is to invest up to £4 million in collaborative R&D projects that stimulate innovation in the UK's creative industries. This competition aims to support projects that address convergence in digital media technologies. It covers film, television, online video, animation and video games, and includes pre- production, production and post- production processes, particularly for visual effects technologies. Projects must be collaborative and led by a business. More info and how to register available here Cross-platform production in digital media – competition briefing event
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  These events offerurban authorities and also business the opportunity to access use cases for future cities solutions, and to have a say on the future of Innovate UK’s Urban Living Programme. Over the past 2 years, Innovate UK has invested £33m in future cities demonstrators across Glasgow, London, Bristol and Peterborough. This series of workshops, one in each demonstrator city, will draw together the key players who made these interventions fly, sharing their learning and insights with other cities to help address a common challenge of how to mobilise investment in new smart city initiatives. 16 November 2015, Bristol 21 January 2016, Glasgow 8 February 2016, London 2 March 2016, Peterborough City Demonstrator Learning Events
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  Wednesday, 18 November2015 from 10:00 to 17:00 in Central London The Knowledge Transfer Network are hosting a one day briefing event covering the funding opportunities for creative and digital businesses in the H2020 ICT work plan. Philippe Gelin from the Creativity Unit at DG Connect in Luxembourg will talk through calls aimed to enable collaboration and tech transfer between creatives and technologists for commercial applications. This will also be a valuable opportunity to learn more about making funding applications and finding European partners. Participants will also have the chance to put forward ideas and priorities to be considered in the European Commission's funding plans. More info and how to register available here H2020: Creativity and Technology Opportunities for the Creative Industries
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  Tuesday, 24 November2015 from 16:00 to 19:00 in Brighton The Knowledge Transfer Network is hosting an afternoon briefing event covering the opportunities available for creative and digital businesses in the H2020 ICT work plan focusing on call ICT 24 Gaming and Gamification, from the ICT H2020 Workplan. This will also be a valuable opportunity to learn more about making applications and finding European partners. Participants will also be able to put forward UK creative industry priorities to be included in European Commission's funding policy development. More info and how to register available here Gaming and Gamification: European Funding Opportunities for the Creative and Digital Industries
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  5.30pm–8.30pm, Wednesday 25November 2015 in Central London Innovate UK's IC tomorrow programme, in partnership with the Knowledge Transfer Network, is hosting an exclusive Digital Inclusion and Care Speed Networking event to connect leading industry partners with entrepreneurs developing innovative solutions to tackle challenges from accessing online services, to navigating complex environments, to enabling older people to live independently. If you are a digital company and would like to be considered for this opportunity, please fill out a short online application form by 12 noon Tuesday 10 November. If you are an established brand and would like to attend as an industry partner, Serena Connor will advise on availability and potential opportunities for future involvement in the speed networking event series. Further info at ictomorrow.org Digital Inclusion and Care Speed Networking
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  10:00-17:00, Tuesday 8December – ICO Conference Centre, 22 Berners St, London W1T 3DD The KTN in collaboration with the H2020 NCP in ICT bring you this thematic event on upcoming Big Data H2020 calls for 2016. The purpose of this event will be to: - Present information on the range of European funding available in 2016 & 2017 via Horizon2020 relating to Big Data - Network with stakeholders already engaged in or seeking to engage in these areas - Learn from case studies of active projects in these areas, and; - Present practical aspects on 'How to do it' Further info and registration details available here H2020 – Big Data Topics Brokerage
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  Other events Screen Awards2015 – London, 22 October Annual Payments Conference 2015 – London, 22 October Creative Scotland Open Sessions – x5 events around Scotland from 19 October to 19 November TEDx Brighton 2015 – Brighton, 30 October Meeting the changing needs of the creative workforce – London, 4 November
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  Other events contd. BusinessRevolution – ExCel London, 4-5 November KTP @40: How can KTP help my company grow? – London, 9 November Sustainable Innovation 2015 – Epsom, 9-10 November VRTGO 2015 – Newcastle, 12 November Transforming our Future Conference: Robotics and Autonomous Systems – London, 13 November
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: This collaborative R&D investment aims to support projects that address convergence in digital media technologies. It covers film, television, online video, animation and video games, and includes pre-production, production and post-production processes, particularly for visual effects technologies. Register for briefing event: London - Wednesday, 11 November 2015, 10:00 to 13:30 Scale: Up to £4m Closes: 23 December 2015, 12:00 More info on innovateuk.org Cross-platform production in digital media
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: Innovate UK and DSTL investing in technical feasibility studies to stimulate innovation throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC) while focusing on the verification and validation* (V&V) of two classes of complex systems: cyber physical systems (CPS) and systems with emergent behaviours. Scale: up to £580K Information event: A competition information event will be on 9 October in Birmingham – click here to register Closes: 11 November 2015, 12:00 More info on: innovateuk.org Software verification and validation for complex systems
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: Innovate UK is offering 4 businesses up to £35,000 (excluding VAT) each to encourage innovation around smart urban spaces across the themes of engaging spaces, active citizenship and urban travel. We are looking for digital solutions that improve cities on a human scale for the people who live, work and play in them. The winners will also be able to trial their solutions with one of the challenge partners: Transport for London, Centro, Clear Channel and Atkins Scale: Up to £140K Closes: 24 Nov 2015, 12:00 More info on: innovateuk.org Innovation in urban spaces
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: The purpose of this call for research proposals is to identify innovative technologies or approaches to meet the security challenges created by the Internet of Things. Scale: Up to £1 million is available for phase 1 of this competition. A number of projects will be funded between £60,000 to £90,000 for a duration of around 3 months. Up to a further £1 million will be made available for phase 2. Funding will be considered on a per-project basis. Closes: 29 October, 2015 More info: innovateuk.org Security for the internet of things
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: Investment in collaborative R&D projects to catalyse innovation to improve the efficiency and experience of the end-to- end journey for people and freight. Scale: Up to £1 million Closes: 11 November, 2015 More info: innovateuk.org Enhancing the end-to-end journey
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: investment by Innovate UK and the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT) in collaborative research and development projects to stimulate innovation across three sectors that underpin future Mexican socio-economic growth. Scale: Up to £6 million Applicant briefing recording is available here. The passcode to access this recording is Mexico. Applicants are strongly recommended to view these alongside the other competition documentation. Closes: 27 January, 2016 More info: innovateuk.org Mexico-UK Collaborative Industrial R&D Competition
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: investment by Innovate UK and the National Research Foundation, Singapore for Small and Medium Sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK to develop and test out their ideas in the area of technologies for smart urbanisation - working and building partnerships with Singapore. Scale: Up to £250K per project Closes: 11 November, 2015 More info: innovateuk.org UK-Singapore: technologies for smart urbanisation
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: This competition invites companies to specifically turn their minds to developing products that will help patients, clinicians and managers deliver high-quality and efficient urgent and emergency care. Bids are welcomed from all sectors and particularly keen to invite companies working in non-health fields to consider whether the technologies they are developing could be applied to the challenges we face for urgent care. Scale: Up to £100K Closes: 17 November 2015, 12:00 More info: innovateuk.org Reducing pressure on urgent and emergency care
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: Competition involving Scottish Government and Scottish Diabetes Group, in association with Scottish Enterprise, Innovate UK and NHS Scotland, to find innovative new solutions focused on diabetes education and mobile health. Scale: Up to £150K for phase 1 ( up to £30K per project) Closes: 30 December, 2015 More info: innovateuk.org Personalised diabetes education and care - a systemic approach
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: This Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) SBRI themed competition seeks proof-of-concept research proposals for innovative component technologies and techniques to acquire, process, visualise and analyse data that can be used to support decision making for both human and autonomous systems. Proposals can relate to any military environment, in the air, on land or at sea.. Scale: Up to £2m of funding is available for Phase 1 of this competition. Closes: 11 November, 2015 More info on: gov.uk Autonomy and big data for defence
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: Investment in collaborative R&D projects to address the UK’s need for improved analytical technologies that support the development of current and next generation biopharmaceutical products. Scale: Up to £4m Closes: 21 October 2015, 12:00 More info on: innovateuk.org Analytical technologies for biopharmaceuticals
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: Innovate UK and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport are running a competition to generate new innovative solutions to address the problem of nuisance calls. Scale: up to £1.5m Closes: 4 November 2015, 12:00 More info on: innovateuk.org Nuisance calls
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: Innovate UK and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is jointly investing up to £0.5m to help UK companies establish new Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) in the area of cyber security. The funding is aimed at supporting collaborations between HEIs and SMEs. Scale: up to £500K Register for Briefing Event: 10:00-16:00 5 November 2015, Coventry More info on: _connect Cyber Security KTP
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: Investment in technical feasibility studies that explore the operational and financial feasibility of integrating planned new or retrofit infrastructure projects into other urban systems in a beneficial way. Briefing event: Wednesday, 4 November 2015 from 10:00 to 13:00, Salford Scale: Up to £800K Closes: 18 November, 2015 More info: innovateuk.org Cities integrated by design
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  Public funding calls Keyfeature: Innovation voucher scheme funding for start-up, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to work with an external expert to gain the knowledge to innovate and grow. Scale: • Up to £5k voucher for SMEs Closes: 20 October 2015, 12:00 More info on: innovateuk.org Innovation Vouchers – Round 13
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  Public funding calls Smart2015/16 Key feature: A grant scheme which offers funding to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in R&D projects in the strategically important areas of science, engineering and technology. Scale: • Proof of market - up to £25k - 60% of project cost • Proof of concept - up to £100k - 60% of project cost • Prototype development - up to £250k - up to 45% of project cost Closes: 26 November, 2015 More info on: innovateuk.org
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  Horizon 2020 (H2020) Keyfeature: The H2020 programme is the major funding opportunity for R&D initiatives across Europe running up until 2020. There is a strong emphasis on creative industries, design and digital technologies. H2020 funding events: Smart Systems and ICT for Factories of the Future - Thursday 5 November 2015 from 10:00 to 16:00, London Border Security and Cyber Security - Tuesday 10 November 2015 from 10:00 to 17:00, Glasgow Creativity and Technology Opportunities for the Creative Industries - Wednesday 18 November 2015 from 10:00 to 17:00, London Smart Cities and Communities: EU Information Day – 6 Nov, Brussels H2020 Coffee Chats (with KTN & Innovate UK) – 3 Nov, 23 Nov - London
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  Horizon 2020 (H2020)contd. KTN Guide to Horizon 2020 and Other European Funding for the Creative Industries - This is a short guide to help you submit a proposal for the Horizon 2020 funding programme (H2020), as well as describing other European Commission funding sources. It provides a brief overview of how to apply, things to think about, where to get support and useful links. All information about H2020 calls now released is available via the H2020 Participant Portal. Further information on H2020 Work Programmes can also be found here. You can also find out more by joining our dedicated LinkedIn group.
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  Creative England filmproduction funding Key feature: Creative England now offers two strands of film production funding for both feature and high-end TV drama. • Lottery-based Production Fund: this is targeted at feature films with budgets of up to £2m and looking to experiment with innovative approaches; the fund has doubled from £500K to £1m for 2014/2015. • West Midlands Production Fund: invests in the production of feature films and high-end TV drama from companies based in the West Midlands as well as from producers looking to establish a base to film in the region. Circa £4m funding available for 2015, with a maximum investment of £1m per project. More info at creativeengland.co.uk Public funding calls
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  Other public funding •Creative Europe - here you can find relevant information concerning funding opportunities within the Creative Europe programme. • Arts Council of Wales – offer a selection of arts grants for creative professionals and organisations. • Wellcome Trust Arts Awards – offer two levels of funding to encourage collaboration between arts and science. • Screen Yorkshire – Yorkshire Content Fund – production finance available; can invest £1m+ in individual film or TV dramas that will be in production by December 2015.
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  Other public funding •Creative Industry Finance - Delivered by Creative United and funded by Arts Council England, this programme is designed to assist creative and cultural enterprises in securing access to loan finance from £2,500 upwards. • Funding Central and Finance Funder - Online guide to over 4,000 grants, contracts and other forms of finance: fully searchable based on finance type, scale and your geographical location; especially good for businesses seeking charitable or grant funding. • Creative Scotland Open Project Funding - This fund supports the arts, screen and creative industries, with projects that help them explore, realise and develop their creative potential. • Creative Skillset - Creative Skillset directs collective investment through the Skills Investment Fund to create new and innovative training in priority skills and in-demand roles to ensure growth in the UK’s Creative Industries.
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  Public Investment Nesta ImpactInvestment Fund Key feature: An equity investment fund investing in social ventures with innovative products or services that are addressing some of the UK’s most pressing challenges. Investments are made in areas that tackle: • the health and wellbeing of an ageing population • the educational attainment and employability of children and young people • the social and environmental sustainability of communities. Scale: between £150k - £1m Closes: on-going More info on: Nesta Investments
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  Public Investment Arts ImpactFund Key feature: Funded by Arts Coucil England, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Nesta, the Arts Impact Fund is a new £7million initiative set up to demonstrate the potential for social investment in arts. It offers repayable finance to arts organisations working in England that can show how they are sustainable, have great artistic ambitions and have a positive impact on society in at least one of the following areas: citizenship & community, young people & educational attainment, health & wellbeing. Scale: between £150k - £600k Closes: on-going More info on: Arts Impact Fund
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  Public Investment Digital InnovationFund for the Arts in Wales Key feature: The Digital Innovation Fund for the Arts in Wales is a new strategic partnership between Arts Council of Wales and Nesta, following on from the Digital R&D Fund for the Arts in Wales. It aims to encourage arts organisations to undertake innovation projects, using digital technology as a tool to help improve audience reach and engagement, or develop new business models. A series of information workshops will take place between 20-28 Oct – registration details available here. Scale: £5K - £75K (according to stage) Closes: stage 1 applications – 11 Dec 2015 More info on: nesta.org
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  Public Investment Open DataIncubator Europe (ODINE) – Round 3 Key feature: ODINE offers financial support to European innovators to grow their open-data idea into a sustainable business. Project proposals from SMEs working with open data are being assessed every two months from 1 May 2015 to 31 August 2016. All proposals are assessed by a panel of external reviewers and selected projects will run for up to six months. Scale: up to £100K per company plus: expert advice from business mentors, peer-networking and support, brokering introductions to business angels and investors. Closes: 31 October, 2015 More info on: opendataincubator.eu
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  Accelerator Programmes • MerckSharp & Dohme Limited (MSD) and Wayra have recently launched Velocity Health - a digital preventative healthcare accelerator. Up to a total of £64K will be offered in investment to a selected number of start-ups which will include 50 per cent funds and the rest made up of dedicated acceleration services such as access to a network of mentors, coaches and investors. Deadline for submissions is 11:59pm on Monday 9th November, 2015. • Launched by the Design Council and MedCity, and supported by Axa PPP Healthcare, the MedTechSouthEast programme offers south-east based individuals and teams with a technology at proof of concept stage a chance to compete for one of ten places on the intensive coaching course, which will be led by design experts and medical technology industry leaders. Deadline to submit proposals: Friday 23 October.
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  Private financing Balderton hasa track record of helping entrepreneurs build substantial businesses – with more $250m+ exits in the past five years than any other European venture firm Connect Ventures, London – invest in mobile, internet and digital media businesses; invest at the early stage and focus on seed investments; investment size ranges from £200K-£600k Index Ventures, London, San Francisco & Geneva – venture capital firm making investments in information technology and life sciences companies, since 1996 they have teamed up with technology entrepreneurs in more than 30 countries The AngelCo Fund is a £100m investment fund with objectives to back promising UK businesses at all stages of development and in most sectors, provided they qualify as an SME.
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  Private financing Notion Capital,London – invest in B2B Cloud & SaaS companies who have sustained 100% Year-over-Year growth; investment areas include adtech, communications and collaboration tools, ecommerce, enterprise software, fintech and security; portfolio raised over £200m in 2014 Hoxton Ventures, partners with founders seeking to invent new market categories or transform large, existing industries; their sweet spot is internet, mobile and software startup investing - up to $2m The Business Finance Guide, devised for businesses and advisers by the ICAEW Corporate Finance Faculty together with the British Business Bank and is supported by 17 major professional, membership and representative organisations; outlines sources of finance available to businesses – ranging from start-ups to SMEs and growing mid-sized companies
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  Private financing Better BusinessFinance is an excellent tool for identifying the right type of finance at all stages of a business as well as identifying providers who can help. This section provides a searchable directory of information about the members of the UK Business Angels Association, what services they provide and how to contact them. British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association provides an explanation of different types of financing and other resources for entrepreneurs. The UK Business Angels Association is the national trade association representing angel and early-stage investment in the UK.
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  Other financing mechanisms Crowdfunder.co.uk– UK’s largest crowdfunding network having launched 1000’s of projects and raised over £2m, platform launched by KEO digital and partners include Nesta and Creative England Funding Circle – an online marketplace which allows savers to lend money directly to SMEs; as of February 2014 Funding Circle has facilitated £223m in loans to SMEs Crowd2Fund – a crowdfunding platform designed to enable a range of funding options, from loans to equity SyndicateRoom – equity crowdfunding platform for investing in UK startups backed by experience business angels CrowdShed - covers rewards, lending and donation-based crowdfunding opportunities, focused on creative, academic, charity and cause-based projects.
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  Launching a newbusiness? • The Open Data Institute runs a start-up programme that helps start-ups build business models around open data • Tech City UK offers advice and support to start-ups looking for guidance in and around London. It has launched its Digital Business Academy. Tech City UK can also endorse visa applications to help recruit talent to Britain. • Innovate UK - IC tomorrow connects start-ups and SMEs with leading commercial partners and investors, through funded contests, events, and strategic matchmaking opportunities. • Transmit Start Ups provide financial support and mentoring to creative and digital entrepreneurs that would not normally be available via traditional banking relationships.
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  Launching a newbusiness? • AIM Start Up Loans - Government supported start-up loans for the Creative Industries. • Seedcamp is a London based accelerator that provides startups with seed money, mentorship, office space, support over a year long programme. • The British Business Angels Association can help put you in touch with relevant business angel investors. • Over the next few months Ogilvy Labs is embarking on its Retail Semester to ‘exhibit knowledge’ into five identified ‘pillars’: In- Store, Online, Payments, Operations and Engagement.
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  Are you anexisting business seeking non-financial advice or support? • Nesta’s creative business mentor network offers ambitious businesses looking to grow one-one mentoring with some of the creative digital sector’s most successful leaders • The UKTI offers advice to help with exporting • Tech City UK can help advise on inward investment • The Digital Catapult can help you showcase your business
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  Are you anexisting business seeking advice or support? • AngelList – helps source angel investors • Subsidised costs to work with a specialist to build and deliver business growth – GrowthAccelerator • Capital List - is an investor-introduction service available free of charge to London based SMEs as part of the Capital Accelerator Programme • Interactive Scotland is a Scottish Enterprises project providing specialist expert advice to all Digital and Creative Businesses across Scotland • Grant Thornton provide a specialist service for R&D tax relief/ credits claims
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  Personal Data andTrust Network A digital business network to build and nurture a community that brings together industry, the public sector, funders, research organisations and innovators to support the UK in becoming the global leader in trust and responsible innovation with personal data. For more information and to join, visit pdtn.org.
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  Training and skills •Training in Open Data from the Open Data Institute • Digital Business Academy – via Tech City • Digital Project Management – via @IABUK • Digital Acceleration – via @hyperisland_uk • Digital training – via @Econsultancy – e-marketing courses Develop your skills with these world-class courses:
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  Useful reports/ marketresearch • Ofcom – The Communications Market 2015 • Nesta – A guide to successful corporate-startup collaborations • Centre for Cities – Small Business Outlook 2015: cities and ‘new work’ • PwC – The Wearable Future (Consumer Intelligence Series) • KTN – A Guide to Horizon 2020 and Other European Funding for the Creative Industries • comScore – The 2015 U.S. Mobile App Report • App Annie – The Most Popular iPhone and iPad Apps of All Time
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  Something else we'vemissed? Please let us know: [email protected] Subscribe to monthly updates