Whether you are at the initial business ideas stage or want to take your business in a new direction, Plymouth University can help. Leading the Peninsula Growth Acceleration and Investment Network (GAIN), we offer a wide range of support, advice and facilities to enable you to progress at any stage in your business growth.
Creating Business Ideas:
• Business Ideas Challenge – annual competition to help individuals and small groups turn business ideas into a reality whilst providing exposure to advice and potential investors
• FLUX – national annual challenge for students. Working in small teams, competitors have half a day to create a business idea before pitching to a panel of experts
• Enterprise Workshops – workshops providing the skills and knowledge needed to set up a new business, covering subjects including; finance, business planning, market research, IP protection and ideas development
• Proof of Concept Funding – available to University staff and students to help improve their business concept, for example taking an idea to the marketplace or funding market research, patent protection costs and prototype build
• One Stop Ideas Shops – free monthly events providing confidential specialist information and guidance on protecting and developing a business idea or product from a variety of experts
Creating and Growing Investable Businesses:
We help innovative businesses, including social enterprises, become sustainable by providing stimulation and support within an active entrepreneurial community. Where appropriate, we help match them to suitable investable propositions and investors.
In addition to support we provide a number of facilities including:
• Formation Zone Network – provides support for start-up or existing businesses, particularly aimed at marine/environmental, creative, medical/health and engineering sectors
• Tamar Science Park – hosts a large community of the most innovative businesses in the South West, including medical, science, technology and knowledge-based companies
• Pool Innovation Centre *– hosts a rapidly growing community of high-growth knowledge-based businesses across all sectors
• Tremough Innovation Centre – hosts a community of knowledge-based businesses, particularly focused on growth businesses in the environmental and creative sectors
• Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre (open January 2013) will host a community of knowledge-based businesses particularly focused on businesses in the health sector