£1m for Scotland's next generation of entrepreneurs
01/11/2006
"Starter for 6 is a significant new opportunity for innovative and aspiring Scottish talent to get their businesses off to an ambitious start."
The million pound project, Starter for 6, will build the enterprise skills of up to 300 new entrepreneurs over three years, working in Scotland across science, technology and the creative industries. Led by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), in partnership with the Six Cities Design Festival and Highlands & Islands Enterprise, the project will provide business support, mentoring and the opportunity to apply for a start-up grant of up to £10,000.
The programme will be open to any fledgling entrepreneur in Scotland. Up to 100 people per year will go through the training sessions and places will be awarded on a competitive basis. Allocation of start-up grants will be based on the quality of the idea, its business potential and the strength of the proposed business team.
Among those attending today's launch - which takes place at 10:30am, Brazen Studios, 58 Albion Street, Glasgow - is Director of Nations and Regions for Channel 4 and NESTA Trustee, Stuart Cosgrove and Managing Director of online tyre firm, Black Circles, Michael Welch. Set up by NESTA awardee, Sarah Raffel, Brazen Studios is a fully equipped jewellers' workshop and retail space.
Leading entrepreneur, Michael Welch, has picked up several UK business awards since setting up the Scottish based Black Circles in 2000, which dispatches tyres to customers via a national franchise network of 800 depots. Welch feels that the initiative will provide invaluable support to young entrepreneurs, he comments: "The most difficult period in launching a new business is the start-up phase. The NESTA initiative is the first support project I have come across that identifies the fears and requirements of new businesses during this precarious period.
"I would have welcomed the chance to be involved in the scheme when we went live with Blackcircles.com. What a great opportunity for those chosen to participate."
Stuart Cosgrove comments: "Starter for 6 is a significant new opportunity for innovative and aspiring Scottish talent to get their businesses off to an ambitious start."
"Most bright young people don't get the chance to see their brilliant ideas materialise because of a lack of start-up funding and guidance. That's why we are delighted to launch this pilot project in Scotland," says Jonathan Kestenbaum, CEO of NESTA.
Julia Fenby, Acting Director of The Lighthouse said: "Scotland has the potential to be a world leader in design and innovation. In order to achieve this we need both to support the existing infrastructure and invest in new talent. The Six Cities Design Festival is part of a larger strategy to enable Scotland to maximise its creative potential. We look forward to working closely with NESTA and the other Starter for Six partners to provide meaningful support young creative entrepreneurs at the beginning of their careers."
Training activity will focus on six city areas: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Stirling, although applications will be accepted from any part of Scotland.
"Whilst the finance is a welcome support for any business starting up, the mentoring and the opportunity to meet up with other creative entrepreneurs from around the country, provides a great chance for any new business to start building its own networks that can help the business develop in the future," says Iain Hamilton, Creative Industries Manager, Highlands & Islands Enterprise.
Starting with the premise that not every entrepreneur has the optimum business idea or team to assist that business, Starter for 6, sets out to provide a tailored programme of training and support. Additional help will be provided through a series of workshops, which will give potential applicants the opportunity to meet others, share ideas and to generate and refine business ideas.
Scotland has long been hailed as a hotbed of innovation and was recently named the UK's most entrepreneurial region, with more companies backed by venture capital per head of population than London, in a report commissioned by UBS Wealth Management.
Starter for 6 applications close on Monday February 12th 2007. The 'Idea Generation' workshops start February 6th, 7th and 8th in Dundee, Glasgow and Inverness.
For further information, please contact Stephanie Robertson on 013 3345 1122/ 07919 447 231 or email Stephanie@crail.sol.co.uk
The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) is working to transform the UK's capacity for innovation. Our endowed funds of over £300m allow us to be a genuine risk-funder, to take a longer-term view and invest in the most promising new ideas and ventures. Underpinning our work is the fundamental view that successful innovation fuels long-term economic and social progress, and is an essential ingredient to the UK maintaining its competitive edge in the global market place.
The Six Cities Design Festival
The Six Cities Design Festival is an initiative aimed at unlocking Scotland's creativity and innovation as a means of competing in the global marketplace; developing a future for design in Scotland through education and early business investment; increasing public engagement with design in its broadest definition.
There are three key strands to the Six Cities Design initiative: developing the use of design and creativity in business; raising awareness of design through education programmes; increasing public engagement with design through a three week Festival to be held simultaneously in Scotland's six cities May/June 2007.
The Six Cities Design Festival is a project developed and managed by The Lighthouse, Scotland's National Centre for Architecture, Design and the City, and is funded by the Scottish Executive.
For all media enquiries relating to the Six Cities Design initiative contact Lesley Booth on 0779 941 4474 or lesley.booth@newcenturypr.com
Highlands & Islands Enterprise
Highlands & Islands Enterprise activities include: provision of business support services, delivery of training and learning programmes, assistance for community and cultural projects and measures for environmental renewal. These activities are primarily delivered by our nine Local Enterprise Companies (LECs)
Brazen Studios
Sarah Raffel established Brazen Studios in April 2004 with further awards from Nesta's Creative Pioneer Programme and The Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust. It opened to the public in December 2004 and now represents over 35 of the most cutting edge jewellery designers from across the UK. Brazen studios gives new graduates and those working in the field of jewellery a chance to establish themselves, while showcasing design in an environment that is as stimulating for the shopper as it is for the maker.
Blackcircles.com Ltd
Blackcirlces.com was launched in 2001 as a revolutionary new way of buying tyres. Through either the company website or call centre service, customers can choose the type of tyres they want and have them fitted at their local independent garage. Blackcircles.com has a UK network of 987 tyre fitters and sells to around 100,000 customers. The Chairman of Blackcircles.com is Graeme Bissett, former Group Finance Director of Kwik-Fit. Mike Welch won the Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003 and in 2005 Mike was named Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year for Scotland in the Ernst & Young Awards.