Please note the requirement for the company to be fully published on the CompeteFor portal, this is not dissimilar from having to complete a simple online Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), which is a good exercise for companies.

• The first is for licensees covering: Leather goods and gifts, Metal gifts (excluding jewellery), Candles and home fragrance, Tins and enamelware, Drinks accessories, Silk accessories, and Design led gifts
• The second is for a software solution for the management of the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays
  

The Fund will provide matching funding (amount and terms/conditions) to existing sources of publicly funded loan (not grant) finance for businesses in the South East, being:

(i) Loan funds comprised within the SEEDA sponsored South East Funding Escalator, managed by Finance South East Limited,

(ii) Other publicly funded loan schemes for SMEs in the South East.

The Fund will offer loans of between £20,000 and £200,000 to ‘qualifying enterprises’ and will deliver additional growth finance in order to accelerate the development and improve the competitiveness of micro, small and medium sized businesses in the South East that themselves are delivering activities that help to reduce the region’s carbon ecological footprint. The Fund will support companies that will be:

(a)    Operating in new and emerging ecologically driven market sectors;

(b)   Delivering products or technologies that will contribute to a reduction in the region’s ecological footprint; or

(c)    Delivering innovation in other business sectors that result in more resource efficient business practices.

By accelerating the development of SMEs, the loans from the Fund will enable the businesses funded to develop and innovate in the long-term as well as enhancing their ability to access further growth capital at a later date moving the business along the funding escalator.

Find out more details through your Portfolio Director.

Recognising that many of the innovative advances in technology over the past 20 years have been developed by small, entrepreneurial companies, National Instruments UK and Ireland is offering grants for software, support and training to SMEs that are developing embedded devices in areas such as medical, energy and green engineering.

National Instruments has created a grant programme that will award up to £25,000 in software, support and training to selected SMEs to help companies reduce the cost of development.

"National Instruments UK and Ireland is committed to supporting innovation," said Robert Morton, Managing Director. "Through this grant programme, National Instruments is supporting scientists and engineers based in the UK and Ireland who are developing innovative solutions to the grand challenges the world faces in energy, sustainability and healthcare.”

For more information, please contact your Portfolio Director.

It was a great opportunity for these businesses to network as well as to profile themselves to potential Investors. 

Malina Wells of Curvety Ltd, a leading UK retailer offering a range of fashionable plus size women's clothing online commented "Venturefest was a great opportunity to meet with potential investors and introduce them to Curvety. The networking which ensued was very valuable and I made some excellent contacts who have offered to help Curvety on the road to success".

Louise Barker, Bamboo Innovations Ltd.  Bamboo engages young people in an educational gaming world designed to promote and reward their successful personal financial skills and behaviour.  Louise agreed “Venturefest was a great day for Bamboo. For the first time our gaming product was on display and we received fantastic feedback from all who visited our stand. We came away feeling very positive about our business and our future”

Our other business represented at Venturefest was Matt Hickey, CEO Intacare International, a UK-based medical technologies company with international experience in the clinical management of chronic disease. Intacare had the opportunity to pitch to potential investors. Matt confirmed "Venturefest provided an excellent win:win opportunity by mixing corporate networking with Venture Capital fundraising and has resulted in a number positive opportunities for my company."

With nearly two thirds of commercial innovation stemming from small companies, they are a vital source of wealth for generating new products.

The Technology Strategy Board funded 69 projects across three areas – low carbon, and energy, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing, data and measurement. They invested up to £25k in each project, lasting up to 3 months. 

Minister announces £8.4m investment in Plastic Electronics technologies.  Click here for the article 

Innovative crop protection R&D may help farmers cope with new EU regulations.  Click here for the article

For competitions and funding opportunities click here