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WORLD LEADING BUSINESS SUPPORT

SCALE-UP
PROGRAMME

For high-growth companies ready to become
the tech giants of tomorrow.

Apply Now

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Be part of an high-profile University backed network

Exclusive events

Support to develop collaborative R&D bids

 

Support to raise investment

About the Programme

High-growth, innovative companies are the engines of our economy.

Having navigated the challenges of the start-up phase, there are still many challenges faced by scale-up companies in order to continue growing, innovating and staying ahead of the competition.

Our Scale-Up Programme is designed to provide you with support around the key challenges of R&D, raising investment and accessing new talent.

As well as being part of a high-profile network, backed by SETsquared the global no 1 university business incubator, you’ll have a direct link to the research talent and expertise of the six scale-up partner universities (Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey).

Companies that leverage both public and private investment create valuable intellectual property and attract higher valuations. As part of our Scale-Up Programme, you’ll be first to find out about opportunities for investment in innovation from public and private funders. We have a range of opportunities to access bid support funds which will help you build compelling collaborative R&D bids alongside our scale-up partner universities.

Membership benefits

 Become part of our powerful scale-up member network

 Exclusive events including industry roundtable discussions

Accelerate your growth with an Innovation Workout

 Peer-to-peer support

Scale-Up members can unlock further enhanced services for a membership fee, including:

Collaborative R&D support for your business

Collaboration with a leading UK university (Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Southampton & Surrey) will help give your company a competitive advantage. As well as rigorous academic insight, it opens up new avenues for public grant funding and private investment.

Opportunities to access proposal development funding

As well as identifying appropriate calls and research partners, we can also assign a bid writer, help you build your consortia, develop your proposal and deliver a strong application for funding.

Access talent through our University introduction service

The breadth of the SETsquared scale-up partner universities across the six institutions provides direct access to some of the top talent in the UK. Your sector specialist will advise on the potential for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships to bring expertise into your business.

Investment raising support

Our Scale-Up Programme can offer unrivalled access to a wide network of investors, tools and support for investor readiness, periodic investment showcase events plus an online Investment Platform to showcase your investment campaign to active technology investors and corporate venturing teams.

Innovation Workout

Innovation Workout

Get your business fit for innovation. Fast-paced and dynamic, this fully-funded workshop which is offered as part of our scale-up programme, will help you identify new areas of growth, new markets and an action plan for growth.

Find out more and apply

Funding opportunities

We are currently offering funded support for companies and academics to apply for selected Government R&D funding calls. The calls we’ve selected are categorised under four themes; Digital Innovation, Innovation in Health, Next Generation Transport and Sustainability. Use the pages linked below to see what calls we’re supporting under those themes.

If you’re not looking for support for R&D at the moment but want to tap into the other benefits of our Scale-Up Programme – please apply using the application form below.

Next-Generation Transport

Funding & business support opportunities for companies and researchers developing solutions for next generation transport

Find out more and apply

Innovation in Healthcare

Funding & business support opportunities for SMEs & academics in the healthcare sector

Find out more and apply

Sustainable Innovation 

Funding & business support opportunities for SMEs & academics in the sustainable innovation sector

Find out more and apply

Digital

Funding & business support opportunities for SMEs & academics in the digital innovation sector

Find out more and apply

Our current areas of focus are listed above but we are open to companies with strong growth ambitions from any sector.

If you are still unsure please contact us

“The SETsquared Scale-Up Programme is a fantastic thing for SMEs. Too often, SMEs are focussed on their core business of delivering to their customers, and don’t have the resources to grow their businesses at the same time. The Scale-Up Programme is ideally placed to facilitate the conversations and partnerships that SMEs so desperately need to achieve their growth goals.”

Professor Rick Hillum, Executive Chairman, Claritum

Application Form

If you would like to become part of our Scale-Up Programme, please complete the form below.

Associate membership of the Scale Up programme is open to any company who meets the criteria and is free of charge. Full Membership will be offered to companies who access the CR&D proposal development support or investment raising support services. Full membership is subject to payment by the member company of a one-off fee and Membership is valid for one year. For the year 2019/20 the Membership Fee is £1,600 ex VAT. Any eligible company can waive the fee under the De Minimis State aid regulation (Commission Regulation (EU) NO 1470/2013) (DMR) providing they have not received in excess of 200,000EUR of aid within a 3 year period . This requires eligible companies to complete a Statement of Previous Aid declaration

The Scale-Up Programme is a partnership between: