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Westcott Incubator and Accelerator Programme

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Westcott Incubator and Accelerator Programme

The Incubator and Accelerator Programme at Westcott is a new funding opportunity that will enable businesses of various sizes and maturity, to access the facilities and expert teams based at Westcott to explore, build, and test their innovations.

Launching in November 2022, the programme includes two separate packages from which businesses can tailor the support they require using a voucher scheme that ranges from £5,000 to £25,000. These are our Incubator and Accelerator packages, which can be applied for together or separately to suit your business needs.

The application’s criteria for businesses includes:

  • Strategic alignment to Westcott’s technology and market focus areas
  • The innovation and market potential of the product or service
  • The business or product’s benefit to maximising growth at Westcott

The programme will run until August 2025, however the programme may close for applicants if all vouchers are utilised prior to this date.

About the Programmes

THE INCUBATOR PROGRAMME:

Offers strategic growth advice and support for the commercialisation of space related products and services. This includes technical guidance and design thinking, and commercialisation strategies for service development. This programme is focussed on early-stage business and small or medium enterprises.

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WHAT’S ON OFFER:

  • Tailored package of specialist business, design, and technical support
  • Business evolution sprints to help companies accelerate product and service development
  • Market exploration and prioritisation
  • Competition analysis and route to market strategies
  • Business modelling and commercialisation support
  • End user engagement and requirement capture strategies
  • Design Thinking approaches for service development
  • Satellite technology incorporation considerations
  • Communication support for partnership building or investor readiness
  • Expert clinics offering access to technical, design, and business expertise
  • Access to mentors, industry, academic and financial networks.
  • Access to the co-working space at Westcott Incubation Centre

There are up to 14 vouchers available with no match funding requirements. The value of the vouchers available are from £5,000-£20,000.

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THE ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME:

Offers access and supported use of Satellite Applications Catapult facilities and equipment* at Westcott. This includes a range of facilities and specialist apparatus related to the development of products and services for space or enabled by space, and support of technology experts who will help you to identify the right equipment to suit your needs.

What’s on offer:

  • Testing equipment and space simulation facilities
  • Manufacturing / Prototyping equipment
  • Real world test environments through our Living Labs
  • Access to the co-working space at Westcott incubation Centre

TESTIMONIALS

Patrick Cannon - Co-Founder and CTO, Techwerk

“We’re thrilled to be part of the Westcott Incubator. Joining the programme is a significant milestone for Techwerk, and will accelerate our innovation journey through access to its network of technical experts, industry leaders and facilities.”

Portia Bowman - Director, Growbotics

“Access to the Catapult team and Westcott facilities is really helpful. We have a lot of space sector knowledge but need help with manufacturing and robotics specifically so cross-sector transferral will be very useful.

“The incubator programme will help our business strategy and market analysis and hopefully we will also be accepted onto the accelerator programme to develop hardware. The aim is to access the robotics lab and start rapidly prototyping.”

There are up to 24 vouchers available which must be 50:50 match funded by companies. The value of the vouchers available are from £5,000-£25,000.

* Customers utilising the equipment are required to have a minimum Public Liability insurance cover of £5m and Employers Liability Insurance cover of £10m.

The EZ Board is keen to develop mechanisms whereby companies who have benefitted from the scheme, through the development of financially successful products and services, can contribute funding to the future programme to support other companies downstream. Details of this will be available ahead of project selection.

Register your interest for the programme

In order to apply for either programme, please register your interest using the form below and one of our team members will get in contact with you to discuss next steps.

Application Process

  • Register your interest for the programme using the form above
  • An initial scoping call is booked in with the Catapult team to discuss the eligibility and funding mechanisms
  • Fill the application form using the link provided by the Catapult team after the scoping call
  • The Catapult team will review the application, complete financial checks from Companies House and an Insurance check for Accelerator applications where applicants will be operating the equipment
  • Successful applicants will be invited to a 1.5-hour diagnostic session
  • 1.5-hour diagnostic session is booked with the Catapult team to get a better understanding of the business and identify the areas of support that they need
  • Application proposal pack collated with the Catapult team to send to expert application selection panel prior to the panel meeting
  • Applicants will do a 6–8-minute business pitch at the selection panel and successful applications will be recommended to the EZ Board for approval
View our Assessment Criteria
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THE BUSINESS INCUBATION CENTRE

Part of Westcott Space Cluster and located near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, the Business Incubation Centre was set up to develop new companies working in the strategic growth areas of rocket propulsion, 5G communications, drones, and other autonomous systems.

Successful applicants of the Incubator programme can take advantage of the unique and vibrant environment at the Centre, working at the cutting edge of the space sector.

The Westcott BIC was funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and developed by the Satellite Applications Catapult, Rockspring Hanover Property Unit Trust and Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

ACCELERATOR FACILITIES AT WESTCOTT

Whether you’re working on an innovation for space propulsion, in-orbit operations, 5G communications, or drones and other autonomous systems, our facilities at Westcott offer purpose-built spaces and specialist equipment for you to test and develop your product or service.

In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing

The Catapult has recently expanded their ‘Access to Space’ facilities at Westcott with a brand-new IOSM centre led by experts in the areas of robotics, manufacturing, in-orbit operations, and much more.

Find out more

Drone Test & Development Centre

The Drone Test and Development Centre has purpose-built workshops for companies to refine their drone products or services and the use of a re-purposed runway that will provide a secure environment to support remote flight operations.

Find out more

Future Networks and Systems

The Future Networks Development Centre enables companies to prototype their products within lab facilities that are designed to develop communication services for the future of satellite 5G infrastructure and terrestrial applications.

Find out more

The Living Labs

The Healthy and Agri Living Labs are housed at Westcott in a new, purpose-built test and co-creation facility. The facility will enable companies to discover, co-create, and deliver solutions in unique spaces carefully curated as real-world environments.

Find out more