Fast-tracking the best ideas into the marketplace
We recognise that to get the very best ideas to the market, more integrated support needs to be given to low carbon technology entrepreneurs. In response, the Carbon Trust has launched a completely new* service designed to ‘turbo charge’ and stimulate investment in early-stage clean tech companies. The Carbon Trust Entrepreneurs Fast Track provides a customised package of expert advice, research and development funding and networking opportunities to the leading UK’s low carbon technology start-ups**. The service has already been welcomed by business leaders, including Sir James Dyson, The Federation of Small Business, the business angel community and the UK Government.
A Complete Service: Developed by Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs
From our experience of supporting over 250 entrepreneurs, the Carbon Trust is already recognised as the UK’s low carbon technology innovation specialist. We have taken the best elements of our services and consulted 400 early stage companies from across the UK to really understand the challenges they face. Our response to the needs of this audience is the Entrepreneurs Fast Track.
The result is a complete and customised set of services that will help support entrepreneurs get to the market faster and with a greater likelihood of success. A new addition from the Carbon Trust is the support to low carbon entrepreneurs to turn their concepts into working prototypes. This will sit alongside an integrated set of services to provide support for technology research and development, as well as strategic commercial and expert technical advice. Each entrepreneur will receive a customised program of support based on their specific needs. The Entrepreneurs Fast Track provides:
- Advice through commercial and technical consultancy services up to the value of £70k; this can be fully-funded by Carbon Trust
- Grants for research and development from £20k to £500k; these grants will only provide a proportion of the project costs and applicants should demonstrate the source of the remaining funds
- Networking with investors and industry partners through Carbon Trust’s contacts.
Some of the key elements of the service may include:
Grant funding for technology development of up to £500k including:
- Proving viability of technical solutions
- Building and testing prototypes up to full scale to develop and demonstrate the technology.
Commercial advice and support of up to £70k including:
- Advising on patenting and intellectual property strategies
- Prioritising markets and providing advice on how to enter them
- Building capable management teams
- Help finding customers, partners and investors
- Developing an investor ready business plan and pitch
- Boosting marketing and PR capabilities
- Providing expert engineering, modelling and product development
- Meeting product texts and regulations
- Assistance with scale-up for manufacture
Supporting the best
For the Carbon Trust a great idea is one that works technically but is also capable of actually making the journey to commercial reality. The companies we work with recognise we set a high standard for entry to the Fast Track scheme but it is well worth it: over 80% of the companies we have supported so far acknowledge that working with the Carbon Trust brings a legitimising endorsement for their company and that’s an important consideration with potential customers, partners and investors.
Access to the best Low Carbon Network in the UK
Access to potential customers, partners and investors is critical when trying to get an idea to the marketplace. The Carbon Trust is widely recognised and respected amongst business and industry. We have worked with 75% of the FTSE 250 and have helped over 30,000 organisations to reduce their carbon impact. We have built up a great network and we try where possible to introduce entrepreneurs to this network. Some of the examples of how our network has helped organisations in the past includes:
- Introductions to suitable potential customers – corporate and SME
- Facilitation with potential partners
- Press opportunities with national, international and trade press
- Introductions to suitable investors
- Involvement in our investor and corporate showcases and forums
- Involvement in Carbon Trust and industry events, debates and consultations
A fast and efficient process
We recognise that time is a precious commodity for entrepreneurs and the funding and support landscape can at times be confusing and long winded. The Entrepreneurs Fast Track scheme has been designed to simple, effective and quick. Key aspects of the scheme include:
- A fast and efficient application process
- Applications can be received at any time, there are no closed periods
- Close and proactive interaction and feedback from the Carbon Trust on the suitability and status of your application
- A dedicated relationship manager responsible for making sure you get the right help at the right time