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Supporting creative businesses
The digital and creative sectors are pivotal to strengthening Plymouth’s economy and have been rightly recognised as crucial pillars within the city’s sector-specific economic recovery programme: Resurgam.
If we are to create more high-paid jobs in Plymouth, it is vital we support businesses within these sectors to expand and develop the tools required to navigate a challenging economic climate.
iMayflower’s business support programme is designed to help; with a particular focus on immersive technologies and digital fabrication, iMayflower provides local businesses with mentoring, support, product development, and knowledge exchange.
This offering is provided by our partners Creative England, Crowdfunder, Real Ideas, and the University of Plymouth. A few examples of the opportunities available can be found below.
The Bridge
Through The Bridge, the University of Plymouth offers programmes such as:
The Innovative Place Scheme whereby we are piloting an innovative new scheme to pair local businesses with talented postgraduate students in order to undertake a defined project or R&D challenge.
Plymouth Startup Weekend is focused on supporting and growing our entrepreneurial community in and around Plymouth. The 54-hour event has a new format, but the inspiration, energy and educational opportunities for entrepreneurs is as strong as ever - you'll connect with amazing mentors, industry experts, founders, and partners all of whom have been there and got the t-shirt and are ready to help you get started.
Real Ideas
Real Ideas’ business support offering includes business support mentors, webinars, masterclasses, co-working spaces, as well as the newly established:
Start Something: If you’ve always dreamed that one-day you’d start something – something creative, something tasty, something techy, something awesome! - then you better stop dreaming and start doing because we want to sponsor 10 start-ups or scale-ups with an incredible package of FREE support and one of them could be you!
Crowdfunder and Creative England
Digital Creative Plymouth is a Crowdfunder programme helping creative digital ideas become a reality. If you have an idea that meets the criteria of this fund you could get an extra cash injection alongside what you raise from the crowd. We are also offering one-to-one expert crowdfunding coaching to 10 of the best ideas.
Ideate Plymouth is a Creative England programme for businesses based in and around Plymouth looking to create immersive technology products and solutions. This programme offers intensive business support over five months consisting of mentoring, peer to peer learning and exclusive opportunities to help businesses bring their products to market.
Ignite
Ignite is a partnership lead of University of Plymouth, Plymouth College of Art and Plymouth City Council, aiming to spark employability, placemaking and new economy projects across Plymouth.
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