New chance to join space scheme that gave businesses a £900k boost during its pilot

A pioneering programme to help firms find their place in space that has helped 31 businesses acquire 13 new customers, supported them to raise finance of £900,000, and created new jobs is now searching for the next group of entrepreneurs to benefit from an enhanced early stage offering. 

Thirty businesses will be inducted into the next phase of the UK Space Agency Space Accelerator, run by the UK Space Agency and Entrepreneurial Spark. The Explore Programme will provide entrepreneurial support to the successful applicants who will get tailored specialist support from space industry and business growth experts during this six-week online programme. 

The programme is open to businesses already in the space sector and those new to the industry. Firms working in a linked industry looking for a route into the space sector can also apply.

Portia Bircher, local growth manager at the UK Space Agency, said: “After a challenging time for many businesses, it's time to look forward. And as one of the UK’s fastest growing sectors, trebling in size since 2010 and now generating some £16 billion annually, space is the place to be.

"Whether your specialism is design, engineering, research, logistics or communications, space offers opportunities for businesses in every part of the UK.

“With the private sector playing an increasingly crucial role growing the industry, we are committed to providing world-class business support and advice to growing companies and emerging space clusters who want to join us in exploring this new and lucrative frontier.”

The experts involved in the scheme will deliver on programme-specific objectives for the impact being delivered to the entrepreneurs as follows:

1. Supporting them to assess the desirability, feasibility and viability of their business

2. Identifying what they do and don’t know so they can make a plan to fill business-critical

gaps in their growth capability.

3. Making progress towards successful commercialisation and growth into the Space

industry.

Jeremy Ambrose, Director of Entrepreneurial Spark adds,

“Through this exciting accelerator programme and collaboration, we fully support addressing the skills gaps within the space sector and are encouraging  diversity and inclusivity within our programme. We want every kind of space entrepreneur, from every walk of life and from all around the UK to apply”.

Businesses who took part in the early stage pilot project said they found it insightful, inspirational and useful. Eight new jobs were created as a result of joining the scheme and the firms who took part raised £900,000 through equity funding and grants during the programme.

Thirteen secured new partnerships or substantial customers and 13 entrepreneurs who were introduced to the space sector through the programme have said they will remain there.

As well as those directly involved in space, businesses taking part came from sectors including mechanical engineering, textile manufacturing, cosmetics, bio-plastics and finance as well as university spin-outs working on technological developments based on research.

One of the businesses that took part was space start-up Space DOTS Ltd. Co-founder and CEO Bianca Cefalo said: “For us the Accelerator Programme was nothing short of transformational. We were only two months old when the accelerator started and the clarity, the credibility, the long-term vision, and the trust we've developed amongst ourselves and with the larger support network of new customers and partners have been priceless.”

The UK Space Agency aims to inspire and lead the UK in space and helps deliver the UK Government’s space agenda and through the UK Space Agency Space Accelerator programmes wants to create a world class programme of business support, to help more UK businesses grow in the sector. 

Entrepreneurial Spark has helped over 10,000 business owners and has expertise in creating environments that support rapid growth.

Applications for the Explore Programme open on 1st December 2021 and will close on the 14th January 2022.

To find out more, visit www.entrepreneurial-spark.com/space-accelerator

To find out more about the UK Space Agency, visit www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency