Enterprise Fellowships fund you for 12-months to refine your business idea, plus you’ll get training, coaching, mentoring, funding, and a network to give you the skills and confidence to take your innovation to the next level. Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowships Image Projects must be considered engineering, but Engineering is defined in its broadest sense, encompassing a wide range of diverse fields. The programme helps you answer the many unanswered questions that arise when you are starting a business, and helps you focus our efforts. To date RAE has supported 180 entrepreneurs, who have grown from initial founding teams to companies valued at nearly £700 million. What’s included? The programme includes: Up to £75,000 equity-free funding to cover your salary and business costs. Business training and coaching programme. Mentoring by Academy Fellows and accomplished business experts. Access to our unrivalled network of tech entrepreneurs, experts and advisors. Who can apply? RAE is looking for: University researchers wishing to spin out (PhD students must have their viva before the start of the fellowship). Recent graduate startup founders. Non-UK nationals who are about to complete or have recently completed their PhD at a UK university. They should have: a protectable engineering or technology innovation (Combining existing technologies and applying them in a new area does not count as sufficient innovation to apply, there must be an inventive step which is protectable). the ambition to lead the business as CEO or COO. a technology that has been validated in a lab or a relevant environment (you must be at proof of concept or beyond, both in a commercial and technical sense, and must be at Technology Readiness level 4 or above). I’m interested? What now? Calls usually open in January and July each year. The selection process has three phases: stage one checks you meet the criteria for the programme; stage two is a more detailed application covering the applicant, the team, the technology and the business model; and stage three is a final pitch to the selection panel. You can find out more on the RAE website. As always, please contact an Enterprise Executive to discuss your ideas. We encourage you to get in touch at the earliest opportunity. Kelly McCarthy Senior Enterprise Executive Contact details Work: 07867 563 706 Email: Kelly.McCarthy@ei.ed.ac.uk This article was published on 2024-07-01
