Innovate UK EDGE and Business West

Author
Paul O'Collins
Head of Innovation | EEN South West
28th April 2022

Business West works closely with the UK’s Innovation Agency in delivering Innovate UK EDGE business support to some of the UK’s most exciting innovators.  

Innovate UK EDGE provides fully funded in depth support, mentoring and advice to some of the UK’s most ambitious and innovative businesses, helping them build their innovation capability and identify domestic and international opportunities for trade, technology exchange and collaborative R&D.

Innovate UK EDGE is particularly tasked with providing direct support to Innovate UK grant beneficiaries to help them develop their technologies and implement their commercialisation plans, whilst also supporting new applicants to win Innovate UK grant funding.

During the last 18 months, EDGE in the South West has already helped over 100 businesses identify international partners through its “GBIP” international missions programme to destination countries including South Korea, Canada, Sweden and the USA, and has also supported many other businesses to raise over £59m in grant funding and equity or debt based finance.

The next few years hold out more opportunity for Business West and Innovate UK EDGE to work collaboratively on a number of initiatives for SW businesses, including delivering grant funding schemes to work with the UK Catapult centres, grants for IP and Design Support, investment readiness support and access to Innovate UK EDGE’s prestigious National Scale Up programme.

Paul O’Collins Head of Innovation at Business West commented, “This is good news for SW businesses. Innovate UK is determined to support the most innovative and ambitious businesses with funding, finance and one to one support. Business West has been tasked with identifying and deploying talented, experienced specialists to deliver the type of support and opportunities that innovative businesses need to succeed.”

For more information on Innovate UK EDGE services or Business West innovation offers contact: infosw@innovateukedge.ukri.org

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