Robert
Gordon University’s (RGU) latest flagship annual entrepreneurial programme has
launched to a huge North-east audience with the window for applications now
declared open.
The
seventh iteration of RGU’s Startup Accelerator will focus on generating
business in Aberdeen City having received a funding boost from the UK Shared
Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) through Aberdeen City Council.
For
the first time since 2021/22 it won’t be limited to just staff, students
or alumni of the University with budding innovators from right across the North-east able to apply for the 2024/25 programme.
The Startup Accelerator regularly receives over 100 individual or team applications which are whittled down to form a close-knit cohort of enthusiastic entrepreneurs with exciting proposals to create businesses, revenue and local employment.
Aisha Kasim, Startup Manager at RGU
Aisha Kasim, Startup Manager at RGU and a former contestant on BBC’s The Apprentice, said: “Our annual Startup Accelerator programme attracts entrepreneurs from around the globe. After a hugely rewarding and enriching period of collaborating and innovating together, it also produces genuine businesses that contribute towards the North East’s social, economical and cultural growth.
“I can’t wait to once again get started with a new group of participants who I know will possess an unwavering passion for the ideas that they believe in.”
Applicants accepted on to the course will benefit from a five-month entrepreneurial and personal development skill set programme organised and delivered by the award-winning Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group (EIG) at RGU.
This is followed by the much-anticipated Showcase event which enables participants to pitch their comprehensive start-up ideas to a live audience of engaged business leaders and potential investors. Cash prizes towards their business will also be awarded, with a total pot of up to £30,000 available to be won by teams or individuals who impress the most on the night.
Councillor Alex McLellan, Convener of Aberdeen City Council’s Finance and Resources Committee, said: “Aberdeen has long been one of the UK’s most enterprising cities. The RGU Startup Accelerator gives us an opportunity to build upon that by nurturing new ideas and hopefully jobs. Access to technical and financial help is key in developing any business, and as a council we are delighted to be supporting this initiative.”
Donella Beaton, Vice Principal for Economic Development, RGU, said: “The Startup Accelerator programme is a staple of our calendar and a fantastic example of the invention that exists in Aberdeen and across the North East.
“The special funding for this year’s Accelerator will allow us to open it out to even more people while also retaining an important emphasis on supporting Aberdeen and its continuing prosperity. We’re grateful to Aberdeen City Council for their partnership with this initiative, funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.”
The Startup Accelerator has created over 130 new ventures, including last year’s winners Cardiointel. It is now open to applications for entrepreneurs with business cases or early start-up ideas for businesses planned to be set up in Aberdeen.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is distributed by the UK Government and dispersed by local authorities. Applicants can apply now via the RGU website.