Applications Open for Business Incubation at Ravensbourne

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Incubation at Ravensbourne

“Incubation at Ravensbourne offers networking, personalised business advice, and access to specialist technical equipment. It’s a unique offer, opening up Ravensbourne’s wider network and facilities to London’s high-growth creative digital businesses.”

London, UK (PRWEB UK) 17 January 2014

** Free hot-desking space, world-class technical facilities, expert business advice and a creative collaborative network available for up to 50 digital businesses.

** Incubation at Ravensbourne, entering its fifth year, has already supported 200+ companies, improved their turnover, enabled the generation of new products and services and also created new jobs. 2014/15 incubation offer features an expanded business support programme and refurbished workspace to attract innovative London-based technology-led SMEs

** Ravensbourne’s DMIC (Digital Media Innovation Consultancy) project is now accepting applications from London-based media, technology and design businesses to join its 2014/15 Incubation programme.

Having nurtured creative talent for over 50 years, Ravensbourne is world-renowned in fashion, product design and TV / film production, with alumni including Stella McCartney, Jay Osgerby (designer of the Olympic Torch), Michael Breiden Bruecker (founder Last FM) & producers of The Kings Speech, Gareth Unwin and Simon Egan.

With a focus on technical and digital creative media and design, the prestigious university sector college relocated to the Greenwich Peninsula in 2010 - a stunning riverside location with cutting-edge facilities.

Backed by £1m from the European Regional Development Fund, Incubation at Ravensbourne aims to support London’s media, technology and design companies with access to the university sector college’s technical facilities, extensive networks and professional business support - to help them innovate, collaborate & grow.

Having already successfully supported more than 200 companies in the past four years, Ravensbourne is now offering an expanded incubation programme for 2014/15. The programme, all of which is offered completely free of charge, includes:

• Access to high-end hot-desk workspaces: Apple Mac workstations with the latest media and design software, lightning-quick wireless broadband, facilities such as a café, lockers and shared workspaces - in an iconic, award-winning building on the sought-after Riverside Peninsula
• Access to cutting-edge multimedia technical equipment: video production kit & TV studios; Edit Suites and Post-Production studios; Prototyping Lab with 3D printers & laser cutting facilities; Fashion workspace with digital fabric printers.
• Informal Networking events: monthly meetup events to develop pitching skills, bring people together and encourage collaboration.
• Access to larger events run by Ravensbourne’s commercial team: ‘festival’ events run with innovation partners such as Cisco, Ogilvy & Mather, the Mozilla Foundation & Barclays, as well as leading industry events such as the 3D Creative Summit.
• Professional Business Support: regular ‘Business Surgery’ sessions– workshops with specialist advisers in the fields of marketing, legal & finance and ‘Expert Panel’ workshops: personalised hourly one-on-one sessions on subjects such as IP & Patents, Access to Finance, Sales & Marketing, and Legal.

Ravensbourne has already supported the growth and development of 200-plus creative technology companies spanning fashion, TV and film production, transmedia, software engineering, graphic and web design, UX, architecture, music technology, app development, product design, games design, animation, coding & music technology.

An independent review of Ravensbourne’s previous EU funded programme, which included incubation, shows that a net economic benefit (in terms of GVA) of £8.1m was generated - leading to the creation of new jobs and the development of London’s media, technology and design businesses.

“Ravensbourne is well-known as a leading digital fashion, design and media college and having developed the incubation programme over the last four years, we’re now enhancing our offer significantly” says Carrie Wootten, Head of Commercial Development “On top of great workspaces and facilities, Incubation at Ravensbourne offers networking, personalised business advice, and access to specialist technical equipment. It’s a unique offer, opening up Ravensbourne’s wider network and facilities to London’s high-growth creative digital businesses.”

Ravensbourne has also expanded its in-house team with the hire of Ha Smith, Incubation Manager, providing incubating businesses with a dedicated point person to help them utilise the university sector college’s wider resources - such as obtaining advice and support from staff members and the wider Ravensbourne network, and recruiting interns with specific skills from the student population.

The application window for 2014/15 closes on 10 February 2014. For more details of Incubation at Ravensbourne, entry criteria and application forms, please visit http://dmic.org.uk/incubation

ABOUT RAVENSBOURNE

Ravensbourne is an innovative, industry-focused university sector college located in the heart of London. We're champions of creativity and collaboration, dedicated to giving our learners the specialist skills and opportunities they need for outstanding careers in digital media and design. We aim to provide innovative and dynamic educational opportunities through high quality teaching and student support. We are a national institution with international perspectives but we attach particular importance to contributing to London's social and cultural vibrancy and its economic prosperity. We encourage creativity and enterprise in our students and staff and champion the creative exploitation of digital technologies in design and communications.

http://www.ravensbourne.ac.uk/

INCUBATION AT RAVENSBOURNE

Incubation forms part of the Digital Media Innovation Consultancy (DMIC) project. The project is active from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2014 (extension TBC) and is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The overall budget for the project is £2 million.

Led by Ravensbourne with partnership support from the Royal Borough of Greenwich and London’s centre for film and photography Four Corners, the project provides London-based media, technology and design businesses with;

• Hot desk space in an award-winning, iconic building and location
• High-speed wireless broadband
• The latest creative media hardware and software
• Access to meeting rooms, collaborative spaces and specialist facilities
• Access to the talent of our in-house experts
• Access to business support and specialist experts
• A collaborative community of like-minded, entrepreneurial businesses
• Regular events and workshops designed to grow your business and stimulate new collaborations.
• Access to the brightest graduate talent

http://www.dmic.org.uk

ELIGIBILTY CRITERIA

Incubation is open to companies who:

• Have been established and trading for at least 12 months
• Are a London-based digital technology, media / design business
• Have fewer than 250 employees
• Have a turnover of less than €50m
• Have growth potential

For more details of Incubation at Ravensbourne, entry criteria and application forms, please visit http://dmic.org.uk/incubation

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