Are you starting a new venture? How entrepreneurs are being supported by business start-up

A business start-up supporter is looking for its next cohort of ambitious entrepreneurs after helping its first eight small businesses achieve national recognition and investment funding.
The entrepreneurs who have been helped by the IncubatorThe entrepreneurs who have been helped by the Incubator
The entrepreneurs who have been helped by the Incubator

Durham City Incubator, which is based at Salvus House, at Aykley Heads, offers intensive support for businesses which have been trading under 12 months as they go for the next stage of growth. The entrepreneurs receive training and advice on issues ranging from financing and marketing to legal issues and business strategy.

The incubator, which has been designed to keep talent in the region, is a unique collaboration between Durham University, New College Durham and Business Durham, the economic development organisation, which works on behalf of Durham County Council. It is now appealing for the second wave of entrepreneurs to step forward and apply for the programme.

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Sarah Slaven, operations director at Business Durham, said: “It’s fantastic to see that the nurture and support these entrepreneurs are receiving is already working.

“The aim is to help them have businesses with real longevity and these entrepreneurs keep their talent in the region. There’s nothing like this in County Durham and we look forward to seeing the next businesses joining us.”

The Incubator was developed as part of a wider drive to grow the Durham City economy and to offer Durham University graduates and New College Durham student’s high quality facilities and business support to grow their ventures in Durham City.

Mark Cullen, of Raw Botanics Ltd, said the incubator had been instrumental to the successful launch of his business.

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“Through the DCI’s on-going program of seminars and 1-2-1 workshops, we learned how to prepare and submit a professional business plan that secured our business funding from one of the region’s leading investment firms, Northstar Ventures,” he said.

“The advice, guidance and connections we’ve gained has truly allowed us to turn our idea for an e-commerce business into reality.”

To apply, log onto www.dcincubator.co.uk