Photo: Belle Richardson from Sealstop, who successfully pitched for funding.
Businesses from York and North Yorkshire have secured a combined £800,000 through a Dragons’ Den-style funding pitch.
The successful businesses received grants up to £60,000 each to support projects ranging from AI-enabled production improvements and recruitment technology to micro farming innovation and product development for overseas expansion.
Taking place at West Offices in York, businesses pitched for the chance to secure purpose-built grants from Great Ideas, which is part of Mayor David Skaith’s Business Innovation Fund.
The £2.5 million programme offers personalised support and provides businesses the opportunity to pitch for grants to help them implement innovative ideas.
David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
"With transformational grants and expert advice, we're giving our businesses the tools they need to take their Great Ideas to the next level.
"Whether it's about using AI to unlock productivity in factories or using sustainable thinking to help our farmers save water and money, we're backing our businesses.
"The Great Ideas fund is here to match your ambition and shows that when we say York and North Yorkshire is open for business, we mean it."
Among the successful businesses was Belle Richardson, founder of York-based SealStop. She said:
“We secured the £60,000 that we pitched for, which is incredible, and now means we can bring out our product.
“It’s really sped up getting that new product to market, it’s so exciting, it puts me and the business exactly where we want to be.
“I would definitely recommend other businesses get involved in projects like this, getting in front of people and the grant process because it’s so rewarding.”
The BBC’s One Show recently followed both Sealstop and the Incredible Plant Company as they pitched their ideas to the panel.
Great Ideas has been developed in partnership with business support and funding specialist, UMi.
Simon Goon, Chief Technology and Investment Officer of UMi, said:
“It was fantastic to join the Mayor’s team and other panellists for the Great Ideas pitch and to meet the inspiring entrepreneurs involved in the initiative.
“Support like this offers a great opportunity to help small and medium sized businesses overcome financial barriers and receive the specialist support required to innovate and grow.
“We are delighted with the results it has generated so far and am confident that going forward, it will help more exciting businesses to innovate and become a blueprint for others across the length and breadth of the UK to realise their potential.”
Mayor David Skaith’s Business Innovation Fund is made up of five programmes, supporting ‘Sector Activity’, ‘Spin-Out and Start-Ups’, ‘Get Exporting’, ‘Get Funded’ and ‘Great Ideas’.
For more information and to access the programme’s prospectus, please visit https://yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk/project/business-innovation-fund/