Climate Innovation Platform - Springboard

The Climate Innovation Platform (CIP) Springboard is a bespoke business development programme designed for early-stage climate innovators and entrepreneurs. This programme offers early-stage businesses the opportunity to be a part of our new exciting climate-focused initiative that has been designed to support you with your business development needs as you embark upon your entrepreneurial journey.

Funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the Springboard four-day programme is delivered by business experts to take you through all the areas that a fledgling business needs to help you develop your core business offer. Most sessions will take place in person, once a week at Tyseley Energy Park, in the heart of Birmingham's Green Energy Innovation Quarter, other sessions such as 1:1 coaching will take place online.  

Applications for the Springboard programme have now closed.  

The Springboard training and the 1:1 sessions are delivered by our dedicated business mentor, John Cooke

John Cooke is an experienced Business Development Professional, Technologist, Coach and Entrepreneur and graduate in Environmental Science and Geophysics. He founded Element-C with his wife to help businesses develop growth strategies, commercialise products, identify the right business model and implement systems to support growth.

John works as ‘Entrepreneur in Residence’ at the University of Birmingham and Innovation Birmingham supporting a wide range of businesses ranging from enterprise software to medical technologies, to consumer products and has personally supported over 500 entrepreneurs in the last few years by delivering entrepreneurship workshops and mentoring to student/academic entrepreneurs, and founders of businesses predominantly in the West Midlands. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are the eligibility requirements for the CIP Springboard programme? 

Applicants must be: 

  • A Small or Medium Size Enterprise with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million Euro and/or annual balance sheet not exceeding 43 million Euro
  • Be located in the Greater Birmingham Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) more developed area which comprises most postcodes in the Birmingham, Solihull, Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest Districts
  • Have received less than 200,000 euros of De Minimis State Aid in the last 3 financial year

Eligibility will be assessed during the application process, if you are unsure of your eligibility or would like to discuss this further, please email climateinnovation@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

Can I still join the programme if my business is not registered yet on Companies House?

You can only join the programme if your business is registered prior to the programme commencing on 20th February 2023. 

What’s this cost to attend the CIP Springboard programme?

Registration to the CIP Springboard programme is only available to eligible businesses (see eligibility criteria above) and is free of charge.

Do I need to attend the full course of the CIP Springboard programme?

We would expect all participants to attend all of the programme to get the maximum benefit. However we appreciate this may not always be possible, so we would expect a minimum of 75% attendance (e.g., 3/4 days), please do specify if there are any dates that you can’t attend upon application. The Springboard programme will be delivered between 20 February and 31 March 2023.

Participants who attend a minimum of 75% of the programme will be given a certificate of attendance, gain access to two free 1:1 mentoring sessions and be signposted to possible follow-on business support opportunities available from the University of Birmingham.

Will the programmes be delivered on a hybrid basis (i.e. all sessions to be available both in person and online)?

Due to the nature of the programmes, participants will be required to attend most sessions in person. Some sessions will be delivered online (e.g. 1:1 mentoring). Sessions will either be in person or online but not both.

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