Sensor City launches £100,000 business support programme
Based in the city centre, Sensor City is joint venture between the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University and offers world-class research into sensors. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool’s £15m technical innovation centre, Sensor City, is offering £100,000 to support 10 innovative SMEs in a new competition.
Based in the city centre, Sensor City is joint venture between the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University and offers world-class research and development into the use of sensors.
A number of start-up and early stage businesses have already taken up space at the facility and now a further 10 SMEs are to be offered fast-track growth packages worth up to £10,000 each.
The packages include free hot desk and co-working space within Sensor City for six months, official membership status, credits for use of event space and access to specialist laboratories.
Successful businesses will also get access to Amazon Web Services’ Activate programme, which provides them with access to the technology infrastructure they need to scale and grow including credits, technical training, and wider business support.
Dr Joanne Phoenix, interim executive director at Sensor City, said: “The growth package is a fantastic opportunity for start-ups and small businesses to leverage the specialist equipment and technological expertise we have in-house at Sensor City, which will help them to rapidly prototype their ideas and innovations.
“Using AWS will also provide the services these businesses need to scale-up, while increasing flexibility and reliability, so I’d encourage SMEs across all sectors to consider applying.”
To join the growth programme companies must fulfil the following criteria:
- Be a registered company of SME status.
- Work within the sensor or IoT sectors.
- Have an existing product or be looking to develop new ideas.
Submissions are welcomed locally, nationally and internationally and should be completed by 5pm on Friday, February 22. The judging panel, including experts from Sensor City, AWS, KTN, Pycom, University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, will then review all submissions and determine which 10 SMEs will win the growth packages.