Innovative Cumbrian businesses are being encouraged to enter a competition to showcase their achievements.
Entries for this year’s Innovation Showcase Competition are now open.
Organised by GC Business Growth Hub, part of The Growth Company, along with along with partners Cumbria Business Growth Hub, the competition is one of the highlights of the Venturefest North West 2019 event.
This year’s competition has four categories for small and medium-sized businesses to enter:
- Product Innovation
- Service Innovation
- Digital Innovation
- Innovative Established Business
Winners of each of the categories will receive a package of business support provided by
partners of the Hub, while all applicants will be able to benefit from specialist business advice as part of the competition process.
It’s free to enter and all a business needs to do is fill in a short online form on the Venturefest North West website before the entry deadline of Monday 8 July.
Those shortlisted will then go through to the quarter and semi-final stages, taking place between July and September, before the finalists pitch to an audience of potential customers and investors at Manchester Central on Wednesday 20 November.
In addition, an Audience Award, voted for by Venturefest delegates, will be handed out and an Overall Winner will also be crowned.
Suzanne Caldwell, Deputy Chief Executive of Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, the lead partner of the Cumbria Business Growth Hub said: “If you run a business in Cumbria and innovative ideas are at the heart of it, Venturefest North West 2019 is the place for you.
“This is a great opportunity to meet other like-minded businesses and raise your profile by entering the Innovation Showcase Competition or exhibiting, to catch the eye of potential investors.”
Reach and Rescue won both the Product Innovation and Overall Winner categories last year for its range of specialist telescopic rescue equipment.
Jo Taylor, director, said: “Reach and Rescue benefitted tremendously from winning the Innovation Showcase Competition.
“First, it has confirmed that we’re growing the business the right way. Then there’s the PR we received, which was fantastic and definitely raised awareness of our products. And it also had a huge impact on our team – it still gives us a proud feeling to say ‘we are an award-winning company’ and to know the hard work has paid off.”
Entries for the 2019 Innovation Showcase Competition are now open to SMEs from across the North West. To enter, please visit http://www.venturefestnorthwest.com/competitions. The deadline for entries is Monday 8 July 2019. Venturefest North West 2019 is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
