Accelerators for founders in the North of England

Claire Lewis

Read • 3 min

Pre-Seed
Seed

Use this Directory to identify Accelerator Programmes across the region and the support they can offer for your business

Accelerators come in various shapes and sizes, with support that’s tailored to specific stages and sectors. Below Baltic Ventures’ co-founder and CEO, Claire Lewis, lays out some of the top accelerators for founders in the North, including location, business stage and contact details.

Baltic Ventures🔗

Location: Liverpool

Who for: Pre-seed + seed stage digital tech startups

Offer: Companies in Accelerator cohorts receive £30k of investment through an ASA plus a 4-month programme with coaches and masterclasses, tech perks with AWS, Google etc, trip to Slush in Helsinki and investor connections

Comes with investment?: Yes

How to apply: Accelerator opens for applications in May each year, Launchpad applications open in October each year.

Website: https://balticventures.uk/

Barclays Eagle Labs🔗

Location: Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester (DiSH), York, Newcastle, Cumbria

Who for: Entrepreneurs

Offer: Wide range of programmes and accelerators for companies in different sectors or stages of their journey

Comes with investment?: No

How to apply: Via the website

Website: https://labs.uk.barclays/

ConceptionX - Venture Scientist Programme🔗

Location: Manchester and Nationwide

Who for: PhDs

Offer: 9 month PhD deeptech venture programme in cohorts alongside PhDs from leading UK universities

Comes with investment?: Yes, for select companies

How to apply: Programmes commence each year in March. Register your interest and apply via website.

Website: https://www.conceptionx.org/

Exchange by Bonded Warehouse🔗

Location: Manchester & Leeds

Who for: Ambitious early stage tech businesses

Offer: Community, mentors, flexible workspace

Comes with investment?: No

How to apply: Via website

Website: https://departmentuk.com/exchange-bonded-warehouse/

Founder Funding Groups🔗

Location: Manchester and Leeds

Who for: Founders who are raising investment

Offer: Community based investment raising support

Comes with investment?: No

How to apply: Via eventbrite link

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/rupert-wingate-saulfws-advisory-73067284583

Hotbed🔗

Location: Online

Who for: Pre-seed and seed stage companies, sector agnostic.

Offer: Weekly online program covering everything from fundraising basics to growth hacks and pitch practice

Comes with investment?: No

How to apply: Via website

Website: https://www.hotbed.co/

Ignite🔗

Location: Newcastle

Who for: Tech Founders in the North East

Offer: Intensive support, tech perks, grants and investment, investor trips

Comes with investment?: Yes

How to apply: Via website

Website: https://www.ignite.io/

Lyva Labs🔗

Location: Liverpool

Who for: Deep tech startups based in the Liverpool city region

Offer: Includes Microbiome Accelerator and Deep Tech Incubator

Comes with investment?: Yes

How to apply: Via website

Website: https://lyvalabs.com/

Natwest Accelerator🔗

Location: Manchester

Who for: SME entrepreneurs

Offer: Program around accessing new markets, attracting talent and building an effective team, access to growth funding & leadership development

Comes with investment?: No

How to apply: Via website

Website: https://www.natwest.com/business/business-services/entrepreneur-accelerator.html

Northern Gritstone NG Studios🔗

Location: Leeds

Who for: early-stage founders in the Northern Triangle universities (Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield)

Offer: 10 week accelerator programme to help deep tech founders shape their business ideas into investable business opportunities which can attract the right investors along with the right capital support

Comes with investment?: No

How to apply: Via website

Website: https://www.northern-gritstone.com/ng-studios

Praeseed🔗

Location: Manchester

Who for: Pre-seed founders raising seed funding in the North of England

Offer: Cohort investment programme. Capital. Community. Content.

Comes with investment?: Yes, £150k - £200k ASA for select companies at the end of programme

How to apply: Annually each April via website

Website: https://www.praeturaventures.com/praeseed/

Royal Academy Engineering - Shott Scale up Accelerator🔗

Who for: For engineering and tech leaders ready to scale

Offer: 12 month programme providing leadership training and mentoring, £10k grant and thriving community providing a lifetime of support across the ecosystem to support the growth of your organisation

Comes with investment?: Yes, £10k grant

How to apply: Via website

Website: https://enterprisehub.raeng.org.uk/shott-scale-up