Startup Support In...Liverpool
by Startacus Admin
Liverpool based startups and entrepreneurs take note - here's the lowdown on key startup support and help available where you are...
Away from the established startup hubs like London, the support for setting up a business isn’t always so clear. It’s not a lack of support, just a quieter ecosystem that takes a little more work to unearth. We want to help with this by highlighting what some cities, which might not spring immediately to mind at the mention of ‘startups’, have to offer.
From our article on startup support in Newcastle, next up, we have the maritime city of Liverpool and its blossoming startup scene.
Co-Working space
Liverpool is home to some great, quirky co-working spaces perfect for getting the creative juices flowing and changing your view to something other than the neighbour mowing the lawn.
Ziferblat at St Paul’s Square is great example of something a little different. Based on the idea of our love of working the corner of a café, Ziferblat has unlimited tea and coffee on the go all day, as well as a fully stocked kitchen, all included in the price, which starts at 8p per minute. Have a meeting on the sofa or sit at a desk to work on your pitch; Ziferblat has everything you could want.
Spaces has a co-working space in the Tea Factory in the Ropewalks. Another one suited to the creative types, Spaces Ropewalks is a well-situated space with sofas, desks, meeting rooms, and offices for those who want to keep their business idea extra secret. Membership starts at £55 per month.
DoES Liverpool is a self-funded community interest company, with all profits invested back into the community and developing the space. It is an independent makerspace, 
co-working space, education space, and events space founded in 2011. Hot desking, dedicated desk space, meeting rooms, makerspace with 3D printers and laser cutters and more, and most importantly, coffee, all from £12 per day or £180 per month.
Signature Works has a city centre location, in the Bling Bling Building, with desk space, private offices, meeting rooms, and a café. Free drinks, free cleaning, locker access, IT support, phone answering service, gym membership, all (and much more) included in a range of 5 membership options, with more than reasonable pricing.
Finances
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund provides small business loans from £25,000 to £100,000 for individuals or groups looking to start a business or early stage startups. Whether you are looking to kickstart your business or grow, this could be a good start for some people. The downside, of course, is that loans have to be paid back!
For funding anywhere from £500 to over £2m, Merseyside Special Investment Fund, SIF, is a not-for-profit that can put together bespoke, flexible packages for any stage of business, be it a loan, equity investment, or a combination.
The Regional Investment Aid Merseyside is a discretionary fund run by Liverpool City Council for businesses located in areas of high unemployment. Priority is given to initial investment that creates and supports sustainable jobs.
For SMEs entering into or growing in the renewable energy sector, LCR Future Energy provides grants of up to £7,500.
The startup ecosystem and programmes
Liverpool Girl Geeks is on a mission to inspire women and girls of all ages to become involved in the tech sector through events, courses, and workshops. They also celebrate and showcase female role models within the tech sector.
"Nova's startup programme is designed for ambitious founders and teams at the pre-seed stage. Providing mentorship, investment and a complete business team (technical and non-technical) to take founders from idea to product to market within 12 months."
Creative Kitchen looks to bring together the area’s creative, digital and technology sectors. Through a range of events, they want to bring down barriers, share knowledge, and support growth and development in the region’s digital and creative sectors.
Whatever stage you are at with your business, The Women’s Organisation can help. From market research, to business plan development, through to finding and securing grants and funding, they offer free advice.
As always, this is not an exhaustive list, so feel free to let us know at editorial@startacus.net if you think there is a particularly deserving entity in any of these categories.
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Published on: 21st September 2018
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