News

If you’re based in Scotland and have an idea for a business or project within the Arts or Creative Industries, you’ve only a couple more weeks’ left to apply for the Starter for 6 Programme. If you’re unsure if your idea would fall within the “Creative Industries” remit, here are the main areas it covers: Advertising, Architecture, Art and antiques markets, Comp...
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Finding and recognising the UK’s greatest Craft skills champions is the mission of the first ever Craft Skills Awards which opened for entries this week.The Awards are seeking to promote and celebrate the work that Britain’s craftspeople are doing and the important part that crafts play in our future heritage. Individuals, companies, organisations and groups can all apply provided of c...
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Now in its’ second year, the RBS EnterprisingU competition has just reopened and is seeking entries. The ‘business plan’ competition is open to both current students and recent graduates of any UK universities who have an idea for a business. ‘Recent’ is defined as anyone who has graduated within the last 5 years.The application process requires all entrants to comple...
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When something has the underlying objective of helping people “create, not just consume”, it immediately strikes a chord with us here at Startacus and the latest initiative to do just that is the recently launched Digital Makers Fund. The Fund which is backed by a pretty impressive bunch of organisations - Nesta, the Nominet Trust and Mozilla has just announced an open call for ideas ...
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The latest initiative from Springboard, the UK based accelerator programme has just been launched and is pretty unique in that it is the world’s first ever accelerator bootcamp which is specifically targeting the ‘Internet of Things.’ The bootcamp which is now open for applications will see 10 startup businesses working in any area of the ‘Internet of Things’ underta...
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Contrary to what some in the media would lead you to believe, the economy and its’ recovery does not revolve around the large corporates and the multinationals but instead with the smaller businesses - the retailers, the craftsmen and the startups. It’s refreshing then when these people and their businesses get the recognition that they truly deserve and that is the underlying aim of t...
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Startacus loves projects that aim to make a social impact, having a social heart and soul itself, so we are glad to hear of the NESTA Impact Investment Fund that aims to support second stage projects that are making a proven difference. Taking some content right off the Nesta Impact Investments website the funding pot of £17.6 million (yes that’s right £17.6 million) is ide...
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On the Shine Unconference 2012 Facebook page, they start with a rather attractive statement "This one is for you, the 'walkers' not the 'talkers'” and with a motto like this, we really could not ignore this 2 day festival for the Social Entrepreneur... Taking place at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre on Rosebery Avenue in London on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th November, the Shine Unconfere...
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If creative technology is your “thing”, the recently launched Playable City initiative ought to be of interest. Watershed, the Bristol based cross-artform venue and producer are producing this innovative project in conjunction with a network of other local organisations who all have a shared and collaborative interest in the creative technology sector.The competition is calling on...
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Here at Startacus we’re pretty fond of the whole concept of bringing people together, sharing ideas and collaborating and of course of any places, projects or initiatives that do just that. One of the latest to come to to our attention is the forthcoming Silicon Valley Comes to the UK programme.SVC2UK is a not for profit series of industry backed events led by prominent business leaders, inv...
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Mindreading is not one of our own’ specialities, but we reckon this years Global Entrepreneurship Week campaign “Pass it on” is 100% promoting the mindset Startacus is looking to deliver on.. With Startacus’ own self starter Collaboration platform about to launch in the next week or two, we were really delighted to see that the theme to GEW12 is all about passing on the pr...
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Good news this week if you’ve got an idea for a business or are an early stage startup based in Scotland. A new £1 million fund is about to be launched with the primary purpose of helping boost Scottish entrepreneurial activity. The Scottish EDGE fund which is being administered by both Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, will see winning businesses bein...
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