Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire businesses selected for fast-track programme to accelerate growth

A group of talented digital founders and entrepreneurs in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire have been selected to take part in a fast-track programme dedicated at accelerating the growth of tech SMEs.

Tech SMEs have been selected to take part in the fast-track programme (Getty Images)

The Big House Accelerator Programme, run by Nottingham Business School (NBS), provides pre-start and early-stage businesses in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, with a series of exclusive workshops and mentoring programmes worth over £10k.

The aim of the programme is to help ambitious tech businesses in the area to grow fast.

The Nottinghamshire-based businesses include: Go Dine Limited, a free online restaurant booking guide featuring over 700 restaurants across the UK. Owned by Adam Roberts, each month the business helps over 100,000 people find, book and save at quality restaurants.

Clajan Ltd, owned by Maureen Gatune, who is seeking to streamline the vehicle insurance claims process using digital telematics technology, to ensure there is clarity on what happened if an accident occurs. The business aims to help insurance companies detect and reduce motor insurance fraud, automate claims process, and reduce losses and time used to investigate the claims, while improving the settlement period for valid claims.

Work and Communications (WAC Ltd), founded by law graduate Georgina Fairhall, is a pre-start, data management app for business and employees to manage their work and time.

The Derbyshire-based businesses include: iScout Ltd, founded by Darren Robinson, the football scouting service provides football clubs, agents, governing bodies and intermediaries with assessments of players free from bias.

Lightwave Interactive Ltd, founded by Robert Wilkes, are the creators of tileable, interactive LED panels. The tiles can be used to build engaging surfaces for use in retail, hospitality and speciality settings.

Codemakers Limited creates mobile and web apps for businesses. Their product, Shipmate, is a multi-carrier delivery management system capable of saving retailers significant time and money.

Three of the businesses chosen to take part in the programme are owned by graduates of Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and have been previously supported through the university's Hive Incubator

The Big House is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

The Accelerator Programme is part of the Big House Programme - a £5 million support scheme for creative and digital industries - delivered through a partnership of business support organisations in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

An introductory event for the selected businesses will be held at NBS on December 13.

During the event the businesses will be able to find about more about The Big House Programme, access free help, support and assessments, and will have the chance to meet other new creative and digital businesses.

For more information visit www.bighouse.org.uk

Notes for editors

The Big House. The Creative and Digital Industries D2N2 Consortium for Increased SME Competitiveness.
Providing support for business growth to the creative and digital industries sector. It is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
About Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) was named University of the Year 2017 at the Times Higher Education Awards, and Modern University of the Year in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018. These awards recognise NTU for its high levels of student satisfaction, its quality of teaching, its engagement with employers, and its overall student experience.

NTU has been rated Gold in the Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework – the highest ranking available.
NTU is one of the largest UK universities. With 30,000 students and more than 4,000 staff located across four campuses, the University contributes £900m to the UK economy every year. It is one of the UK’s most environmentally friendly universities, containing some of the sector’s most inspiring and efficient award-winning buildings. 96% of its graduates go on to employment or further education within six months of leaving.
Our student satisfaction is high: NTU achieved an 88% satisfaction score in the 2018 National Student Satisfaction Survey.
The University is passionate about creating opportunities and its extensive outreach programme is designed to enable Nottingham Trent to be a vehicle for social mobility. NTU is among the UK’s top five recruiters of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

NTU is home to world-class research, and won The Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2015 – the highest national honour for a UK university. It recognised the University’s pioneering projects to improve weapons and explosives detection in luggage; enable safer production of powdered infant formula; and combat food fraud.

With an international student population of over 3,000 from around 100 countries, the University prides itself on its global outlook