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NTU gives entrepreneurs in Ashfield a head start to launch their dream business

More than 175 entrepreneurs in Ashfield have enrolled in a programme offered by NTU to help them establish and grow a successful business.

    NTU HeadStart Programme
    Networking events form part of the varied range of support the HeadStart Programme offers

    The ‘HeadStart’ programme runs until 31st March 2026 and offers intensive coaching and mentoring to potential and existing entrepreneurs – covering key elements such as developing a business idea, establishing a target audience, marketing, and maintaining profitability.

    Entrepreneurs will map out the first year of their business with support from NTU and will benefit from £1k in funding on completion of the programme.

    HeadStart forms part of NTU’s Enterprising Ashfield project which is funded by Ashfield District Council’s successful Government Towns Fund bid. This is a comprehensive, dynamic and responsive programme – building direct access to university research, expertise, and facilities for the residents, employers and employees within the Sutton in Ashfield and Kirkby in Ashfield areas.

    Lindsay Bray, Director at FUEL, said: “The HeadStart programme helped take my passion for health and fitness and shape it into a fully formed business offering healthy meal plans. It helped me build my confidence as an entrepreneur and the support from the Enterprise team was above and beyond what I expected, and it has been a huge part of helping my business grow.”

    Out of the 175 who have enrolled in HeadStart to date, more than 78 individuals have completed the programme, are now confirmed as ‘Enterprise Ready’ and have been awarded a £1k grant to support their business.

    In addition to HeadStart, NTU is providing free skills courses and a follow up ‘Growth’ strand, which helps businesses develop a one-year strategic growth plan and also provides access to further funding and support.

    Richard Ladipo, who helps lead the HeadStart programme for NTU Enterprise, said: “The response to our HeadStart programme has been fantastic. We have been supporting an incredibly diverse range of businesses from areas such as manufacturing, therapy services, digital marketing, robotics, education and more. HeadStartis an important and ambitious programme that is looking to help up to 225 entrepreneurs in Ashfield take their ideas to a fully formed business.”

    If you live in the Kirkby-in-Ashfield or Sutton-in-Ashfield Towns Fund area and are interested in the HeadStart programme, you can find out more here.

    • Notes for editors

      About Nottingham Trent University

      Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has been named UK ‘University of the Year’ five times in six years, (Times Higher Education Awards 2017, The Guardian University Awards 2019, The Times and Sunday Times 2018 and 2023, Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023) and is consistently one of the top performing modern universities in the UK. It is the 3rd best modern university in the UK (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023).

      NTU is the 5th largest UK institution by student numbers, with over 40,000 students and more than 4,400 staff located across five campuses. It has an international student population of almost 8,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.

      NTU owns two Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for outstanding achievements in research (2015, 2021). The first recognises NTU’s research in science, engineering, arts and humanities to investigate and restore cultural objects, buildings and heritage. The second was awarded for research on the safety and security of global citizens.

      The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent. 86% of NTU’s research impact was assessed to be either world-leading or internationally excellent.

      NTU is rated 5/5 stars overall and for Teaching, Employability, Internationalisation, Research and Facilities (QS Stars 2022).

      NTU is a top five university for widening participation with 25% of NTU students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds (HESA 2021-22). It was the first UK university to sign the Social Mobility Pledge in 2018 and was named ‘University of the Year’ at the UK Social Mobility Awards in 2019,

      NTU is the most sustainable university in the UK and 2nd in the world (UI Green Metric University World Rankings, 2022).

    Published on 5 April 2024
    • Category: Press office