Spin-Up Factory 2017

Grow your business, realise your idea

WHAT IS IT?

The Satellite Applications Catapult’s Spin-Up Factory is the only accelerator programme dedicated to achieving growth, at lower risk, for businesses delivering satellite applications, products or services. If you’re building a business or developing technology exploiting satellite services or data, our one-stop shop is here to help.
Your growth is our success. Simple as that.

WHAT SORT OF SUPPORT IS OFFERED?

We know that one size doesn’t fit all.
Our support is tailored to meet the specific needs of each business in the Spin-Up Factory. We work with you to understand the challenges you face and together define a unique package of support to help you achieve pre-defined, market-orientated goals.

You can draw on and leverage the wide range of skills and expertise from over 100 staff at the Catapult, including:

• Our Technical Specialists in remote sensing systems, earth observation data, satellite and terrestrial telecommunications networks and systems, GNSS services (including Galileo PRS) and software application development.

• Our Missions and Operations Team with core competencies in ground-segment design, mission planning and operations.

• Our Business Innovation and Design Team who can help you with the development of business models, market research, commercial and financial advice, and support in understanding user needs through human-centred design and rapid prototyping.

• We can also provide guidance on sources of finance and help with accessing these. We use our strong links to the UK’s business angel networks, venture capital community and other funding agents in combination with investor readiness training.

• You can make use of our facilities including CEMS (Climate, Environment and Monitoring from Space) and our Visualisation Suite, Demo Centre, Operations Centre, SatComms Lab, 3D HD Dual Projection Facility, Security and Resilience Centre, and Spark Centre. We can also provide workspace and conferencing facilities.

• We can leverage our partnership with European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre (ESA BIC) Harwell: its incubation package includes, but it’s not limited to, a cash incentive scheme (in excess of £40,000) for product and service design, prototyping, market studies and intellectual property (IP) protection and exclusive access and preferential rates on office accommodation and shared facilities within our innovative. The Spin-Up Factory support package can be offered in combination with the ESA BIC.

WHAT DOES IT COST?

We are a non-profit organisation, but due to state aid regulations we are obliged to recover our costs.
The package of support we build with you will be costed carefully. We know that flexibility is paramount with start-ups and SMEs. We can offer a variety of payment mechanisms, ranging from standard payment, staggered payments and success fees to ‘work-for-equity’ models, as well as third-party funding (e.g. European Space Agency Business Incubation Center Harwell) , adapted to the nature of your particular support package.

WHO CAN APPLY?

Our only eligibility criteria are that you are:
• A business or technology exploiting satellite services or data.
• Currently carrying out or intend to carry out activities from the UK.

HOW CAN I APPLY?

APPLICATION
Complete the form online to kick-start your application

ASSESSMENT
We will evaluate your application against a set of metrics designed to assess the business opportunity and the suitability of Catapult support.

DIAGNOSTIC DAY
We will invite successful applicants to meet with us for a Diagnostic Day: we will work together to evaluate the proposition in further detail via a full-day workshop.

SUPPORT PACKAGE
We will work with you to put together a tailored programme of support.