The Ignite 2012 business plan competition, worth in excess of £100k, officially launches today.
This year’s competition aims to find the best entrepreneurial talent that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has to offer. It is open to anyone with a bright idea hoping to start a business in Cornwall or who has done so in the last 12 months.
The competition offers the chance to win a share of a support package worth over £100k, including everything a fledgling business needs in its first 12 months, from brand development and marketing to legal and accountancy advice.
In addition to the chance of winning, anyone entering Ignite in 2012 will benefit from The Ignite Experience, focused start-up business workshops that will run in various venues across the county from May until August, giving everyone taking part an invaluable boost of business advice from the team of experts at Oxford Innovation.
Ignite coordinator Charlotte Green commented: “We’re inviting anyone with a great business idea to register their interest at www.ignitecornwall.com when they will be invited to a Person, Proposition, Planning and Pitch Workshop where our team will help plan how to take their idea forward including helping them develop a three minute pitch of their business proposition.”
Sam Spake, co-founder of 2010 winner, Rokka Play, added: “As soon as we heard about Ignite we knew we had to enter and the process was incredibly useful for us.
“Winning Ignite allowed us to take Rokka Play to market very quickly – in just six months – and has given us an invaluable support network of expertise. But even if we hadn’t won, the advice and encouragement we received going through the Ignite process meant that we would still have launched Rokka Play – it just might have taken us a little longer!”
