Innovation Bridge - update, July 2019
If you'd like to book a consultation with a business expert, you can sign up below.
What is Innovation Bridge?
Innovation Bridge is a new three-year £3.896 million economic development project, running until summer 2019, offering:
- free support to help your business innovate and grow
- access to specialist university expertise and grants with University of Bedfordshire, Anglia Ruskin University and University of Suffolk
- a grant programme to support the implementation of a growth plan
Who can Innovation Bridge help?
- individuals or start-up and existing businesses with fewer than 250 employees
- businesses looking to grow and develop a new product or service with experts at the cutting edge of research
- businesses based in:
- Aylesbury Vale
- Bedfordshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cherwell District
- Milton Keynes
- Norfolk
- North Hertfordshire
- Northamptonshire
- Peterborough
- Rutland
- South Holland
- South Kesteven
- Suffolk
- Uttlesford District
- South East Midlands LEP (link opens in new window) (please note: there is currently no availability in this region)
- Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP (link opens in new window)
- New Anglia LEP (link opens in new window)
Update July 2019: There is now no availability on the Innovation Bridge programme - please contact your local Growth Hub who will be able to help with business support.
How can Innovation Bridge help?
There is an initial free business review and then the support of a university academic to develop an innovation action plan to support the growth of the business. Following the action plan, there is a grant programme which can offer up to 30% of the costs of the implementation of elements of the plan.
What will be available?
- an initial assessment, either face-to-face or over the phone
- specialist academic support and expertise to develop an action plan for developing a new product or service
- access to a grant programme (between £1,000 and £15,000), covering up to 30% of the investment
Contact details
Email: innovationbridge@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 300 8582
What can I expect next?
- we will check that you are eligible for the project and be back in touch with you
- a business adviser from either University of Bedfordshire, Anglia Ruskin University and University of Suffolk will review your business needs with you and agree what type of support you need to grow and how the university could best help
- based on this, a specialist will be appointed to work with you to develop your plans and can assist you to apply for a grant to implement the plan
Sign up
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Additional information
Innovation Bridge is partly financed by £1.951 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which is one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs.
European regional development funding information from GOV.UK (link opens in new window)
Information leaflets
Find out how Innovation Bridge can help your business (PDF 705.4KB) 
Learn more about a grant from Innovation Bridge (PDF 425.7KB)
Case studies
Dyslexia Matters case study (PDF 235.9KB)
Halo Coffee Capsules case study (PDF 338KB)
London Electronics Limited case study (PDF 303.8KB)