Many more mentors and experts to be announced soon….
The Programme
Through the LS Accelerator we’ll provide a selected cohort of founders (including first-time entrepreneurs) a structured 6-week programme of workshops, round tables & mentoring. The programme is a mix of 1-2-1 mentoring, classroom learning and independent working, tailored to your start-up’s unique needs. We’ll help you focus on, and solve, the most critical challenges holding you back as you move through developing, shaping and validating your business.
Throughout the programme you’ll learn about:-
- Customer Development: Learn how to talk to prospective customers in a way that reveals their true needs and validates your business model assumptions.
- Pivoting: Learn when and how to change course
- Product Development: Learn the best practices and team management techniques to release a higher quality solution.
- Business Growth: Learn some of the best strategies to grow your business, including a few organic and viral growth hacking mechanisms.
- Revenue Models and Pricing: Learn the components, benefits and disadvantages of different revenue models and pricing structures.
- Marketing Plans: Develop the marketing messages that resonate with target customers and how to reach them. Understand the ways of measuring the effectiveness of your efforts.
- Hiring your Team: Identify the roles that you need to build a fast growth business. Learn about the resources and tactics you can use to find, train and build with your team.
- Mastering your Sales Message: Building rapport and speaking the language necessary to sell your product to investors or customers
- Financial Reporting & Forecasting: Learn basics of developing and interpreting your financial forecasts.
- Equity and Funding: Learn about the different fundraising and partnering options and how to build a Pitch Deck.
- Mental Health: learn how to cope with the pressure of running a start-up.
Venue & Virtual
Covid restrictions permitting, some of the activities may be delivered from our new COVID safe co-working space. However, the entire programme will also be available via Zoom. Speaker sessions will also be recorded.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for our accelerator you must fit the following criteria:-
- Working on a start-up with an innovative, scalable business model (please note this programme is not suitable for freelance, consultancy or lifestyle businesses)
- A working prototype (or “MVP”) product/service, preferably with active users.
- Have the in-house capability to make frequent rapid changes to your product/service during the six weeks of the accelerator
- Able to commit to a six-week flexible programme of around 25 hours per week
- Based in Leicester or Leicestershire (ideally a registered company)
Most accelerators focus on making start-ups investment-ready and this will be one of the main aims for our programme with investment advisors available. However, the programme also encourages applications by “bootstrap” model businesses who are purely seeking growth rather than investment.
We believe diversity makes for more successful startups and warmly welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
If you’re not sure whether this is for you or would like further information please do drop us an email at accelerator@leicesterstartups.com, or contact Sam Larke on 07794 601005.
Application Process
To apply, please click on the application questionnaire link below and complete your response by 5pm on 4th October 2021:-
Apply Now
We will shortlist and interview eligible applicants and announce the successful participants by 8th October 2021.
Sponsors & Supporters
We’re delighted that the Leicester Startups Accelerator is being supported by British Business Bank and is made possible thanks to the Leicester Startup Co-working Project. The project is funded by LLEP (Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership), and led by the University of Leicester and De Montfort University, LCB Depot (Leicester City Council) and CASE.
