A Plymouth social enterprise is offering to sponsor 10 innovative new businesses and could even see them moving into the 海角视频鈥檚 first 360-degree video dome building.
The Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) is launching Start Something for 鈥渢he hustlers, the foodies, artsy folks and everyone in between鈥, in other words groundbreaking start-ups or scale-ups, with a 鈥渇ree membership package鈥 worth more than 拢3,000.
RIO said the support would be ideal for 鈥渟tudents, graduates, current or former colleagues, friends, family or business contacts鈥.
It is staging a webinar, between 1pm and 3pm, on Wednesday, August 19, where interested enterprises can find out more and ask questions. A recording will be available for those which can鈥檛 make the live event, but applications need to be received by September 1 at 9am.
The business incubator programme will also allow use of RIO鈥檚 facilities - which could include creative making space at Plymouth鈥檚 Ocean Studios, the bread ovens, food prep area and commercial kitchen at Devonport Guildhall, and the social enterprise鈥檚 co-work space across buildings in Plymouth, Liskeard and Newquay.
It could also see sponsored ventures using . This is the 拢7.4million tech centre, currently still under construction.
RIO is transforming the 166-year-old former market building into a centre for the latest tech businesses and research and is building an extension which will house a 15m diameter dome for immersive, virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) experiences.
A RIO spokesperson said: 鈥淲e're looking to sponsor 10 businesses with a support package from Real Ideas worth at least 拢3,000 each to help people grow their own enterprise as we come out of lockdown and into a time of economic uncertainty.
How to contact William Telford and Business Live
Business Live's South West Business Reporter is William Telford. William has more than a decade's experience reporting on the business scene in Plymouth and the South West. He is based in Plymouth but covers the entire region.
To contact William: Email: william.telford@reachplc.com - Phone: 01752 293116 - Mob: 07584 594052 - Twitter: - LinkedIn: - Facebook:
Stay in touch: BusinessLive newsletters have been re-designed to make them even better. We send morning bulletins straight to your inbox on the latest news, views and opinion in the South West. Get our breaking news alerts and weekly sector reviews too. Sign up now - it's free and it only takes a minute. To sign up for Business Live's daily newsletters click .
And visit the Business Live South West LinkedIn page
鈥淚f you鈥檝e got a side hustle or pet project idea you鈥檇 like to turn into something more, Real Ideas can help. We鈥檙e looking to sponsor 10 start-ups or scale ups.鈥
RIO, which successfully renovated the Devonport Guildhall, has been working on plans for the derelict Market Hall building since 2013 with a vision to create 3,000sq ft of co-work space, along with the immersive dome which will allow audiences to watch live sport, cultural events such as dance and music, and nature films in a video screen which totally surrounds them.
In September 2019 the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government announced that 拢2,810,638 of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) capital funding and 拢201,318 of revenue funding would complete the finance for the scheme.
The ERDF funding was in addition to 拢1million from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 拢488,000 from the Unlocking Growth Fund courtesy of the Heart of The South West LEP, 拢2.5million from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and 拢403,000 from Plymouth City Council.
Details of Start Something can be found and to register for the webinar details are
