Barclays Eagle Labs has officially launched a two-year program designed to support the UK tech sector, backed by the Government’s Digital Growth Grant. The initiative will tackle some of the critical issues businesses face and aim to drive regional growth.
The support package will be delivered alongside Barclays Eagle Labs’ existing activities, including business growth programs in collaboration with industry experts, access to mentoring, and educational resources. With the Digital Growth Grant, the initiative aims to support up to 22,000 businesses over the next two years, fostering growth across the UK tech sector.
Applications are now open for the first series of programs, including the Ecosystem Partnership Programme, Scaleup Programmes, HealthTech, AgriTech Industry Bridge Programmes, and the Funding Readiness Programme. Additionally, a new program focusing on the growth of black-founded tech businesses is set to launch later this year, along with the continuation of the Female Founder Accelerator Programme. These efforts aim to ensure that at least 35% of supported founders come from diverse backgrounds.
Another new program, the Product Builder, is aimed at assisting entrepreneurs during the early stages of the startup life cycle. It will help entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life and create minimum viable products. An Independent Advisory Board will oversee the various programs to ensure they deliver impactful business outcomes.
Hannah Bernard, Head of Business Banking at Barclays, expressed her delight in continuing to drive growth within the UK tech sector, helping startups and entrepreneurs build successful businesses. Paul Scully, Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy emphasized that the government-funded Digital Growth Grant and Eagle Labs’ support will help startups and scaleups unlock their full potential, making the UK a tech and science superpower.
Later this year, the grant will also fund the creation of the Knowledge Hub, an online platform featuring educational tools and modules to help founders run and grow their businesses. The platform will be complemented by monthly in-depth insight reports, produced in partnership with Beauhurst, to educate and inspire the next generation of UK entrepreneurs.
Image provided by Barclays
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