Royal Academy of Engineering

The programme offers expert mentoring, practical training, and an equity-free grant of £20,000 for living costs. It includes training workshops, roundtables and speaker events in locations such as Belfast, Swansea, Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle, one-to-one business coaching and mentoring, and free, lifetime access to co-working spaces across the UK. It supports new innovations, original ideas for scalable businesses, and committed engineers and tech innovators who are ready to test and develop their ideas.

The program offers a grant of up to £75,000, 15 days of business training and peer learning over six months, 6 months of bespoke business coaching, 12 months of mentorship from an experienced founder, and lifetime membership of the Enterprise Hub. Training covers leadership, governance, operations, business modelling, value proposition, strategy, marketing, sales, negotiation, finance, and funding sources. It targets university researchers wishing to spin out from UK universities/research institutes or recent graduates who want to develop a startup with a protectable engineering or technology innovation that has been validated.

The program supports leaders with peer learning in a small cohort, practical and tailored in-person growth training workshops and 1:1s with experts, personalised leadership support, 1:1 coaching, and a carefully matched business mentor from the Academy’s network. It includes a £10,000 grant for leadership courses anywhere in the world, expanded investor & industry access, and lifetime access to the Enterprise network and co-working spaces across its hubs. It targets ambitious senior leaders, founders and C-suite leaders of deep tech or engineering UK SMEs with an ambition to build a £100 million+ company, at least 10 employees, £1m+ funding raised or equivalent traction, and evidence of product-market fit.

The programme is an exclusive opportunity for Enterprise Hub Members, including Chairs in Emerging Technologies and Leaders in Innovation Fellowships, whose companies are based in the UK and registered with Companies House. It delivers a highly personalised experience aligned to the sector, ambitions, and market in focus. This includes a five-day international mission with curated meetings, ecosystem and networking opportunities, one-to-one coaching from international and UK coaches, and introductions to the Academy's global network, including investors, corporations, and Academy Fellows. Content is expert-led and focuses on strategic pillars: Capital, Talent, Intellectual property, and Market.