Uclan Enterprise Investment Awards

S:KTS/NL/Award Schemes/NL Enterprise Investment Award/Investment Awards 2011/NL Investment Award 2011 Application

Northern Lights Enterprise Investment Awards 2011

How to Apply and Application Form

The Northern Lights Enterprise Investment Award scheme has been designed to help graduates of UCLan and its Partner Institutions achieve their entrepreneurial goals and help successful applicants get their new businesses off to a good start by providing a lump sum to invest in their business. All graduates of UCLan or its Partner Institutions are eligible to apply for the Investment Award. A list of partner institutions is provided at the end of this document.

Applications for the Award are accepted from individuals or groups of up to three representing one business only. A business within its first 12 months of operation may be eligible to receive one UCLan Investment Award only.

The application process is competitive and in two stages:

Stage 1 Completion and Submission of an Application Form and a written business plan for a new business (using the Northern Lights business plan template no more than 10 sides). The business plan template, cash-flow forecast and guidance notes are available with this application form.

Stage 2 Short listed candidates will be interviewed by a panel of experts who will assess their business plan, personal / team qualities and how the Award money would help the early development of their business. (NB as well as the business plan, personal / team qualities will play an important part of the judging process, as will the proposed use of the Award money). The decision of the panel is final.

Development Awards Application Schedule Current Round of Applications Open for submission Deadline for current round of Applications (date TBC) Interview with Panel Date TBC

Applicants should read the Northern Lights Investments Awards Regulations and Procedures carefully before completing their applications. S:KTS/NL/Award Schemes/NL Enterprise Investment Award/Investment Awards 2011/NL Investment Award 2011 Application What happens if you are successful?

Successful candidates must sign up to the Northern Lights business support programme and undertake all the activities outlined in the programme. Copies of the Terms and Conditions are available from Julia Stickley [email protected]. or Janet Worsley [email protected] request.

Successful candidates will be required to meet the Business Incubation Manager and other members of the Northern Lights team after 6 months to review their progress and to outline how their business has progressed. The second Award payment will not be released unless candidates are deemed to have made satisfactory progress with their business. The decision of the panel is final.

Payment of Awards

Payment of the UCLan Investment Award will be made to successful candidates in two stages. The amount of the first and second payments will be decided by the panel:

 First payment will be made at the beginning of the project.  The remaining amount will be paid on successful progress of the candidate’s business and on production of invoice / receipts for the purchase of agreed goods and services.

Additional Benefits for Successful Candidates

There are a number of additional benefits (valued at up to £2000) open to all successful Award recipients:

1) Introductory interview / mentoring session to evaluate a business plan / set Award objectives and decide how to develop the business. 2) Membership of the Northern Lights Enterprise Community and email news group. 3) *Access to the Media Factory Hot Desks, including access to internet, telephone, printer and photocopier. 4) Access to the full range of Northern Lights business support activities, including workshops and networking events. *These facilities are available to Northern Lights clients only. Registration with Northern Lights is a requirement for successful candidates. All students/graduates of UCLan or its Partner Institutions who are developing a business idea are eligible to Register with Northern Lights. Contact for More Information

For more information about this Award Scheme contact the Northern Lights team on 01772 895950 or e.mail [email protected] or Julia Stickley on 01772 895957 or e.mail [email protected]

Applicants should read the Northern Lights Investments Awards Regulations and Procedures carefully before completing their applications. S:KTS/NL/Award Schemes/NL Enterprise Investment Award/Investment Awards 2011/NL Investment Award 2011 Application PART A : Personal Details (Each applicant must complete PART A and sign the declaration form at the end of the application)

Title: (Mr/Mrs etc) First Name: Last Name:

Home Address/Term time address*:

*please indicate which address you would prefer to be contacted at Post Code: Home Telephone: Date of Birth: Mobile: Personal Email Address: University Email Address:

Have you previously owned your own business?

Employer details (if applicable): Name: Address:

Nature of Business: Position:

Salary: Length of Employment:

Qualifications / Training / Entrepreneurial Have you previously received any business support Experience: funding? If yes, please state which organisation you received funding from and how much you received?

Degree Held: Year Graduated (this must be within the last 10 years) Please indicate whether you are a UCLan or Partner Institution student/graduate below:

UCLan Partner College

If you are a Partner Institution student / graduate, please state where you are studying / studied: …………………………………………………………

PART B: Business Details Business Name: Website Address: (If set up) Business Email Address (if applicable):

Is this a new business? (Yes/No)

Have you written a Business Plan? (Yes/No)

Applicants should read the Northern Lights Investments Awards Regulations and Procedures carefully before completing their applications. S:KTS/NL/Award Schemes/NL Enterprise Investment Award/Investment Awards 2011/NL Investment Award 2011 Application

What stage is your business at? (Tick appropriate box)

Date Business started (if appropriate) ……………………………………..

Drafting Business Plan Business Plan Complete

Other: ………………………………………………………………………

Legal Status: Private Ltd Co (Ltd) Partnership Sole Trader Co-operative / CIC

Year and month Established ……………..

PART C: Application Support

Applicants should read the Northern Lights Investments Awards Regulations and Procedures carefully before completing their applications. S:KTS/NL/Award Schemes/NL Enterprise Investment Award/Investment Awards 2011/NL Investment Award 2011 Application Please attach your business plan (you must use the template provided and it should be no more than 10 sides long ) in support of your application for the UCLan Enterprise Investment Award and on a separate sheet,

Answer the questions below (no more than two sides of A4):

1) Have you attended any of the Northern Lights workshops and programmes available at the University (please tell us which ones)? 2) Why do you want to / have you set up a business, and what motivates you / your team? 3) What will your business offer to your customers, and what products / services are you intending to offer (100 words only as details should be provided in the business plan)? 4) What personal qualities and attributes do you / the members of your team have which suit you for running your own business? 5) If successful, what would you spend the Investment Award money on? Please clearly relate this to your business plan and the development / investment needs of your business during the next 6 months. 6) How will this award benefit your business in relation to progress and development?

NB Don’t forget to attach a copy of your Business Plan

Declaration: (delete as appropriate)

I / we have read the Northern Lights Investment Award Regulations and Procedures and agree to abide by them.

I / we certify that the information provided in this application is correct and that the ideas outlined in the business plan are original to me / ourselves.

I / we understand that any material omission or falsification may lead to cancellation of the Award / services.

If successful, I / we each agree to provide two forms of verifiable personal identification.

Signed (all applicants must sign

......

Date ......

Please post return your signed hard copy of this form to: Julia Stickley, Business Support Co-ordinator, Northern Lights, University of Central Lancashire, Media Factory Room 408, Preston, Lancashire PR1 2HE Or, you can leave it at the 4th floor Reception, Media Factory building. You can also email your application to [email protected] or [email protected] If you have any enquiries about the Award please telephone the Northern Lights Team on 01772 895950

Applicants should read the Northern Lights Investments Awards Regulations and Procedures carefully before completing their applications. S:KTS/NL/Award Schemes/NL Enterprise Investment Award/Investment Awards 2011/NL Investment Award 2011 Application This is a very competitive Award Scheme. Applications must progress through 2 stages in order to be considered for an Award.

The success of your application will be largely dependent upon the strength of your business plan and particularly in the content.

Before you send in your application, please check that it includes the following:

DOCUMENT CHECK LIST:

The Application Form

The Application Form must be completed in full or your Application will not be considered.

Take particular note of Part C.

The Business Plan

Guidance Notes on completing the business plan are included in the documents supplied with this application.

All the sections in the Business Plan must be completed where applicable to your business.

Particular attention should be made to the Marketing and Financial sections of the plan. These need to demonstrate credibility and achievable goals:-

o Have you described and evidenced the market positioning of your business and your marketing strategy?

o Illustrate your Pricing Policy and how this relates to your sales projections.

The Cash-Flow Forecast

Your cash-flow forecast must be submitted with the Business Plan

NB: If you have not written a Business Plan before, Nothern Lights provide a Business Planning workshop each month. Attendance is free of charge. For details of dates and times and to book a place, please contact Janet Worsley on 01772 895950 or e.mail [email protected].

Northern Lights Investment Award Regulations

1. The programme is open to applications from students/graduates of UCLan and UCLan Partner Institutions only.

2. Payment of the Northern Lights Investment Award will be via BACs transfer.

3. Applicants may only receive one Northern Lights Investment Award for one named business.

4. Applications for the Northern Lights Investment Award are accepted from individuals or groups of up to three who represent a named business as detailed in a business plan.

5. Information collected on the application form and details of business ideas and plans will be held in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1988. It will be handled in the strictest confidence and disclosed only to Northern Lights associates and mentors. It will be held in a secure manner.

6. Successful applicants MUST agree to progress monitoring of their business for a period of 3 years and MUST provide certain information about their business in accordance with the Terms & Conditions of Registration onto the Northern Lights business support programme.

7. All candidates must live within reasonable travelling distance of the Media Factory incubation unit and be in a position for fully partake in the Northern Lights business support programme (as outlined in the Northern Lights Terms and Conditions). Successful candidates must sign up to the Northern Lights programme.

8. UCLan will use information about your business idea / company (unless you ask us not to in writing) to inform you of other services / courses / future events provided by UCLan or Northern Lights associates.

9. If requested, members of the judging panel will sign a confidentiality agreement stating that they will not disclose details of the applicant’s business idea to any other parties.

10. It is a requirement that photographs will be taken as part of the publicity for the programme, and if your application is successful, we will require you to complete a ‘photography waiver’ form at enrolment on the programme (a copy of this is provided with this application).

11. All advice provided is given in good faith and upon the assumption that all relevant information has been provided to the University of Central Lancashire, and on the basis that the University of Central Lancashire excludes to the extent permitted by law all liability (however arising) for all and any loss (including, but not limited to, loss of profits, loss of business, loss of goodwill and damage to reputation) incurred by any person acting, or omitting to act, in reliance upon advice given or material provided. The University of Central Lancashire does not exclude or limit its liability (if any) for personal injury or death resulting from its negligence, for fraud, or for any matter which it would be illegal to exclude or limit its liability.

12. All applications will be considered equally by the panel in accordance with strict criteria related to the application form, business plan and personal / team qualities of the applicant(s).

13. The University reserves the right to not allow an application to be put forward to the panel.

14. The panel’s decision is final.

List of Partner Institutions which provide Level 3 and 4 accredited courses.

Blackburn Burnley Carlisle Fire Service College Furness Hugh Baird Kendal LCWC Lancaster & Morecambe Myerscough Preston Runshaw Skelmersdale & Ormskirk Southport Stockport Wigan & Leigh

Applicants should read the Northern Lights Investments Awards Regulations and Procedures carefully before completing their applications.