Combining expertise and knowledge from our partners

Joining forces to help entrepreneurs start, grow and connect

Leicester consistently ranks highly as one of the best places in the UK to start a business, boasting higher than average business survival rates, excellent geographical connectivity, access to talent and low cost of living (Barclays’ SME Growth Factors Index and ATT place Leicester 2nd and 3rd nationally). In 2018 Tech Nation identified Leicester as having the biggest increase in new digital technology firms in the last decade, and Start-up Britain placed Leicester 2nd in the UK for start-up growth.

The city and the region are brimming with entrepreneurial talent, and to continue to realise this considerable potential local organisations and entrepreneurial communities are collaborating to make it easier for early stage start-ups, social innovators and entrepreneurs to find and connect with the help they need.

Leicester Start-up Coworking Project

Through the Leicester Start-up Coworking Project, partners from across the region have joined forces to harness and build on Leicester and Leicestershire’s strengths, to create a more connected and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem and to make the region first choice for start-ups in the UK.

The Project was initiated by University of Leicester, De Montfort University, LCB Depot (part of Leicester City Council), Leicester Startups network and the Cooperative and Social Development Agency (CASE). It is part funded by £100,000 of pooled business rates project revenue fund, from the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) and with equivalent support from the partner organisations.

The initiative aims to nurture early stage businesses and social innovations through targeted events and activities to further develop the reach and impact of the city’s already thriving networks.