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TEL: 03450 450 500

Contact: Nicole Kritzinger
Economic Development Officer (This link will open in a new window)

COMPETITION SPONSORS

Step Up Business Competition

Some £30,000 worth of business support is up for grabs in South Cambridgeshire District Council's (SCDC) Step Up competition.

This competition is now closed.

Supported by the Cambridge News and sponsored by Regus, Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, Business Link, Streets Chartered Accountants, Taylor Vinters Solicitors and Golley Slater Public Relations, this 'Dragons' Den'-style competition will help the winner to step up to their business opportunity, providing one year's office accommodation as well as legal, accounting and public relations support for a new business or initiative in South Cambridgeshire.

• Do you have a start-up idea or a young business with a new innovation?
• Why not send us your ideas?
• You could be short-listed and invited to present directly to South Cambridgeshire's judges on 30 June 2010.

You could win

• £17,000-worth of serviced office accommodation with IT support courtesy of South Cambridgeshire District Council and Regus
• £5,000-worth of legal support from Taylor Vinters
• £5,000-worth of accounting advice from Streets Chartered Accountants
• £2,000-worth of public relations support from Golley Slater
• Specialist business support to the value of £2,000 from Business Link
• One year's free membership of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce.
• All entrants will benefit from workshops from Business Link.

The judges

• Business and Innovation champion Walter Herriot OBE
• Alan Blake of Streets Chartered Accountants (not pictured)
• John Short of Taylor Vinters
• Althea Taylor-Salmon of Golly Slater
• John Bridge OBE of the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce
• Steve Clarke of Business Link and
• Danny Bellew of Regus.

What the judges are looking for

CREATIVITY
The applicant and business is innovative, shows new approaches to familiar markets, seeks solutions to overcome problems, uniqueness.

PLANNING & RESEARCH
A well thought out business plan, risk analysis, anticipation of market change, competition analysis, investment, budget and cost analysis.

MARKET AWARENESS
An understanding and good fit in chosen market, market testing, competition analysis, use of ecommerce, awareness and potential of foreign markets, relevant personal experience of markets.

COMMITMENT
To realise the business irrespective of whether it wins, determined to succeed, resilient to change (e.g in changing economy), sustainable and viable business, displays good business and financial acumen.

SALEABILITY
Product/service(s) are good quality, tested, ready for sale, fit for purpose, well thought through sales and marketing plan and activities, contracts / orders in place, product/service is commercially viable.

This competition is now closed.