Who is it for?

Businesses based in Torbay who are looking to grow, solve internal stakeholder challenges and, put simply, innovate! The programme is designed to be suitable for all ranges of seniority from CEOs to interns.

How much does it cost to join a Hackathon or Accelerator?

The IMPACT Torbay programme is free-of-charge for participating businesses. It is fully-funded by the UK Government as part of the Shared Prosperity Fund.

How much time is required for the Accelerator?

On top of the workshop and content sessions, you are encouraged to dedicate 3-6 hrs per week to define, validate, iterate and launch your propositions. Your solution coach will help you isolate key tasks to progress in a rapid way.

What happens if we miss a session?

The programme is designed to serve businesses operating at different speeds. Your Solution Coach will be able to catch you up on what you’ve missed and make sure you’re on track to launch a proposition by the end of the programme.

Is the Accelerator face-to-face or remote?

The programme is hybrid. In-person workshops and mentoring will be held across the 7 weeks. Between this, remote check-ins with your Solution Coach, and in-person/remote sessions with domain-expert mentors (depending on their location), can be flexibly-timed to fit your schedule.

How many people do we need to participate?

For the Accelerators, we recommend involving 3-4 colleagues with varying seniority and function (from management through junior colleagues). We recommend you select a team that’s suitable in exposure and expertise to adequately tackle your business challenge.

What tools will we have access to?

We will provide you with our tried-and-tested online platform of templates and guides to help you understand your business problem, define ideas, test them with stakeholders and build compelling business cases. We will also provide you with links to web apps commonly used by high-growth companies for rapid in-market experimentation. Your Solution Coach will help you pick the best resource for your needs as you progress through the programme. For any tools requiring payment, you will have the opportunity to apply for grant funding.

How will we get in contact with our Solution Coach?

At the start of the programme, we will engage with your team to understand your preferred way of communicating within your team. We’re flexible to use Microsoft Teams, Slack, WhatsApp or Email. You will also have regular bi-weekly check-in video calls planned (on Microsoft Teams or Google Meet), where you can ask more detailed questions.

How will I have access to the Domain Experts?

We will provide you with an online resource with information on your domain experts and a link to book a call with each of them. You will be able to book as many calls as needed within their “office hours”. The domain experts will be mostly based in Torbay, with some being remote.

How do the grants work?

We are offering a set of grant funding to support participating businesses with validating and launching their propositions — for example, for access to a paid online tool or having advertising budget. You will have the opportunity to apply for a grant, with the amount depending on your specific needs. Your Solution Coach will help you in preparing the necessary plan, and evidence to support your application.