Sheffield Hallam’s business incubation space, The Hallam i-Lab, has been shortlisted in the Accelerator of the Year category at the Yorkshire Financial Awards

Press contact: Greg Mattocks-Evans | g.mattocks-evans@shu.ac.uk

The award recognises the best incubation and accelerator programmes in Yorkshire, dedicated to encouraging local entrepreneurs and start-ups to flourish whilst offering high-tech facilities and support services.

The shortlisting comes after significant growth in membership of those using the facility since its opening in 2019, more than tripling to 214 in November 2020.

The business incubation space also plays a key role within ScaleUp 360, a programme tailored to support entrepreneurs and start-ups in the Sheffield City Region scale up their business.

The ScaleUp 360 programme is delivered by an expert partnership led by Sheffield Hallam University, with The Business Village @ BarnsleyBIC, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce and East Midlands Chamber of Commerce.

One start-up who used the base of the Hallam i-Lab to boost their business is Loro Crisps, a food company who joined the ScaleUp 360 programme to grow their company into a global brand.

Daniela Orrego, Founder of Loro Crisps said: “It has been very beneficial for us to have access to different mentors in the Sheffield Hallam i-Lab co-working space where we are based. This has helped us to solve day to day challenges and questions and helped us to focus on the bigger issues for the future of our company."

Darren Chouings, business incubation manager at the Hallam i-Lab said: “It is fantastic that we have been shortlisted for this award and a recognition of how we have grown in the last couple of years.

“The Hallam i-Lab is now a well-established dynamic hub for entrepreneurial students, graduates as well as space to help SMEs in the Sheffield City Region grow through the ScaleUp 360 programme.

“I am especially proud of the way the team have responded to the challenge of Covid-19, adapting workshops with pandemic related information, including funding opportunities, and providing more one-to-one guidance to ensure that companies survive and thrive in these challenging times.”

The Yorkshire Financial Awards are organised by Barker Brooks Communications, the events and media company behind the Yorkshire Legal Awards and Yorkshire Accountancy Awards.

The awards celebrate the achievements and successes of the region’s best and brightest within the financial services industry.

The award ceremony will be held in February.

ScaleUp 360 is part-financed by the England European Regional Development Fund receiving up to £1,868,028 as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.