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Businesses Step Up for a head start in South Cambridgeshire

After its success last year, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s (SCDC) Step Up competition is back, with the backing of WAR.

Designed to promote business start-up creativity and innovation, Step Up encourages local people to take an entrepreneurial step forward to establish new business ideas and initiatives.

The lucky winner will receive around £30,000 worth of business support, including a year of office accommodation and legal, accounting, marketing and public relations support.

The ‘Dragons Den’ style competition, which is sponsored by WAR, Business Link, Regus, Taylor Vinters, Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce and Streets Chartered Accountants, and supported by the Cambridge News will see finalists pitch their new business ideas to a panel of judges, including our Board Account Director Gareth Brookman.

Young businesses and those with innovative ideas are invited to send their proposals to SCDC. Entries will be judged on creativity, planning and research, market awareness, commitment and saleability. The shortlisted entrants will then be invited to present to the judges on 15 September.

Joining Gareth on the judging panel are: John Bridge (Chairman of the competition and CEO of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Chambers of Commerce), Alan Blake (Streets Chartered Accountants), Quentin Golder (Taylor Vinters Solicitors), Danny Bellew (Regus), Walter Herriot (Innovation & Enterprise Champion) and Carol Deslandes (Business Link).

To help them with their submissions, all entrants are invited to take part in free Business Link workshops that have been designed to help entrants to formulate their ideas, and give them skills to help them for the competition and beyond.

Gareth said: “We are delighted to be able to support this great competition which will hopefully create some of the business stars of the future!”