Business Investment (Investment Readiness)

Our Investment Readiness programme provides guidance and support activities to enable growth in Lancashire based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The programme is free to Lancashire SMEs as it is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

How will it benefit your business?

• Our team will help you to be equipped to engage with equity investors, increasing your knowledge and understanding of risk capital.
• We perform an objective assessment of business plans and give feedback. This will enable your business to demonstrate its full potential to prospective investors.

Our programme has regional impact by significantly improving the opportunity of gaining external investment for high growth SMEs and university spinouts.

What will this involve?

Getting funds from business angels and venture capitalists is a sales process. We deliver workshops that ensure you are well equipped to present your business proposition to impress investors.

There are three main sections to the programme:

• Introduction to equity investment and venture capital
• Planning your approach to raising investment
• One-to-one and group pitch coaching and development sessions

We also offer a group introductory workshop which provides:

• An overview of private and institutional investors and their investment processes
• The opportunity to meet external contributors who have recent experience of successfully raising investment
• Information on the importance of your investment pitch
• Details on what business investors are looking for with their next investment

Who is it for?

We work with Lancashire based business employing fewer than 250 full time people. Showing an annual turnover of less than £40 million and/or an annual balance sheet total of less than £35 million and receiving less than €200,000 of publicly funded support in the last three fiscal years. Trading or plan to trade business to business (B2B) not just business to consumer (B2C)