Impact55: Introducing the support programme your business needs
Sponsored feature | Inger Anson, partner and Head of Cambridge office, HCR Hewitsons
Setting up a business in Cambridgeshire certainly has its advantages. Boosted by great support, including accelerators, business incubators and access to funding sources, the region is bursting at the seams with entrepreneurs with more than 8,700 businesses created in 2023 alone.
And it’s not just a great place for early-stage businesses – no less than 23 unicorns have come from the county.
Making the right choice in terms of location is a good starting point, but taking your idea and creating a successful business requires dedication, and a strong support team around you.
At HCR Hewitsons, our Cambridge roots date back over 170 years. Today we’re based in the heart of Cambridgeshire’s vibrant tech ecosystem, advising some of the county’s most innovative tech scale-ups. We have a strong commitment to the areas we live and work in and recently launched Impact55, to support the exciting businesses we have here in the region.
Via the Impact55 programme, businesses which are using technology to create a positive social or environmental impact, are invited to apply and demonstrate the impact they are making. A panel of specialists including investors, professional advisers and sector experts will review the applications and the overall winner will receive £25,000 of funded legal support for their business. Up to three runners up will also receive £10,000 each.
The programme is, however, more than just funded legal support. At HCR Hewitsons we work closely with clients, becoming trusted advisers and helping them to achieve their goals. Advising on contracts to IP, and everything in between, our team regularly work with scaling businesses to realise their potential.
The Impact55 cohort will therefore benefit from years of experience supporting similar businesses, as well as connections to our wider network.
Who can enter?
Applicants must:
- Be registered in England and Wales and have their registered office in Cambridgeshire
- Have already raised external capital funding or secured grant funding
- Be founded for the intention of using technology to create a positive social or environmental change.
Cambridgeshire is recognised as an innovative place to live and work. With Impact55, we aim to play our part in supporting innovative technology businesses to create the impact they set out to achieve.
If you, or a business you know, meets the criteria for Impact55, the process is simple. Visit hcrlaw.com/impact55 and complete the online application form. You will also need to upload a video, explaining the impact that the business is making. Applications close at 8pm on 15 November.
