TechSPARK START Programme

TechSPARK / UWE Bristol / SETsquared Bath

Information last verified: August 2026 · Source: techspark.co

Stage

Idea / pre-product

Location

South West

Equity

No equity taken

Cost

Free

Delivery

In-person

Any sector

Idea / pre-product

Free, fully funded pre-accelerator for very early-stage tech founders in the West of England (Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset). Delivered in cohorts, it provides 28 hours of structured training, workshops and mentoring (worth £1,400) covering business fundamentals, validation and early growth, plus access to investment opportunities and, for top performers, a fully funded six-month place in a local incubator or accelerator. Funded by Barclays Eagle Labs, the UK Government and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, delivered by techSPARK UK with UWE and SETsquared Bath. New cohort dates are not currently confirmed, so check the site before applying.

Why this programme

Find customers / partnerships

Investor pitch event and peer network connecting early-stage founders with South West business community

Build product / validate MVP

28 hours of structured workshops specifically designed to take founders from idea to validated concept and early business foundations

Access to mentors / operators

Mentoring from Bristol/Bath startup ecosystem practitioners; direct links to SETsquared and Engine Shed mentor networks

Community / workspace / ecosystem

Pathway into the Bristol & Bath tech cluster, one of the UK's most productive outside London, with peer cohort and four university partner networks

Raise funding

Top performers earn a fully funded place in SETsquared or techSPARK incubation programme with investor introductions

Interested in TechSPARK START Programme?

Head to their website for current cohort dates and how to apply.

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