Steve Edwards, Centre Director: 2020. Progress in a time of lockdown

I entered Engine Shed in January 2020 as the Centre Director at SETsquared Bristol on an interim contract with a year to embrace the community and maybe tinker with a few bits of the well-oiled incubation machine. Roll on a few months to the challenges of the COVID pandemic and the resultant lockdown that would impose wholesale change on the way that we do everything. Not a standard year but an incredible lesson in how unwelcome upheaval can be good for progress.  As the country…

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Lisa Matthews, Business Incubation Manager: The new SETsquared ‘virtual reality’ bringing opportunities for tech ventures

It was 5:05pm on a Tuesday evening, in the SETsquared office at Engine Shed. Steve Edwards (Centre Director) turned to me and said “well I guess tomorrow’s a good a day as any”. The full realisation of what had just happened started to dawn on me. We’d spent the day in a Covid-management planning meeting (just like COBRA, but fewer biscuits), and had made the…

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University of Bristol launches Coronavirus Internship Fund for SMEs

Local small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in Bristol responding to the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic will be able to benefit from fully funded internships, thanks to a new scheme from the University of Bristol. The University’s COVID-19 SME Internship Fund will help local SMEs in Bristol, including charities, social enterprises and start-ups dealing with the challenges…

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Rick Chapman, Entrepreneur-in-Residence: Surviving COVID-19 – some practical advice for startups

Rick Chapman, Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Many businesses are facing severe challenges in the current crisis. Although not a definitive list, hopefully the following thoughts will give a framework for founders to consider, especially in smaller businesses. This is my personal response – I hope you find it helpful when considering your own challenges – Rick Chapman, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, SETsquared Bristol. Business…

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