New launchpad for innovative companies at Westcott

Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone and Buckinghamshire Council, supported by Satellite Applications Catapult and partners, are delighted to announce the new Westcott Launchpad Programme. This is an exciting new fund available to start ups, SMEs, and large businesses, which will support innovation, new products and services at Westcott that will drive growth of the space sector.

The scheme provides grants for support and access to a range of industry expertise and facilities at Westcott, through delivery partners, to help businesses develop and grow.

The aim is to grow Westcott’s collaborative community of innovators and support the pioneering and cutting-edge companies that are rapidly developing across our space and technology sectors.

The programme offers access to, and the utilisation of, the facilities, equipment, and expertise of the Satellite Application Catapult, Protolaunch, Plastron, Airborne Engineering and European Astrotech at Westcott. Grants of up to £25,000 are available to access.

• a range of specialist apparatus related to products and services for space, along with bespoke and high-quality business support services.
• technical expert support and help for businesses to accelerate their technology through the strategic facilities at Westcott; and
• workspace, meeting rooms and the network of businesses in the Westcott Cluster

Martin Tett, Buckinghamshire Council’s Leader, and Chair of Buckinghamshire’s Growth Board said: “The Westcott Launchpad programme offers strategic advice and support for the commercialisation of space related products and services, this includes technical guidance and design thinking for service development.

“The programme aims to develop a collaborative community of innovators to join the trailblazing companies that are rapidly expanding across the space and technology sectors at Westcott.”

In addition, the Launchpad programme aims to support wider communications around Westcott and the Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone and recognise the opportunity for development to build on global knowledge economy sector strengths in Buckinghamshire, and the potential for a sub-regional role/ inward investment.

Westcott is the home of UK rocket propulsion development and testing and home to a growing commercial space and advanced engineering cluster with a wide range of complementary strengths and is one of the most supportive and flexible locations for companies to establish and grow.

There is significant investment into the site’s future from the Westcott Venture Park, Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone, and partners (UKSA and private sector), with the Westcott Space Hub being the next element of that, starting construction in the Autumn - putting Westcott at the centre of the UK’s space sector.

For more information on the Westcott Launchpad programme, please visit: https://www.bucksez.co.uk/westcott-launchpad-programme