Every business needs to make its money from its customers, but taking a first step, developing a new concept, or going for growth, requires some sort of funding.
To turn innovative concepts and ideas into successful commercial products, people to be their own boss, small companies to grow, and established firms become more profitable, we’ve helped raise over £23m in funding of all shapes and sizes.
We run micro-grants and bursary schemes, using public funds wisely to help companies expand into new areas and adopt new ideas; to help entrepreneurs to take the first steps to self-employment; and to double budgets for growing businesses through sales and marketing.
We’ve started a unique £10 million loan resource for women entrepreneurs, in partnership with Lloyds TSB. To help entrepreneurs be successful in accessing funding from the Enterprising Women Lloyds TSB Fund we offer a specialist version of our Access to Finance programme, tailored to address the specific needs of women in business.
And we work closely with business angels, with seed funds in industry and universities, with research councils, and with VCs looking to get good deals at early stage from innovative, high growth companies. For example, we’ve leveraged over £10m funding from a range of sources into IP emanating from Yorkshire Universities. And we run an angel investor network in the East of England.
Unlike many other economic development consultancies, we also have our own direct investment portfolio. Valued at over £25 million to date, YTKO not only supports selected businesses with money, but also with our time, resources and our people.