F.A.Q's

When does it start?

• The Cotswold Catalyst will start on 1st May 2025 and will last for 6-months

What do you get? 

1. A 6-month fully-funded bespoke plan with workshops tailored to your needs 
2. A 6-month coworking desk in our incubation space to grow your business - worth over £1800!
3. Be a part of a cohort - embedding into a community, fostering ideation and networking
4. Culminating in a pitch day to test your investment readiness
5. Potential access to thought leaders in the innovation/grant funding space 

What are we looking for?

• We are looking for businesses that have a high potential to grow by creating jobs and contributing to the Cotswolds economy showcasing it as a great place to start a business
• Founder/Owner passion is crucial - we are looking more at what you want to achieve vs where you are right now
• A good grip of where you want to take the business in the next few years and why - ambition and mindset is key
• Commitment* to a 6 month program with a willingness to learn, take action and deliver.

*We will run several workshops and 1-to-1's - with the expectation that you will work beyond this to reach your goals 

Why 6-months? and not 10-weeks?

We understand you are busy building your business, and 10-weeks of intensive commitment can be hard to keep up with, but we want to give you the guidance and the freedom to flourish. Many traditional catalysts are a 10-week program but we want to be there for the development and implementation of your learnings, so that you have the best chance of getting tangible outcomes.

Thanks for taking the time to complete the form. If your application has matched the criteria we outlined in the first slide, it will go forward for consideration. 

If you make it to the shortlist, you will be invited in for a face to face 15-20 minute selection interview from which the final cohort will be decided. 

We will endeavour to give feedback on every applicant, succesful or not. 

Kind regards, 

The Growth Hub Team 

By submitting this form, you agree to receive communications from The Royal Agricultural University and The Growth Hub for the communication channels provided. To opt out of these communications in the future, please email our Data Protection Officer - Data.Protection@rau.ac.uk. Any personal information you provide will be held in accordance with the provisions of The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679). We will not sell, licence or trade your personal details to any third party. For more information, please see our Privacy Notice.

As you are not registered or trading in the Cotswold District Council area we can't offer you the fully funded support (through UKSPF) but if you are based in Gloucestershire, your local hub should be able to support (there is a link on the next page).

We are, however, in the process of running discounted workshops across a number of key business support areas that are available for companies registered or trading anywhere.

Kind Regards, 

The Growth Hub Team

By submitting this form, you agree to receive communications from The Royal Agricultural University and The Growth Hub for the communication channels provided. To opt out of these communications in the future, please email our Data Protection Officer - Data.Protection@rau.ac.uk. Any personal information you provide will be held in accordance with the provisions of The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679). We will not sell, licence or trade your personal details to any third party. For more information, please see our Privacy Notice.