Lancashire’s best business idea to get flying start

By Boost Business Lancashire

21 Jul 2014

A competition has been launched to find Lancashire’s best new business idea as part of a wider initiative to support fledgling firms in the county.

Boost Business Lancashire, the county’s £7.2m growth hub, has joined forces with Winning Pitch and provider of flexible business accommodation, Bizspace, to launch the ‘Flying Start’ competition which offers the county’s most promising start-up business a free laptop computer and six months’ free office space.

It is hoped the competition will encourage more ‘pre-start’ businesses to access free business support available through Boost’s Lancashire LEAP programme.

Entrants will take part in Lancashire LEAP, delivered by Winning Pitch and Regenerate Pennine Lancashire, which is a comprehensive business support package designed to help start-ups establish themselves. It consists of four one-day bootcamps, plus business coaching and mentoring to help the businesses develop their final business plan.

Tim Smith, senior consultant at Winning Pitch, said: “There are many people out there with great ideas, but it can be difficult to turn these into a viable business without the right support. Flying Start has been designed to encourage more people to seek out that free support, with the chance for three businesses to get extra help in the shape of free office space if their business plans are judged the best.”

Boost Business Lancashire (Boost) is the £7.2m Lancashire Business Growth Hub, led by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership. The aim of Boost is to grow the county’s economy by £20m and create at least 1,200 new jobs and safeguard 700 more by 2015. Boost also helps businesses access specialist private sector business support, as well as other nationally funded programmes, where relevant.

Andy Walker, head of business growth and innovation at Lancashire County Council, said: “Lancashire LEAP is helping start-ups across the county to realise their potential, creating growth and jobs. This competition will hopefully make more businesses aware of the excellent array of free support on offer in Lancashire.”

Bizspace will be offering the prize of free office space at one of the firm’s business centres in Chorley, Nelson or Blackburn. Bizspace’s sales and marketing director, Emma Long, added: “As a company that deals often with small and start-up businesses, we know it takes courage and self-belief to overcome the potential risks involved in running your own business. Having access to free, high-quality office space will hopefully help some of the county’s brightest business brains turn their idea into a successful business.”

Eligible entrants will be offered a free place on the Lancashire LEAP programme. On completion of the LEAP programme, the entrants’ business plans will be judged by a panel of business experts and the winner will be selected.

The winner will receive a free laptop computer (donated by Winning Pitch) and six months’ free office space (donated by Bizspace). The second and third placed businesses will be offered three-months and two-months free office space respectively.

To be eligible for entry in the competition entrants agree that: • Their new business will be based in Lancashire • Their new business will trade with other businesses (i.e. They are not a retail businesses or one selling directly to consumers) • Their new business will be able to turnover at least £250,000 in three years time and/or employ five people. More information about the Lancashire LEAP programme, as well as the entry form and full terms and conditions of the Flying Start competition can be found at http://www.boostbusinesslancashire.co.uk/flying-start.aspx

Latest news

1

VARS Technology team up with debt resolution specialists to fight fuel theft David Nichol John Garnett Aydan Jones and Laura Tilley

VARS Technology team up with debt resolution specialists to fight fuel theft

12 Sep 2025

2

University of Lancashire unveils Preston campus installation to celebrate name change University of Lancashire new feature

University of Lancashire unveils Preston campus installation to celebrate name change

12 Sep 2025

3

PM+M welcomes ten new apprentices for 2025 intake Lucy Field, Kate Walsh, Ellie Fisher, Zainab Aswat, Reece Jones, Aisha Bibi Patel, Finley Vila, Uzair Zariwala, Richard Prest, and Charlie Harrison

PM+M welcomes ten new apprentices for 2025 intake

11 Sep 2025

4

ROCCIA strengthens commercial division with senior appointment Andrew Grove

ROCCIA strengthens commercial division with senior appointment

11 Sep 2025

5

Final call for investors: Rossendale community solar project must hit target by November Gary McEwan managing director of Interfloor

Final call for investors: Rossendale community solar project must hit target by November

10 Sep 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
Sub36 Networking - Follow the signs
Sub36 Deaf Village Social1200
Networking
17 Sep 2025

Sub36 Networking - Follow the signs

The Deaf Village, Blackburn, BB2 5EN

10:00 - 12:00

LBV124 September/October Launch Event
MBP Arc Cinema Preston Opening 205
Networking
18 Sep 2025

LBV124 September/October Launch Event

The Arc Cinema, Preston, PR1 2BL

08:30 - 10:30

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

Longridge Soap Box Derby
Screenshot 2025-06-10 090035.png.png
LBV Hub Fundraisers
14 Sep 2025 - 14 Sep 2025

Longridge Soap Box Derby

Berry Lane, Longridge, PR3 3WH

10:00 - 16:30

Preston Tech Connection - The Ultimate Tech Quiz!
Preston Tech Connection Sept 25.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Sep 2025 - 16 Sep 2025

Preston Tech Connection - The Ultimate Tech Quiz!

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
17 Sep 2025 - 17 Sep 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

Cumbria Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880461633-4862066883-1-original.20241022-110415.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
19 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

Cumbria Business Expo 2025

Carlisle Racecourse, Carlisle, CA2 4TS

09:00 - 15:00

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation
Chorley Council breakfast event new
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

Worden Hall, Leyland, PR25 3DH

08:00 - 11:00

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September
Sept Freelancer (1).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Speed Networking with BNI
2.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
24 Sep 2025 - 24 Sep 2025

Speed Networking with BNI

Chorley Football Club, Chorley, PR7 3DU

16:00 - 19:00

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire - September
TMM Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
25 Sep 2025 - 25 Sep 2025

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire - September

Chorley, PR7 2SL

18:00 - 20:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV 123 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin