Design Council Spark

Design Council Spark is a leading UK product innovation support programme and investment fund designed to help you turn your bright idea into a commercially successful product. Since its creation in 2014, Design Council Spark programme has helped more than 100 innovators and entrepreneurs to develop their product ideas, 45 of these have been intensively supported with mentoring, funding and specialist input to help them progress to market.

The programme provides design expertise to help shape business opportunities and develop product innovations through an intensive process, which also gives access to specialists across business, IP, investment and marketing.

Up to 10 finalists are selected onto the programme comprising of five core workshops led by a team of design experts, as well as one-to-one input from specialists in a variety of fields. The programme runs over a 16-week time frame during which finalists also gain access to Design Council Spark's network and our extensive community of past ventures.

Once accepted onto the programme all finalists receive an initial sum of £15,000 to help develop their product, as well as the opportunity to pitch in front of an investment panel for a share of up to £150,000 further funding to fast-track their product to market.

Design Council Spark is funded through a combination of philanthropic and charitable funding. This year we are delighted that Alzheimer’s Society will be a partner of the programme.

Design Council Spark is looking to turn bright ideas into brilliant home improvement products transforming the experience of getting around, remembering things or doing day-to-day tasks such as:

*Getting up / going to bed
*Washing and bathing
*Getting dressed
*Cooking and eating
*Working
*Gardening
*Cleaning
*Answering the door
*Sitting
*Relaxing

Even if you have an idea that doesn’t fit into any of these areas but still improves someone’s life, then please do apply.

For more information, go to www.designcouncil.org.uk/spark