EMERGE – University of Liverpool’s partnership with LAB by Capacity

Posted on: 28 March 2019 in Interview with a recruiter

Recently, the University of Liverpool has partnered with one of Liverpool’s thriving community business hubs, LAB by Capacity. As part of this partnership, students were asked to submit a promising business idea for the chance to win one of fifteen places on a three month business development programme to super-charge their idea ready for market.

Applicants ranged from first year undergraduates to third year PhD students, studying across each of the three faculties. The winning submissions were just as diverse, including innovative medical technologies, recycling initiatives, as well as incentivised wellbeing schemes.  

The successful entrepreneurs joined colleagues from the Careers and Employability department at LAB by Capacity on Wednesday 20^th March to launch the programme and took part in their first workshop which focused on how to perfect the elevator pitch. Chris Witterick, Head of Operations at LAB by Capacity, stated that students are encouraged to “receive constructive criticism from their peers, as this is exactly how it is going to be when pitching to investors”, citing the importance of critical feedback and reflection as part of any successful enterprise.

Although the partnership is embedded in the heart of Liverpool, a combination of workshops and masterclasses will be delivered by regional, national and international business professionals. An impressive roster of CEOs, directors, and business founders have been lined up to share their own experiences of overcoming challenges as a start-up, in addition to providing guidance on essential business skills, such as, marketing, financial planning, and networking.  

For Week Two, Dave Verburg, Director at Asentiv Liverpool, led a masterclass on how to attract a client base with ease. Dave commented, “I really enjoyed working with the students on the Emerge programme. Their willingness to engage in the session was fantastic, as were the results they generated. It's clear to see how engaged they are with Emerge which is a testimony to the team at LAB by Capacity and University of Liverpool, as well as the students themselves." 

In addition to the sessions, students will also get to enjoy the full benefits of a LAB by Capacity’s membership, which includes access to additional business growth events, further mentoring, building facilities, as well as exclusive access to the entirety of the LAB’s business network.

Once the workshops conclude, students will be pitching their business plans to a review panel of local experts, educators and investors for the chance to win a £1,000 prize, an iPad Pro, as well as the opportunity for real investment in their business!

We’re looking forward to seeing how our entrepreneurs progress and will keep you updated, but if you want to check out progress in real time, you can find updates by using #LivUniEmerge or by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.