University of Surrey, SETsquared
Contact Details: |
Sarah De'Lacy, Centre Director for Surrey's SETsquared Business Acceleration Centre and Operations Manager for the Surrey Technology Centre |
Type of Project: |
SETsquared is located within the 74,000 sq ft Surrey Technology Centre, a development built in 1986 for the purpose of business incubation. The Surrey Technology Centre is on the Surrey Research Park in Guildford. The Surrey Technology Centre provides space for technology, science and health companies (research, development and design). The Research Park is owned and managed by the University of Surrey. There are over 140 companies hosted on the 70-acre (28.5 ha) Park. The companies engage in science, engineering and technology-based activities. |
Start/End Date: |
SETsquared Surrey has been in Surrey Technology Centre since 2006. Prior to that the incubation activities took place elsewhere in another building on The Surrey Research Park. Malcolm Parry, Managing Director of Surrey Research Park was a major driving force behind the enterprise activity. |
Background & Context
It was a collaborative bid to support spin outs/local enterprise.
SETsquared Surrey was the first centre to be opened within the SETsquared partnership. As a result of the success of the Surrey centre the other three centres were opened. All of the centres are known as Business Acceleration Centres and are all unique but with the same underlying offer of business support.
SETsquared sits within a wider Enterprise community at the University of Surrey. The University is very serious about Enterprise activity. It has a wide and diverse platform of interests and networks within the Enterprise area, in addition to SETsquared, for instance;
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The University of Surrey 100 Club, which leverages the University's wealth of resource and its contacts in the local entrepreneurial and investment community, to provide the foundations for venture creation in order to enable members to '...take an active role in tomorrow's success stories'. The community includes local business leaders, current students, Surrey's global alumni and 80+ businesses within the Surrey Technology Centre
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Entrepreneur in Residence. Ben Partridge is the entrepreneur in residence for SETsquared and his remit is to work with SETsquared companies and facilitate their growth into SMEs
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Student Enterprise and Entrepreneurship - this page provides summary information on the Enterprise activities available to students at Surrey
What is it?
SETsquared is a business acceleration centre, helping technology-based ventures from initial idea to commercialisation providing business support and low cost office space and through direct links to the research strengths of four of the UK's leading universities and a network of experienced entrepreneurs, technology specialists, investors and business professionals. SETsquared has directly supported over 200 companies, helping them raise over £130m of start-up funding and creating 1,000 new jobs.
What happens in the space?
Business incubation. SETsquared supports high-growth, technology start-ups.
The SETsquared Business Support Methodology provides low cost serviced office space; professional mentoring, regular update meetings and quarterly reviews on progress. Investor readiness training is provided and an annual high-profile Investor Event takes place in London. Other support includes; training in writing of Business Plans; links to Funding (VC/Angel/Grants/Loans); affiliations with Accountants/Solicitors/Patent Attorneys; seminars/clinics and access to the host University for research/knowledge transfer partnerships/student placements.
SETsquared membership
There are 3 types of SETsquared Memberships at Surrey (prices correct as at 2010):
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Full - providing a desk and full business support at £150 per month
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Virtual - no desk but full business support at £80 per month
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Incubator - providing a desk at £300 per month plus full business support (incubator level companies have completed 18 months as a 'resident or virtual' member or joined at that level. Funding/organic growth has occurred, hence the increase in price). When a company reaches 3 or 4 employees then an incubator is not cost effective. A commercial move within the Surrey Technology Centre is then viable and business support continues.
Further details
Sarah De'Lacy is Centre Director for Surrey's SETsquared Business Acceleration Centre and Operations Manager for the Surrey Technology Centre
Tel: (0)1483 685722
Address: Surrey Technology Centre, Unit 57, 40 Occam Road, The Surrey Research Park, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7YG
