Entries are now open for the third Design Council Spark, a support programme and fund designed to help people turn their idea into a commercially successful product.
The 2017 Design Council Spark will provide up to 15 UK-based inventors a place on their 16-week program providing specialist expertise and bespoke one-to-one mentoring, plus an initial grant of £15,000 for product development. On completion of the programme, finalists will join the Spark alumni community, allowing access to the Design Council's world-class network and the chance to pitch for a further share of £200,000.
This year Design Council Spark is looking to turn bright ideas into brilliant products within the following areas:
Health and well-being: products that help people live independently
Energy and the environment: products that benefit the environment
Home life: products for the home that improve the way we live
On the move: products for transport that transform the way we move
Sports and leisure: products that encourage an active lifestyle
Something remarkable: for those bright ideas that don't fit a specific category
"Design Council Spark discovers some of the UK's brilliant product ideas and provides the connections, support and funding to bring them to life," commented Ellie Runcie, Design Council's Director of Growth and Innovation. "Following the success of the programme and its participants to date, we are really looking forward to seeing what this call for entries will bring."
Since 2014, Design Council Spark has supported over 70 entrepreneurs and inventors in progressing their products to market, including the Mayku Formbox, a desktop vacuum former that enables you to start a production line from your tabletop, Rhinamite, a non-invasive device that stops nose bleeds in their tracks and Ding, the smart doorbell that allows you to talk with the person at your door, wherever you are in the world.
The deadline for applications is January 10, 2017.