Run by Nottingham University Business School, the Ingenuity Programme is a national innovation programme that directly addresses the UK’s major social, health and environmental challenges through the creation of impactful new start-ups.
Ingenuity provides participants with skills training, mentoring and experiential learning throughout the programme, helping them to develop their ideas into a viable business. With a host of online resources available on the Ingenuity Skills Hub website, as well as webinars and workshops hosted on Teams, it’s possible to take part in the Programme from anywhere in the world.
Two of last year’s five national winners were University of Nottingham alumni – Climate Champions, Pipeline Organics – a team of Nottingham-based biochemists and engineers – and Food Sciences alumnus Jared Spencer, who won UoN Impact Entrepreneur of the Year for his business Riddim Snacks.
Pipeline Organics are aiming to tackle climate change by reducing industrial emissions. Their TankArc product is renewable energy device that generates electricity from wastewater, reducing businesses’ reliance on electricity from the grid.
“The Ingenuity programme was invaluable for me and for the business we all come from a scientific background”, said Andrew Raslan. “The programme provided us with absolutely crucial business skills and it also connected us to a wider network of businesses that let us find both clients and potential partners.”
Inspired by flavours from Jared Spencer’s home in the Caribbean, Riddim is an allergen-free snack company, which addresses the rise in allergens as the most common chronic disease in Europe.