Analysis

Duo help bring new UK designs to life and to market

1st November 2017
Alice Matthews
0

A new partnership has been announced by Crowdfunder.co.uk and the Design Council to support and encourage UK businesses to design innovative new products and get them to market. The rewards-based crowdfunding platform is collaborating with The Design Council’s Spark 2018 initiative, a support and funding programme designed to help turn bright ideas in commercially successful products. Spark finalists receive £15,000 investment to develop their product idea and join a 16 week programme led by design experts.

As part of the Spark partnership The Design Council will provide additional support to Crowdfunder’s many design projects, and the Crowdfunder.co.uk platform will help take products working with The Design Council to market.

To kick the partnership off there’ll be a #BrightSpark takeover on 2nd November to encourage more businesses to get involved with Spark 2018.

Crowdfunder has to date worked with over 80,000 projects to help them raise money from crowd to make their ideas happen. Successful products include the world’s soon-to-be-fastest car Bloodhound, swimwear accessory Halto and #VOOM winner What A Melon.

Ellie Runcie, Director of Growth & Innovation, Design Council said: “The advice and guidance that Crowdfunder UK provides to Spark finalists plays a key role in their planning process not only for product validation, but increasingly it is the main platform for their market entry and promotional strategy.”

Rob Love, Founder of Crowdfunder.co.uk, said: “The partnership with the Design Council is particularly exciting because Crowdfunder and Spark links the steps in the journey to successfully get a product to market.

“Crowdfunding offers the opportunity for designers and innovators to reduce risk by validating their ideas at an early stage, but it’s only part of the journey in bringing a product to life. Whilst it allows you to validate, fund and gain support from a wider audience, you still need a certain amount of expertise and support from people who know how to successfully get your product to market.

"Many project owners who come to Crowdfunder are very passionate about their idea, but they don’t have much experience. One of their challenges is that, even if the crowd likes their idea and supports it, they have no real manufacturing expertise.

"There are a number of different steps to create a successful new product and get it to market – Crowdfunder and Spark will help support that journey.”

What is Spark looking for?

Applications to the Spark Programme are now open and close on 21st November 2017.

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