I am very pleased to announce that my RipSeam product idea has been selected among the top 30 applicants in this year’s Design Council Spark Project. It now stands a chance to win a place on a 20 week bespoke support programme, as well as up to £65,000 investment to help bring the idea to market.
Design Council Spark is a new product innovation fund to uncover the UK’s next great inventions that are primarily physical. The programme is unique – it is not for profit. Participants donate 5% of future sales revenue back into the fund, fuelling a movement of revolutionary products for the UK and beyond.
At this early stage in product development, design details have to remain a closely guarded secret. I can say, however, that it is broadly described as a ‘fastener’ and that I believe it has the potential to become a ‘game changer’.
Since, the creation of the business late in 2013, I have received valuable support from Birmingham City University’s Interior Lifestyles Futures programme. The Programme’s Project Director, Kathryn Burns said, “This is a magnificent achievement.”
I am very excited to have gained formal recognition of the potential of my idea. As the days past after the planned date on which the short-list would be announced, I began to wonder if my dream to introduce a new fastener option to the market would remain just that, a dream.
Now, I am focused on the next stage of the competition, a weekend workshop run by mentors to short-list to the ten final participants who win a place on an Accelerator programme which includes £15,000 investment and bespoke support worth £35,000.
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