Enterprise, entrepreneurship and commercialisation opportunities
Enterprise and entrepreneurship are essential to allow research to realise its potential impact. This can come in many forms ranging from commercial adoption, policy development for influencing regional and national government, to founding spin-outs or start-up companies.
To enable this, IBIC supports researchers to translate their research into innovative and commercially viable products, services and companies. The primary mechanism for this is providing financial support through our Commercial Development Fund. We also encourage entrepreneurial activity of early career researchers via commercialisation competitions, with prizes awarded through IBIC-sponsored joint programmes such as IBIC NW Build-a-Biotech initiative and IBIC ICURe Discover programme, and through early-stage training to help students and early-career researchers identify potential impact opportunities from their research.
IBIC Commercial Development Fund (up to £50,000)
Commercial development grants of up to £50k are available to researchers to support essential market and competitive landscaping, technology evaluation and any external partner engagement needed to drive start-up, spin-out and licensing opportunities. Other potential deliverables could include developing ideas leading to disclosure, supporting the evidential base and to make propositions attractive to commercial investors and/or prospective external partners. There is some flexibility in how the researcher/s wish to use these funds, but the focus needs to be on accelerating tangible impact creation through social or commercial enterprise and not on simply extending standard R&D activity.
For more information, please read the IBIC handbook or email us.
Download the application form >>
Closing dates: 19/06/25, 18/09/25, 11/12/25
Innovation Academy - researcher to innovator training (UoM researchers only)
Those within The University of Manchester are eligible to apply to our Innovation Academy run Researcher to Innovator Programme. This programme offers an introduction to commercialisation and aims to strengthen the entrepreneurial mindset of Early Career Researchers, develop your innovative thinking, as well as enhance your understanding of the commercialisation process. The programme culminates with a roundabout pitch day, where researchers pitch their idea with the opportunity to win a cash innovation prize.
IBIC ICURe discovery programme (next round TBC)
IBIC runs an annual, dedicated ICURe Discovery programme focussing on industrial biotechnology innovations and is open to researchers within the north-west.
Funded through IBIC and Innovate UK, our ICURe Discovery programme is a dynamic online programme for researchers to begin to explore the commercial options for their research.
It focusses on market discovery and supports researchers, academics, technicians discover more about their potential market, increase market awareness and gain deeper understanding of potential technology applications.
How does it work?
ICURe Discover enables the entrepreneurial lead to undertake eight weeks of part-time learning, made up of eight half-day briefings which are specifically created with the following aims in mind:
- understanding personal goals, purpose and aligning with your idea or innovation;
- building your value proposition and developing your idea towards commercialisation;
- mapping your eco-system and discovering real market opportunities through market testing;
- understanding customers v users and features v benefits;
- benefiting from peer learning and receiving expert feedback and guidance from the iCURE team;
- time to explore future funding and support.
The programme will culminate with a presentation where feedback will be offered from the ICURe and IBIC teams, guest mentors, potential investors and peers.
In addition to the time spent in the briefings, it is expected the researcher would spend the equivalent time working on their own validating their learnings and actions to evolve their understanding and gain market traction.
More information:
- This programme has now ended, but we may run it again in the future.
- InnovateUK ICURe website
- Watch a recording of the information session here and access the slide deck here
Sister, Manchester's innovation district
The £1.7Bn SISTER development is a brand new innovation district which will be developed in Manchester over the next 15-20 years. Its first revitalised building, the Renold Innovation Hub, was reactivation in autumn 2024 and offers a new home for Manchester’s promising entrepreneurs, start-ups and spin-outs. It’s the place to go for industry x academia collaboration, with a dedicated space for businesses and researchers to come together to collaborate on their ideas.
IBIC NWBI Build a Biotech Competition (for students)
The North-West Biotech Initiative (NWBI) provides a platform that encourages knowledge sharing and dialogue between students, local and international businesses, and industry experts. We promote the development of early-stage researchers in the STEM fields by providing an inclusive space for fostering relationships between academia and the growing local biotech sector.
This provides students the power of choice; to choose a career path based on interest and passion and not due to a lack of skills or opportunities. Thus, students will be prepared to apply in-demand professional skills in any arena and sector they choose to pursue in life beyond their academic institutions.
NWBI runs various events throughout the year alongside three signature events, including:
- Build a Biotech Business Competition, kindly sponsored by IBIC –more info on our events webpage
- Medical writing Competition
- Consulting Case Competition
Training and networking events
We offer bespoke training for researchers at all stages, but have a particular focus on early-stage career researchers (ECRs). The aim is to broaden the practice of generating impact and driving innovation through entrepreneurship and early- and late-stage commercialisation.
The training is open to all academic and industry partners within IBIC and will result in better skilled research staff that will be able to drive an entrepreneurial culture across the industrial biotechnology sector.
Keep an eye on our events feed for the latest training opportunities. Find the latest networking events, conferences, and pitching competitions in our events section.