Past projects

NESTA acts as a test bed for developing new ideas and showing how they can be scaled up to have national impact.

Our aim is to prove that, with a small amount of investment, radical new business propositions in the innovation sector can be successfully incubated and launched into the UK marketplace.

Here are some examples of recently incubated projects:

100% Open

Having experimented with new approaches to open innovation through the incubation of the Connect programme, a new spin-out was created early in 2010 called 100%Open –  dedicated to helping companies to connect in new ways.  

100%Open is an independent commercial agency and is not funded by NESTA.

For more information, please visit www.100open.com

FutureLab

Incubated by NESTA until April 2006, Futurelab is now an independent not-for-profit organisation, based in Bristol. Futurelab is dedicated to transforming teaching and learning by making it more relevant to the 21st century.

Futurelab focuses on a range of areas including curriculum innovation; digital inclusion; health and well-being; play and computer games; adult and family learning; and digital literacy and participation.

For more information, please visit www.futurelab.org.uk

Starter for 6

Starter for 6 is a highly successful enterprise training programme that supports up-and-coming creative entrepreneurs across Scotland. As a result of its success, the Scottish Government, through Creative Scotland, confirmed its funding commitment to run the Starter for 6 programme from 2009-2011.

For more information, please visit www.culturalenterpriseoffice.co.uk/starterfor6

Insight Out

Insight Out is an enterprise training programme for creative individuals looking to set up a business within the creative industries.

Together with our partners, NESTA ran Insight Out for five years in seven regions across the UK, offering business training and grant funding to talented individuals to help get their creative ideas off the ground.

In 2005 Birmingham City University adopted NESTA's Insight Out programme and has delivered it to over 50 participants across the Midlands region.

For more information, please visit www.insightoutlearning.org.uk