Chance to see your bright idea working

Budding entrepreneurs are being offered the chance of seeing their dreams of running a business turned into reality. Oxford Brookes University is looking for up to 12 people with innovative ideas for starting a business to sign up for fellowships.

Fellows will receive a package of workshops, training and advice from industry experts, as well the possibility of financial backing to push the ideas to the point where a new company can be launched.

Programme manager Chris Harlow said: "We're looking for people who have a technically innovative idea but don't know what to do next.

Good head...lager brewer Richard Keene

"Those with ideas from anywhere within about 20 miles of Oxford are encouraged to apply."

The fellowships are based at the Enterprise Centre at Brookes business school, which was set up, thanks to a £500,000 donation from Mike O'Regan, founder of Abingdon based computer firm Research Machines and his wife Jane.

The new intake will be following in the footsteps of success stories such as husbandandwife team Richard and Emma Keene, who set up the Cotswold Brewing Company at Foscot, near Chipping Norton, which specialises in making traditional lagers, following centuries old German laws on the purity of ingredients for brewing.

Mr Keene said: "Most of us on the course are new to the process of setting up in business and have benefited from each other's experience or wisdom. I particularly found the excellent lecturers fuelled confidence and enthusiasm for our various projects."

• To apply for a fellowship send an email to Mr Harlow at charlow@brookes.ac.uk

Chance to see your bright idea working

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