Application deadline: 25th June 2023

Applications closed. Please view our programmes page for other opportunities or join our newsletter to be the first to hear if we run future editions of the programme.

Are you running a developed impact business that is ready to scale? If getting investment is now the main thing holding you back, then our Impact Business Growth Academy (IBGA) is for you.

This academy is for founders of businesses with social or environmental missions. You must be actively seeking funding, and we’ll support you to build your network, grow your fundraising expertise and hopefully unlock new opportunities.

By the end of this programme, you will:

  • Have a greater understanding of the social investment landscape
  • Know how to measure and report your impact effectively, so it’s clear to funders
  • Feel more confident finding and connecting with investors
  • Be able to complete funding applications with more ease

£10K

Graduates can apply for up to 10k of funding.

Being on the programme has helped me and my business grow by increasing the size and quality of my network, giving me a relevant peer group.  It’s the most useful thing I’ve done to transition from founder to CEO.

Kiemu Salmon

Beutonomy

Expert-led workshops

Expert-led workshops on topics such as building relationships with investors, understanding types of funding and transitioning from founder to CEO.

You’ll also get to hear from Hatch graduates who have been where you are and successfully funded their business.

Peer Support

Benefit from the knowledge, experiences and support of your cohort. 

You’ll have a place to share resources, insights and keep in contact during (and after) the programme.

1-2-1 Support

Access peer mentoring sessions from our Accelerator-stage founders who are experts in their field.

Meet funders

Ask the questions you’re dying to know the answers to.

The programme consists of 6 online workshops:

1

Fundraising and the power of partnerships

Wed 26th July 2023, 09:30- 13:00

2

The funding landscape – what funding options are right for you?

Wed 2nd Aug 2023, 09:30- 13:00

3

Getting investment ready 

Wed 9th Aug 2023, 09:30- 13:00

4

Getting your financial ducks in a row

Wed 16th Aug 2023, 09:30- 13:00

5

Measuring and communicating your impact

Wed 23rd Aug 2023, 09:30- 13:00

6

Pitching your business 

Wed 30th Aug 2023, 09:30- 13:00

Apply now

Price:

£150

This programme is valued at over £53k, but thanks to our partnership with UBS participants are asked to pay £150.

If you have any issues filling in the form linked below, please contact  programmes@hatchenterprise.org

Requirements:

  • You are the founder or director of a social or environmental impact business based in the UK
  • You have an annual turnover of at least £50,000
  • You have at least one full-time member of staff in your business
  • You want to raise at least £25,000 in investment, grants or loans in the next 12 months
  • You are able to commit to attending the sessions

Application deadline: 25th June 2023

Applications closed. Please view our programmes page for other opportunities or join our newsletter to be the first to hear, if we run future editions of the programme.

Date of next programme:

26th July 2023

Application deadline: 25th June 2023

Location: Online

Join a supportive community of entrepreneurs and experts to get the support you need to launch, grow and scale your business.

Frequently asked questions

Each of our programmes is designed for a different stage in your entrepreneurial journey, from idea to scaling.

Launchpads are for entrepreneurs who have a business idea or have just launched their business, understand the problem they are trying to solve, and are ready to start their entrepreneurial journey. Over twelve sessions, you will learn the basics of entrepreneurial mindset, business strategy, finance, branding, and pitching that you need to get your business off the ground.

Incubators are for entrepreneurs who have been running their business as a side hustle and gained some traction and are now looking to make the business more sustainable and have a clearer strategy. Over nine workshops you will learn the skills you need in business strategy, culture and mission, social media, legal, storytelling, PR, pricing, customer journey mapping and pitching in order to help turn your business from a side hustle to your full-time job.

Accelerators are business and leadership programmes that have been designed for entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their business and impact. Over twelve workshops, you will evaluate your personal leadership strengths and the opportunities for your business to grow, and tap into the knowledge of the other entrepreneurs on the programme to plan your path to sustainable growth.

You can see all the programmes we’re currently offering on our programmes page: www.hatchenterprise.org/our-programmes

Hatch programmes are for entrepreneurs based in the UK. Every programme we run has different application criteria that allows us to best tailor our support. Some of our programmes are reserved for or prioritise founders from groups that are underrepresented in entrepreneurship, including women and other marginalised genders, or Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic founders, founders who are working on a social or environmental impact business, or founders from a specific geographic region.


You can find out more about each programme’s eligibility criteria on the programme page.

You can express your interest in one of our programmes using the application form. Try to answer the questions in as  much detail as possible, as we don’t ask applicants to submit a business plan or model.

After the deadline for the programme applications have passed, a Hatch team member will be in touch  to let you know if you are invited to an interview. Depending on when you apply, this may take a few days to a few weeks. During the interview, we will ask questions about yourself and your business to see if you are a good fit for the programme. In some instances, an interview may not be required.

After the interview, we’ll let you know if you have been selected to take part in the programme. We aim to get back to you within 1- 4 weeks with a decision. Some programmes may have additional criteria which we use to assess your suitability. For example, some are for women only, others may require that you have a social or environmental impact and some are based on your turnover. 

In each of our programmes you will get access to

  • Expert-led workshops
  • Facilitated group sessions with other entrepreneurs
  • 1-2-1 mentoring and coaching
  • Support developing and practising your pitch
  • Access to our additional community events + networking opportunities

We aim to make our programmes as accessible as possible. If you need any accessibility accommodations for your interview (such as live captioning or sharing the questions in advance),  please let us know in the application form.

Once on one of our programmes, where possible we offer tailored accessibility support according to participant needs. This may include live captioning, printed worksheets, advanced access to session content and more.

If you have any issues with our forms or questions about accessibility, please email programmes@hatchenterprise.org.

All of our programmes take place online, either via Zoom, Butter or other online meeting software.

Thanks to our incredible corporate partners, we are able to offer our programmes at a reduced rate to participants, and in some cases for no cost. You can find the prices for each programme on the programme application page.

If the cost of the programme is a barrier, you can indicate that you would like to be considered for a bursary in the application form to reduce or remove the programme cost.

No. Hatch’s programmes provide support to entrepreneurs, but we don’t take any equity or stake in your business.

Like most early-stage programmes, Hatch doesn’t sign an NDA with participants, but we never share any confidential information from the application process or programmes.

Hatch’s programmes are part-time and designed to fit around your business and your life. Most programmes will have a maximum of 8 hours of workshops a month and we ask all participants to attend all programme events unless they have communicated with the Programme Manager beforehand.  Some programmes offer additional support opportunities via 1-2-1 mentoring, extra optional events or a set of recommended tasks to complete outside of your 8 hours of monthly workshops. All content is designed for Founders to follow at their own pace whilst on the programme.

When you graduate from the programme, you will become part of the Hatch community. You can continue to build connections with other Hatch founders, access exclusive events, masterclasses, perks, and share and receive news and opportunities.

We ask that there is one primary founder who takes part in the programme and attends the workshops and 121 support. Co-founders or business partners who are not on programmes are welcome to attend 121 support alongside the main founder. There may be additional opportunities for participation, but this would be detailed to you by the programme manager.

Once you have graduated from a Hatch programme you may be eligible to apply to the Hatch Grant Fund. We will inform you of the eligibility criteria and how much funding you can apply for when applications open. We are working with our grant-making partner, Groundwork, to administer this fund.  Please note: The total maximum amount may not be awarded, and the grant fund is competitive, so not all applicants will be successful.

Most of our programmes have between 12-18 participants in a cohort. Sometimes we
run multiple cohorts at a time, so some of your sessions may have multiple cohorts brought together for particular sessions giving you even more opportunity to network with like minded founders on a similar journey to you!

Hatch is open to all business models, sectors and industries. So whether you are creating a product, service or marketplace, selling to individual consumers or businesses, seeking funding or bootstrapping – our programmes can help you and your business.