Social sciences, humanities, and the arts for people and economy (SHAPE) disciplines have historically not received the same level of support and funding for entrepreneurial activity as STEM based projects in terms of entrepreneurial training, ideation, mentoring, and practical support. The government programmes that are available are mostly for STEM based innovation and do not quite fit or support early stage projects with innovation potential from social sciences. The ARC Accelerator (formerly called the SUCCESS Programme) is a first-of-its-kind opportunity specifically designed to help SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts) academics and researchers to develop ideas based on their research into businesses or ventures to help people, society and the economy.
The programme is open to SHAPE researchers (students and alumni are not eligible) from Aspect network members.
The ARC Accelerator is a six-month programme, and successful applicants will benefit from:
- A half-day’s Business Canvas support session to explore and build out their idea
- A virtual training bootcamp spread over three weeks, led by industry experts, to develop key entrepreneurial skills
- Specialised, sector specific training, access to experts who have been there before, investors and key networks
- Dedicated mentorship support to help validate their idea, develop the business model, and support their pitch for funding or investment
- The chance to pitch for up to £50,000 in prize money at the final showcase event (subject to funder conditions)
What’s next?
The ARC programme team is actively discussing improvements, including the networks of investors and funders, along with additional business model development training for entrepreneurs. The further procurement of more sector experts to work with academics on topics such as how to sell to local government is also important. The programme team anticipates integrating more of the training content that is traditionally taught in quite a siloed manner and separate from the rest of the entrepreneurial experience in order to help the academic entrepreneurs understand how topics like IP, branding, marketing, and competitive strategy work together and influence the overall business strategy. It is anticipated that the ARC accelerator will continue for two more iterations with a view to expand the number of teams accepted into the programme.
To find out more, please contact Chris Fellingham (Head of the ARC Accelerator): chris.fellingham@innovation.ox.ac.uk
Resources
7 June 2021
ARC Project profile: Teacher Selection Project
Robert Klassen provides an overview of his venture the Teacher Selection Project.
4 June 2021
ARC Project profile: EQUAL-Futures
Roberta Guerrina provides an overview of her venture EQUAL-Futures.
1 June 2021
ARC Project profile: Age of Love
Sharron Hinchliff provides an overview of her venture Age of Love.
28 May 2021
ARC Project profile: Culturalytics
Michael Muthukrishna provides an overview of his venture Culturalytics.
21 May 2021
ARC Project profile: MFL Student Mentoring
Lucy Jenkins provides an overview of her venture the MFL Student Mentoring project.
17 May 2021
ARC Project profile: So What App-ens Next
Jo Deakin provides an overview of her venture So What App-ens Next
17 May 2021
ARC Project profile: CODES
Michael Bruter provides an overview of his venture tackling the lack of understanding of public opinion in electoral processes.
10 May 2021
ARC Project profile: STRIDE
Liam O’Hare provides an overview of his venture, an initiative helping CSR teams design and evaluate social impact programmes
10 May 2021
ARC Project profile: Children’s Voice
Sarah Ward provides an overview of her venture, an initiative addressing child poverty by putting young people at the heart of policy interventions designed to help them.
16 April 2021
ARC Project profile: Set, Ready, Safety
Lisa Kelly provides an overview of her venture, a digital training, safety and compliance app for film production.
16 April 2021
ARC Project profile: Situate
Lawrence Barsalou provides an overview of his venture, which aims to assess a health behaviour, like stress, on two dimensions of situatedness.
12 April 2021
ARC Project profile: OnTrack Rehab
Gianpaolo Fusari provides an overview of his venture, OnTrack Rehab helping stroke survivors.
12 April 2021
ARC Project profile: SPARC
Mark Doffman provides an overview of his venture, supporting art organisations in a post-pandemic world.
6 April 2021
ARC Accelerator: Class of 2021
Welcoming the Aspect Research Commercialisation (ARC) Accelerator class of 2021
21 December 2020
A bright new world of social science ventures
Chris Fellingham reflects on the inaugural SUCCESS cohort and looks ahead to the new ARC Accelerator
18 December 2020
2020 SUCCESS cohort profiles
Profiles of the 12 projects that took part in our inaugural cohort
17 November 2020
SUCCESS Programme – 2020 cohort winners announced
Find out which projects won awards at the pitch day
26 October 2020
SUCCESS project profile: Enduring Net
Professor Ser-Huang Poon explains how the programme has supported her venture