Grow an Entrepreneur for Tomorrow

Help us turn an empty shop into a buzzing hub for young entrepreneurs! We'll create space where imaginations can be unleashed and bright business ideas brought to life.

With youth unemployment and shops vacancies both at record highs, we’ve developed a great idea that tackles both issues.

Our new Ideas Hub, will allow budding entrepreneurs to share business ideas, get advice, and access support.

Whether designing and selling clothes, creating new smartphone apps, setting up a radio station, or cooking culinary treats to service hungry traders, the bright ideas are out there. We just need to give them the right space to grow.

The Hub will host five groups of young people, on three-month stints. Part of the money raised by our funding campaign will provide seed funding for the best business ideas, along with support from experienced businesses in the community.

The aim is to nurture bright ideas into full-fledged enterprises in the real world. If you would like to see one of the town's empty spaces turned into a factory for young entrepreneurs, please click "pledge" above to back this project!

What we'll do:

• Secure the short-term lease of a commercial unit in High Wycombe town centre
• Pay the overhead costs of the commercial space
• Get 30-35 young people into business over 15 months
• Provide seed funding for each young-person group to support their business idea
• Pay for the provision of accredited training for young participants
• Document and evaluate the project as an educational legacy

Why it's a great idea:

We believe that our town must evolve and adapt to become a 'high street' of the future that is not solely reliant on retail outlets to fill its commercial space.

We can no longer rely on the expansion of national chains to fill our vacant space. We need fresh, distinctive ideas.

We want to use some of our vacant spaces to inspire new business types and new people. We also believe that many young people have limited their ambition and creativity simply because they are not given the freedom to express themselves; to try new ideas; and to make mistakes without feeling like they've failed.

This project will provide that freedom, whilst drawing on the expertise of existing local independent businesses. The ability of these businesses to support, mentor, educate, and challenge our young entrepreneurs will be a hugely valuable part of what makes the initiative a success.

How we'll get it done:

• Use HWBIDCo, and its Board, as the accountable body for the project
• Work with Wycombe Youth Action, Bucks 4C, Bucks Business First and Bucks New University Business Students as our board.
• Work with Wycombe District Council and a landlord to secure premises
• Work with social media partners to document the project
• Engage young people through established and trusted organisations
• Use our extensive contacts and partners as a project resource
• Use HWBIDCo, and its Board, as the accountable body for the project

This is an innovative project that combines remedial measures for empty commercial space with the creative engagement of both local business and young people.

It promises a legacy far in excess of the project lifetime, growing into something that binds people from all corners of the community together.

The mechanism for funding the project is innovative too. Funding from a Business Improvement District company, Town Team money, corporate sponsorship and public sector funding have combined to create a solid foundation. We are asking you help us “crowd-fund” the rest.

We have considerable expertise in delivering a broad range of innovative projects, through direct funding and grant programmes. We have the trust and respect of a range of local stakeholders and businesses. We also have political support. So we are confident we have the ability to deliver our promises.

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