University Enterprise Zone

Business support and funding for trailblazers

Panel of investors sitting at table in preparation for pitching event

Reaching out to help businesses to grow

As a University Enterprise Zone, we are designated by the Government as a centre for nurturing and supporting new digital and creative businesses. Our focus is on increasing business success and job creation by providing budding entrepreneurs with advice and practical support through webinars and 1:1 support from our UEZ team. This is paired with access to funding through our innovative equity investment platform, Angels@Essex. Whether you are an entrepreneur, an investor, or a student with a vision, we invite you to get involved.

Our key area of UEZ activity

Angels@Essex: investment platform, business support, and webinar programme for innovative founders

An equity investment platform to help innovative businesses develop and grow.

Angels@Essex is a regulated, invitation-only equity investment platform that links angel investors to entrepreneurs with innovative ideas, fostering the growth of new and exciting disruptive technologies.

If you would like to receive an invitation to join, email uez@essex.ac.uk with your contact details to receive further information on how to invest or apply for funding. Find out more about Angels@Essex and sign up to the Angel@Essex newsletter.

Discover Angels@Essex

A vision for innovation in the UK

As part of our UEZ status, Research England and the UK Government committed £800,000 towards the £1.3 million Accelerating Innovation at the Knowledge Gateway project. Based at our Colchester campus, this project is dedicated to developing and commercialising ideas for the benefit of the UK economy. University Enterprise Zones were first established in four pilot areas in 2015. Essex was one of 20 new zones to be created in 2019.

 

“This provides national recognition of the Knowledge Gateway's strategic importance and further momentum to our aspirations to make it the location of choice in the eastern region for knowledge-based enterprises in science, technology and the creative sector. We've been working towards this status over the last five years, with over £50 million of investment."
Professor Anthony Forster Vice-Chancellor, University of Essex
Group of business people chatting
Our upcoming business events

Discover the very latest business events hosted by the University of Essex. From networking events to conferences, you can stay up-to-date with our calendar here.

Discover our upcoming events