Opportunities for Founders Across the North: Funding, Pitch Competitions and Incubators
- Emi Bagshaw
- Mar 4
- 3 min read
From pre‑seed investment to funding readiness and national pitch stages, a wave of regional and UK‑wide programmes are now open for founders, particularly those in the North. Below is your roundup of the opportunities available right now.
Regional Talent Engines
6‑month pre‑seed programme • £20k non‑dilutive grant • Northern England
The Regional Talent Engines programme supports early‑stage engineering and tech entrepreneurs with a structured six‑month pre‑accelerator designed to take founders from idea to investment‑ready. Participants receive £20,000 equity‑free funding, expert mentoring, business coaching, and training delivered across regional hubs. Applications are open now, with places allocated competitively.
More info: Regional Talent Engines
PraeSeed – Northern Pre‑Seed Cohort Investment
6‑week pre‑seed investor‑readiness programme • Up to £200k investment • Apply by 10 April
Now entering its third year, PraeSeed is one of the North’s leading cohort‑based pre‑seed investment programmes. Each annual cohort takes part in six weeks of VC‑led workshops, gaining intensive investor‑readiness support and access to PXN Ventures’ co‑investment network. Up to eight companies receive £200k investment, and historically 85% of Cohort 1 secured follow‑on funding. Future Greens from Sheffield took part in 2025.
More info: PraeSeed
Barclays Eagle Labs – Funding Readiness Programme
10‑week online programme • Grant/crowdfunding/equity/debt • Apply by 13 March
Barclays Eagle Labs’ Funding Readiness programme, powered by Capital Enterprise, helps founders demystify fundraising routes. Over 10 weeks of online sessions, founders learn how to navigate grants, crowdfunding, equity, debt and alternative finance, alongside access to mentoring, Q&A sessions and a founder cohort.
More info: Eagle Labs Funding Readiness
TechLocal – Connecting Local Talent to Local Tech Jobs
Up to £7.6m available • Skills & employment programmes • Closes 18 March
TechLocal, part of the government’s TechFirst initiative, supports locally led projects helping people access entry‑level tech roles in frontier technologies such as AI, cybersecurity, semiconductors and quantum. UK‑registered organisations can apply for project grants of £100k–£225k, aiming to deliver impactful regional skills and jobs outcomes.
More info: TechLocal
NextWave – National Early‑Stage Pitch Competition
£2M investment pot • Pre‑seed & seed founders • Manchester final • Closes 22 March
NextWave is a flagship UK pitch competition for pre‑seed and seed founders. This May in Manchester, six standout winners will share £2m in investment. Twenty founders are selected to pitch live on stage, with opportunities to join curated roundtables, investor meetings and ecosystem networking.
More info: NextWave
OneToWin – Pitch at London Tech Week 2026
10 startups • Live pitch at LTW • £500k investment opportunity • Closes 22 March
OneToWin gives ten exceptional founders a national platform: pitching live at London Tech Week 2026 to investors, corporates and senior ecosystem leaders. At least one company will receive a £500k investment opportunity, with major visibility on one of Europe’s biggest tech stages.
More info: OneToWin | Tech Nation
The Cooper Project and Project 26 in Sheffield and The Furnace incubator in Barnsley consider applications on a rolling basis from early-stage founders, and Top Tech Yorkshire in Leeds has regular cohorts. You can also find informal pitching opportunities with local groups such as Sheffield Angels, Startup Social Sheffield, Venture.Community and the Digital Forge. Check out South Yorkshire groups and meetups on our Ecosystem Map.
We'll be back with future incubators and development programmes for tech founders, let us know if we missed any standout opportunities. Follow us by monthly newsletter, social media or on the TECH SY blog to get the latest news.
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