The next phase of Lincoln City’s LCFC Innovation Lab has kicked off with 11 ambitious entrepreneurs ready to take their ventures to the next level through an intensive mentorship programme based at the LNER Stadium.
Delivered in partnership with the University of Lincoln’s Enterprise & Innovation team, the five-week programme brings together a diverse cohort of founders from across the region, each selected for their potential to grow innovative, scalable businesses.
The Kick-Off Accelerator combines the startup and academic expertise of the University of Lincoln with the commercial insight and community reach of Lincoln City Football Club, creating a unique environment for early-stage ventures to thrive.
Over the coming weeks, participants will take part in an intensive programme of mentoring, workshops and practical support, designed to accelerate business growth and sharpen their go-to-market strategies. The initiative is focused on helping founders build sustainable businesses with strong regional and national impact, while also equipping them with the tools and networks needed to scale.
The Kick-Off Accelerator forms a key part of the wider LCFC Innovation Lab, which is designed to connect entrepreneurs, academics and industry partners to turn ideas into real-world solutions. Through this collaboration, the programme offers founders access to expertise, testing environments and valuable industry connections.
Neil Everatt, entrepreneur in residence for the Innovation Lab, said: “Bringing together 11 founders with such a diverse range of ideas is incredibly exciting. The Kick-Off Accelerator is about more than just business growth - it’s about giving entrepreneurs the confidence, structure and support to turn their ideas into something truly impactful. The environment we’ve created here, combining academic insight with real-world experience, gives these founders a fantastic platform to succeed.”
The cohort of 11 entrepreneurs represents a wide range of sectors and ideas, reflecting the programme’s ambition to support innovation across industries and drive economic growth throughout Greater Lincolnshire.
Across five structured sessions, the programme takes founders on a practical journey from refining their individual vision through to delivering a confident final pitch.
Along the way they will speak with specialists on product development, sales and marketing, and finance, and each startup will have its own mentor from a wide-range of backgrounds and industries. The accelerator concludes with pitch preparation and rehearsal, giving each entrepreneur the opportunity to present their venture with clarity, confidence and impact.
Organisations or entrepreneurs with a novel idea or looking to develop new products are encouraged to get in touch via lcfcinnovationlab.om to explore how the Innovation Lab can support their journey.