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Ignite 2010 sparks success for Rokka Play!
29.04.10
Rokka Play is the 2010 Ignite winner. Ignite - Cornwall’s biggest business plan competition to date attracted a great deal of interest from start up businesses from across the county all hoping to win the prize valued at £100k, which included £25k cash. Rokka Play was amongst the 10 finalists that presented to the judges and an audience at the Fistral Blu in Newquay on Tuesday evening. The sunset, sea and surf provided a breath-taking backdrop to a perfect evening. Other finalists were: Evolv-e; Keebunga; HLS Solutions; Klowd Software; Cornwall Music Academy; Jiggy; Skinflint Design; The Ethical Travel Store and Lovely Little Books.
Rokka Play is an exciting start-up company and is the brain child of Vanessa Harris and Samantha Spake. It designs and develops multifunctional educational wooden toys for children. Their mission is to address the needs of imaginative play which is at the very heart of childhood, putting creativity back into play.
The competition attracted a record 59 entries from which the judges sought to identify innovative ideas that have the potential to be turned into successful ventures, led by people who could become the region’s business leaders of the future. Oxford Innovation’s competition manager, Leo Dunne, commented “We’re absolutely delighted with the response to Ignite. Difficult economic conditions are particularly hard on start-up and early stage businesses who find it especially challenging trying to establish a foothold from which to develop. The competition attracted a significant amount of entries, which is testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of Cornwall and all our finalists were worthy of their position. I hope that Ignite continues to encourage the development of new businesses in Cornwall for many years to come. It was great working with such a committed group of people, contestants, judges and commercial supporters – without whom none of this would have been possible.”
The judging panel was chaired by one of Cornwall’s leading business champions, Mark Duddridge, Managing Director of Ginsters. He was joined by other business leaders in Cornwall: Bob Dow, former Chief Executive of Business Link; John Stanlake, of the Springboard fund; Ian Taylor, managing partner at Coodes solicitors; Ewan McClymont, partner leading on grants services with Bishop Fleming, Dave Rickett, Director of Creative Edge and Beverley Warne, Managing Director of Pirate FM.
“Congratulations to Oxford Innovation for organising this year’s Ignite Cornwall Business Plan Competition” commented Mark. “The shortlisted entries were of exceptional standard and displayed the ingenuity and passion that surrounds us in Cornwall. The finalists were extraordinarily diverse but Rokka Play impressed all the judges with their innovation, professionalism and ambition. We wish them and all the other entrants every success in the future.”
Responding to her success, Vanessa Harris, Director of Rokka Play, said “Entering the Ignite Business Plan Competition made us really focus our attention on all aspects of the business and develop a thorough strategy. The Winter Training Camps laid on to support prospective entrants were very useful in developing our thinking. We are at the stage in our planning where we need to seek external advice from professionals so that we can launch our first product this September, in readiness for the Christmas market. Winning the Ignite competition not only provides us with this expertise, which will be invaluable to us, it also gives us the initial cash injection that enables us to invest in upfront stock. We can also launch our business with confidence knowing that we have the support of the Oxford Innovation’s Grow Cornwall Team behind us. We are so excited!”
The Ignite competition was led by Oxford Innovation and the impressive list of sponsors attracted to support this competition highlighted its value and included: Springboard, Devon and Cornwall’s innovation fund; accountants, Bishop Fleming; Coodes Solicitors; leading design agency, Creative Edge; Pirate FM and the Convergence Partnership.
For further information contact:
Emma Yates
PR Co-ordinator for Grow Cornwall Office
Oxford Innovation Ltd
01872 300116
e.yates@growcornwall.co.uk
Editor's notes:
About Grow Cornwall
Grow Cornwall is Oxford Innovation’s venture to deliver support to develop and sustain High Growth businesses for the future success of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Currently, the Team, based at offices in Greenbottom, Truro, are focused on managing two business programmes, Coaching for High Growth and Starting a High Growth Business, two investments which form part of the Convergence Programme which aims to build a stronger economy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Coaching for High Growth offers intensive coaching and assistance for up to 30 days to managers of high growth potential SMEs to support the realisation of their potential. The team of business advisors and experienced coaches have a range of board level business and sector experience gained from working in SMEs and facing similar challenges to those now faced by participants on the Coaching programme. The team can help managers who are looking for a new perspective on a business or would like help with specific issues such as growing businesses through a step change, refining business models, identifying new markets, sourcing new technologies, extending geographical reach and building teams.
Starting a High Growth Business assists individuals to start up businesses and helps entrepreneurs in early stage firms to develop their businesses. Advice is provided on issues ranging from developing a business plan and securing funding to identifying new markets, building a team and developing new products and services.
For more information: www.growcornwall.co.uk
About Oxford Innovation
Oxford Innovation provides services to growing companies, and to government bodies that promote enterprise. It has over 15 years experience of delivering business support and mentoring to thousands of companies of all sizes from start-ups and spin-outs to SMEs and large corporations. Advice is offered on all stages of business development from business planning, protection of intellectual property and securing funding to resource identification, manufacturing and sales and marketing.
Oxford Innovation operates a network of innovation centres throughout the UK that provide flexible office and laboratory space to over 400 technology, knowledge-based and creative companies.
Oxford Innovation also manages three highly successful Investment Networks that link investors with entrepreneurs seeking funding from £20,000 to £2 million. During the last five years, the investment networks have helped over 90 companies raise £19.5m. For more information: www.oxin.co.uk
Oxford Innovation is part of SQW Group. Other divisions include SQW Consulting, which provides consultancy services in sustainable economic and social development to public sector organisations; SQW Energy, which provides energy market design and carbon management services and SQW Asia, which operates from Hong Kong providing economic and management consultancy services to Asia and international markets. For more information: www.sqwgroup.com
About the Convergence Programmes
In Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly the Convergence Programmes are made up of European Regional Development Fund (£347 million) and European Social Fund (£153 million). The Convergence Programmes will run until 2013 and follow the successful Objective One Programme and prior to that Objective 5b. For further information see: www.convergencecornwall.com
Convergence helpline telephone: (0800) 0280120.
The ERDF Programme investment is intended to boost the region’s economy by providing focused support for business creating better quality, higher paid, jobs. This support includes: training and access to higher education; strengthening links between academia and business; improved IT infrastructure; additional high quality workspace; and specialist support to boost business productivity.
The ESF Operational Programme is targeted at tackling barriers to work, improving workforce skills and research and graduate activity. It will be delivered primarily through co-financing via the Learning and Skills Council and Jobcentre Plus.
