Funding & Business Support

Helping life sciences businesses innovate, grow and scale

Access to funding and tailored business support is critical for life sciences organisations at every stage of growth. Across Kent & Medway, partners work together to identify funding opportunities, support innovation activity and deliver practical programmes that help businesses develop, commercialise and reach new markets.

Support available includes:

• Identifying and applying for relevant innovation and growth funding

• Investment readiness and access to finance

• Business support programmes, workshops and events

• Support for innovation, R&D and commercialisation

• Help navigating regional and national support schemes

• Access to commercial premises , incubator, grow on,  lab space, etc

Delivery partners include:
Kent County Council, Innovate UK, Barclays Eagle Labs, British Business Bank, Let’s Do Business Group, Maidstone Innovation Centre, Discovery Park, SETHA and South East Angels.

If you’re a life sciences or MedTech business looking for funding or tailored support, the Growth Hub can help connect you to the right opportunities.

Graduate Retention & Knowledge Transfer

Connecting talent, research and business opportunity

Kent & Medway has a strong base of universities and further education institutions producing highly skilled graduates and research expertise relevant to the life sciences sector. This ambition focuses on strengthening the links between education and industry, helping businesses access talent and knowledge while encouraging graduates to build their careers locally.

Key areas of focus include:

• Understanding graduate migration trends across Kent & Medway

• Hosting annual engagement events with final-year students and alumni

• Promoting the benefits of living and working in the region

• Supporting knowledge transfer between academia and industry

• A shared target to support 50 life sciences businesses by 2030

Academic partners include:
University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Greenwich and Mid Kent College.

Inward Investment

Positioning Kent & Medway as a destination for life sciences investment

Kent & Medway offers a compelling proposition for life sciences and MedTech investors, with strong transport links, established innovation locations and a growing support network. Partners work together to promote the region nationally and internationally and to support businesses looking to invest or relocate.

Activity includes:

• Promoting Kent & Medway at UK and international sector events

• Showcasing key innovation and employment sites

• Supporting investors through the relocation and growth process

• Connecting investors with local partners, facilities and talent

Inward investment partners include:
Locate in Kent (new brand/name), Discovery Park, Kent County Council, Maidstone Borough Council and Kent Science Park.

Sector Growth & Strategic Ambition

Supporting long-term, place-based innovation

Life sciences sector activity across Kent & Medway aligns with the Kent & Medway Economic Framework ambition to develop an enhanced, place-based innovation partnership. By working collaboratively across public, private and academic sectors, partners are focused on creating the right conditions for sustainable growth.

This includes:

• Strengthening innovation networks and partnerships

• Supporting health and economy collaboration

• Maximising the benefits of national and international connectivity

• Aligning local activity with regional and national growth priorities

About the KMEP Life Sciences Steering Group

Coordinating collaboration across the sector

The KMEP Life Sciences Steering Group acts as an advisory group to the Kent & Medway Economic Partnership. Its role is to help shape and support the growth of the life sciences and MedTech sector across the county through collaboration, knowledge sharing and partnership working.

The Steering Group:

• Brings together public, private and academic partners

• Acts as a forum for sharing insight and good practice

• Supports innovation-led growth and inward investment

• Helps align sector activity with the Kent & Medway Economic Framework

Sub-groups focus on priority ambitions such as inward investment, graduate retention, funding and business support, with outputs contributing to shared annual objectives.

To find out more about the wider life sciences sector support activity in Kent & Medway, or to explore how you can get involved, please contact the Growth Hub.