Ideate

A CoSTAR Network Growth Lab and Residency 

CoSTAR Ideate supports the development of micro, start-ups and early-growth companies looking to scale new IP in the creative technology sector. Delivered via the National CoSTAR network, Ideate marries access to cutting-edge facilities, creative and technology expertise and world-leading research that is attuned to the unique growth stage(s) of creative enterprises.   

The programme presents a unique offer of support to industry from four CoSTAR Network Labs, creating a pathway for companies to engage directly with CoSTAR expertise and infrastructure, to harness IP for business growth.   

CoSTAR Ideate provides:  

1. A 5-month residency for 24 enterprises, 6 in each of the 4 CoSTAR Labs: National Lab, Realtime Lab, Screen Lab and Live Lab.  

1. Growth Lab business development sessions delivered by CodeBase and sector experts, helping entrepreneurs to develop specific skills and strategies to benefit and accelerate their business growth plans. 

1. A low-risk route for company and product development through lab development time at CoSTAR Network facilities. 

1. Access to technical support and resources at CoSTAR lab facilities, designed to ‘fill the gaps’ in IP and company development pipelines. 

1. Access to specialised research within the CoSTAR Network. 

1. 1-2-1 business growth, IP development and best practice in inclusive and sustainable innovation mentorship from UK sector experts that can tangibly help develop the business and IP further. 

1. Co-location services (desk space/ lab space) for participants on the programme. 

1. Access to a community of like-minded startups and entrepreneurs developing creative technology solutions for the creative technology sector.  

1. The program takes no equity and there are no fees to apply. 

The structure of the programme allows for companies to integrate support into their day-to-day business activity.  Through the application process, companies have an opportunity to present their ideas and outline how the support on offer at a CoSTAR Network Lab, matches their IP and business growth ambitions. The programme is ideally suited to companies who are looking for a de-risked route to develop new IP to drive business growth. 

About our CoSTAR Network Lab Partners

About CoSTAR National Lab 

About CoSTAR Live Lab

About CoSTAR Realtime Lab

About CoSTAR Screen Lab

Codebase

CodeBase is an ecosystem builder, building better startup ecosystems. CodeBase connects founders and their teams with governments, local authorities, corporates, investors and academia to increase the number of successful businesses.

Participants will be companies who typically are one or more of the following:  

• Have committed to work on an idea OR have an early-stage product in development which is focused on emerging and enabling technologies in the screen and performance sector.  

• Are companies looking to scale their business and IP in new creative or technical areas in the creative industries. 

• Are looking to take their ideas to the next stage, experiment with new research or respond to the adoption of new technologies in the sector. 

• Require access to facilities and expertise to de-risk IP development that can drive business growth and generate new revenue streams. 

• May be pre-revenue or early revenue generating.   

• Are technology-based businesses looking to develop solutions in the creative technology sector, responding to changing market conditions and opportunities. 

CoSTAR Network is a welcoming and supportive programme. All are welcomed to take part regardless of age, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, socio-economic background, (dis)ability (visible or hidden, physical or mental), sexuality, religion or belief. We strongly encourage applications from businesses led by those from diverse backgrounds and those currently under-represented in the creative technology sector. 

Enterprise & Commercialisation programmes will monitor diversity across its range of participants, external experts and mentors we engage for delivery. The CoSTAR EDI framework measures our success against the annual EDI Action Plan. Our goal is to deliver programmes within an infrastructure which is fit for a future creative industry that values diversity and inclusion for its commercial and societal value.  

CoSTAR Ideate will offer support to six companies in each of the following four CoSTAR Network Lab locations, each lab has a sector specialism, facilities and capabilities as outlined below: 

CoSTAR National Lab: currently located at Futures Studio in Egham, Surrey.

CoSTAR Realtime Lab: located in Dundee and Edinburgh in Scotland, this lab brings screen and performance technology to life. 

CoSTAR Live Lab: located in York/Wakefield, this lab focusses on technologies for live performance experiences, including virtual production.

CoSTAR Screen Lab: located in Studio Ulster, Belfast, a virtual production facility in Northern Ireland.

Six companies will be resident in one primary CoSTAR Lab (a total of 24 companies at each of the 4 facilities) with flexibility and a stipend to travel should they require specialist facilities and expertise in another CoSTAR lab location. 

Applicants will be asked in the application process to present their ideas and outline how the support on offer at a CoSTAR Network Lab, matches their IP and business growth ambitions. Each of the CoSTAR Network Labs have outlined their offer to industry and the areas they are looking to collaborate and support companies in, below. 

Ideate mentorship

Personal and professional development is an important aspect of the Ideate programme and mentorship will be provided throughout the programme. Participant companies will receive around 20 hours mentorship on the programme, more if required to meet the needs of the company and IP in development. 

During Stage 2 CodeBase will connect your company with mentors for tailored, individual support. These sessions provide founders and senior leaders the chance to engage with experienced tech industry operators, founders, experts, and educators, fostering transformational relationships that drive business and professional growth.  CodeBase Mentors come from diverse backgrounds, offering a wide range of expertise and perspectives. Our approach to building our mentor pool is rooted by years of observing ecosystem growth and the critical role of horizontal, peer-to-peer support. For this reason, we prioritise mentors with direct experience in founding and working within successful tech startups. 

Stages 3 & 4 will bring in specialised programme mentorship aligned to the needs of your growing company including creative content, technical development and business operations at CoSTAR Host labs.  This is supplemented with a pool of UK wide specialised mentors in areas such as IP exploitation, AI EDI, sustainability. 

• Supporting businesses through an extended phase of research and foundational business development ahead of commercialisation.  

• Access to lab facilities and the creative and technical support needed to start to develop POC and prototypes in CoSTAR facilities. 

• Strong understanding of IP, commercialisation and product-to-market strategies.  

• Supporting businesses to become funding and investment ready, and where to look for opportunities.   

• A framework of support that draws on expertise from all partners across the network.  

• A shared language and understand playbooks to accelerate the growth of their creative tech product.  

• 1-2-1 mentorship and support to meet the unique needs of your company. 

• Training and mentorship in social impact including equitable design, developing environmental sustainability principles and working with diverse user groups. 

• Build up a creative growth mindset and greater resilience among creative start-up founders.  

• Exposure to and feedback from angels and investors.  

• Over £55,000 of in-kind support to participating companies. 

• Building community around CoSTAR Labs, and across the national network.  

Intellectual property 

We will not acquire (and no Collaborator nor any third party participating in the CoSTAR Programme will acquire) any rights in your intellectual property (whether created before, during or separately to the CoSTAR Programme) by virtue of your participation of the CoSTAR Programme. 

Programme costs: 

• There is no fee to participate in CoSTAR E&C.  The programme is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).  The value of in-kind value of support to participants on the programme is estimated to be £55,000 per company. 

1. A company stipend of £2,000 is available to companies to support travel and accommodation to attend in person activity.  This will be managed by the National Lab. 

1. A Participation Support Bursary is available to support participation, in line with our Social Impact Plan, for eligible individuals who may face additional barriers to participation. Please email us at costar.enterprise@rhul.ac.uk to discuss your needs. 

Company Participation:  

Please ensure that one senior business development lead and creative or technical roles are identified within the company team. Applicants must identify a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 roles from within the company (covering business development, creative and technical remits) to put forward to take part in the programme as follows: 

• Attend the diagnostic session in April 2025. (Minimum 2 company representatives) 

• Attend the programme kick off and induction sessions on the 6 and 7 May 2025 (2 company representatives).  

• Attend at least 70% of the workshops, support meetings, webinars from April 2025-September 2025. 

• Ensure that relevant team members are attending scheduled sessions as indicated in the Ideate Programme Stages.  (2-4 company representatives depending on the programme stage). 

• Attend, present and demonstrate project outcomes at the industry showcase event in August 2025, and at final showcase event in September 2025 (minimum 2 company representatives). 

Programme Obligations 

Company Participation 

Participants must be willing to commit to the following key programme and attendance obligations:  

•  A ‘Give-Back’ of 16 hours mentorship to future E&C programme participants over the following 2 years.  

• Companies will be required to provide case studies on programme completion. 

• Companies will be supported with mandatory training and mentorship in social impact areas that include; equitable design, developing environmental sustainability principles and working with diverse user groups. On application, companies will be asked to stipulate their approach to social impact and how they intend to deliver social impact commitments over the given period. 

Social Impact (EDI & Sustainability) 

 Environmental Sustainability and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are central to our work at CoSTAR and all our Access Programmes. All projects, regardless of their main R&D focus, are expected to have a demonstrable engagement with either EDI, sustainability or both.  Please see our EDI Policy and Action Plan here.  With regards to Monitoring and Evaluation, Social Impact data will be regularly reviewed in partnership with CoSTAR’s Inclusion team.  

Data, Ethics & AI Framework 

All participant companies will be asked to: 

• Adhere to CoSTAR Network Privacy Policy where relevant. 

• Agree to CoSTAR Network AI Principles Policy.  

• CoSTAR Ideate runs from 6 May to 17 September 2025.  

The programme will be split across 4 phases delivered by a combination of our delivery partners, CodeBase, the CoSTAR Enterprise & Commercialisation team, and the CoSTAR Network Labs.  

Phase 1: May 2025 (1-2 company participants) 

Diagnostic Session: A pre programme online meeting to assess your programme needs and ambitions on the programme.  

Programme kick off - 6 & 7 May 

• Kick Off Event hosted in person at Production Park, Lidgate Crescent, South Kirkby, Pontefract WF9 3NR 

• CodeBase 'Getting Started & Understanding Problems’.  

• This session will focus on the startup landscape, highlighting the mindsets and playbooks that exist and why they're important, plus start considering how to adopt a problem-led approach to build your startup. 

• Hosted at Production Park, hybrid attendance optional  

Phase 2: May & June 2025 (1-2 company participants) 

Exploration & Validation – Delivered by CodeBase  

• Understanding Markets  

• Learn more about customer-led design and use it to create a customer research plan. Focus on the client-centric approach as the key to building successful startups. 

• Understanding Customers 

• Find out why customer-led design is the key to building successful startups, and use this approach to create a customer research plan for your startup. 

• Experimentation 

• Learn how you can experiment and iterate to develop your product and business by engaging directly with users. Shift your thinking from 'building my idea' to 'learning what works'.   

• Product Discovery & MVPs 

  • Develop a product that users love and customers pay for: understand what it takes to move beyond early experiments and on to ‘discovering’ and developing your product to market. 

Phase 3: June, July, & August 2025 (2-4 company participants)  

Build & Measure: Development Time in the CoSTAR Labs  

Week Commencing 2^nd June: An Induction to the Network Labs – An orientation day to meet the team at your respective Network Lab, get to know the facilities on offer, and get settled into the space for the next phase of the programme.   

Throughout June, July, and August, companies will have access to the facilities and technical expertise at the host CoSTAR Lab, a pool of mentors across a range of subjects from technical and business support to more specialist subjects ranging from IP exploitation and social impact.   

Access to the technical facilities will be available to the Ideate cohort at each CoSTAR Lab for a minimum of 2 days a week for 8 weeks during this 12-week period.   

Phase 3 is designed to build out IP and test in an experimental, research-led environment surrounded by experts to support growing the business.  Participants will have the opportunity to be resident at their host CoSTAR facilities for this phase.  

Throughout Phase 3, the Enterprise and Commercialisation team will be hosting hybrid Masterclasses to inspire you and your team, with talks from industry experts across a range of subjects. Masterclasses will be hosted as “watch parties” with drinks and catering and the opportunity to get together in your respective CoSTAR Labs.   

Phase 4: September 2025  

Building a Sustainable Business - Delivered by CodeBase 

• Product to Market 

• Focus on your overall vision and the critical proof points in taking your product to the legal market, how you will look at validating problem-solution fit with customers, and fundamentals of working with early customers. 

• Commercialisation & IP 

• Understand key strategies for protecting and leveraging IP, how to navigate spin-outs, and learn from insights and approaches to IP, data, and AI market strategies.  

• Funding & Future Proofing 

• Funding and investment options: ensure that your startup has the right financial and operational underpinning to be set up for success, and avoid common pitfalls in financial management, investor relations, hiring, and regulatory compliance. 

• Pitching & Proposal Development  

• Practice the essential skills for pitching your product. Learn how to clearly tell your startup's story and for different audiences and purposes. 

Final Showcase & Wrap Event: 17 September  

Celebrate the culmination of all your hard work across the Ideate programme with an opportunity to present your business to industry representatives and get together as a cohort to close off the last 5 months of work.    

Further details:  

Phase 1 will be hosted in person with a hybrid option for those unable to stay for the 7 May. Expected time commitment: 1.5 days   

Phase 2 will take place online with an optional hybrid format depending on the availability of your respective CoSTAR Lab.  Time commitment: 4 x ½ days   

Phase 3 will be in person located at your respective CoSTAR Lab with the technical team and mentors. Time commitment: ~40hrs over 12 weeks  

Phase 4 will return to online/hybrid sessions with CodeBase, before wrapping up with the final in person showcase & wrap-up event on the 17 September. Time commitment: 4 x ½ days for Codebase and 1.5 days for showcase  

We expect a minimum of 2 company representatives to attend across Phase 1, 2, & 4.   

We expect a maximum of up to 4 companies' representatives to participate in Stage 3. 

Morning sessions will likely run 10:00 – 12:00, afternoon sessions will run 14:00 – 16:00. This may change depending on speaker availability.  

Key Programme Dates: 

Programme Start 

Tuesday 6 May - Kick Off Event hosted in person at Production Park, Lidgate Crescent, South Kirkby, Pontefract WF9 3NR 

Wednesday 7 May - CodeBase session hosted at Production Park, hybrid attendance optional.  

Phases 2 & 4 CodeBase Sessions 

Wednesday 14 May – Afternoon 

Wednesday 21 May – Afternoon  

Wednesday 28 May – Afternoon 

Wednesday 4 June – Morning 

Monday 1 September – Afternoon 

Wednesday 3 September – Afternoon 

Monday 8 September – Afternoon 

Wednesday 10 September – Afternoon 

Phase 3 

Dates for specific activities at your relevant CoSTAR Lab will be confirmed closer to the time. 

Programme Showcase 

Wednesday 17 September – CosTAR Ideate Showcase hosted in person at a TBD CoSTAR Lab 

Key information and links 

General call enquiries

Programme overview

Eligibility 

Programme obligations