North East firms urged to apply for Fintech Growth Programme

North East financial technology companies are being encouraged to apply for a growth support scheme.

Tech Nation is calling for applicants for its 2019 Fintech Growth Programme, which is delivered as part of the Treasury’s Fintech Sector Strategy.

Supported by fintech market leaders and running from September 2019 through to March 2020, the leadership development programme is designed to connect and create opportunities for the founders of the UK’s most promising fintech scale-ups.

The programme’s six-month schedule puts leading fintech chief executives through nine themed insights sessions, delivered by some of the most established fintech entrepreneurs, covering topics such as regulation, partnering with established financial services firms and expanding internationally.

The cohort will also attend networking events to meet key stakeholders and decision-makers, with the programme culminating with a three-day trip to the US.

A total of 25 companies will be selected by a panel of expert judges.

Though external funding is not a requirement, applying companies must be at a stage of development equivalent to seed or Series A, have a product in market used actively, and be headquartered in the UK.

The programme is open to B2B companies, and for the first time this year Tech Nation is also accepting B2C companies onto the programme.

John Glen, economic secretary to the Treasury, said: “The UK is number one in the world for scale-up investment into fintech firms, generating £4.5 billion in funding between 2015 and 2018.

“The country is full of exciting new companies that can break the mould and make our financial sector even stronger, and I urge all of them to get involved in this year’s programme.”

Eileen Burbidge, chair of Tech Nation, who will sit on the judging panel, added: “The Tech Nation Fintech Growth Programme attracted an extremely high calibre of participants last year and we are looking for equally diverse, innovative and ambitious fintech business leaders to apply this year.”

To apply, visit www.technation.io/fintech/

The deadline for applications is July 9.