Budding entrepreneurs are to be given a massive career boost thanks to Confetti and South Nottingham College.

City-based Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies and Nottingham’s largest FE provider South Nottingham College will plough a massive £1m into a new initiative called Magnify which will back new start-up enterprises.

This new scheme has been set up to give ex-students an opportunity to pitch their business idea and be in the running to receive financial grants of up to £100K, plus mentoring, training, business support, office space and the opportunity to work alongside some of the city’s big industry players. Entrepreneurs pledging to recruit from the talented pool of Confetti and South Nottingham College students/graduates are also eligible for the scheme.

A cash injection into Magnify of £350K a year over three years will see Confetti and South Nottingham College work with the entrepreneurs to get their business ideas off the ground with both organisations potentially taking a stake in the business.

The masterminds behind the Magnify programme, Confetti Media Group Owner and Director Craig Chettle and Mal Cowgill, Principal of South Nottingham College hope this exciting new venture will stimulate enterprise across the city, create jobs and ensure talent retention. It will further the opportunities for talented students to capitalise upon their studies and turn their business ideas into reality.

Craig Chettle, MD Confetti Media Group says:

“We believe our courses produce some of the best graduates with the freshest minds and ideas and as such we are willing to back their business ventures. More and more young people are choosing vocational courses in order to secure employment at the end of their studies. Our courses are designed with careers in mind and Magnify will be a continuation of our support for our students. Mark Zuckerberg set up Facebook from his bedroom; we hope to spot and nurture great ideas and help see them through development to production.” 

Magnify’s “talent lab” will be housed within Antenna, Nottingham’s creative business hub. Those eligible will put forward their ideas in a business plan and if successful will enter the lab where their projects will be nurtured and honed during a development process. Following development, Confetti and South Nottingham College will select business ventures to invest in. Magnify will launch in the autumn.

More details will be released about how to apply early in September. In the mean time please express your interest by emailing magnify@confetti.uk.com