Assessment criteria

The High Growth Team will assess projects from a holistic perspective, to find projects that meet our criteria for high-growth potential. Here is a sample of the areas we look at when assessing your project:

The project

  • What is the product/service? What field is it in?
  • What are the major features and benefits?
  • Does it use existing technology? New technology? New approach?
  • What is unique/different about your technology?
  • Is the technology displacement or disruptive?
  • Is the technology proven?
  • What are the competing technologies? How well established are they? What recent technology developments might affect your project.
  • Is the product/service market ready? What is the timetable to market?
  • For manufacturing projects, will you manufacture in-house, subcontract or use a combination of both?
  • What technical research have you undertaken?
  • What product development/testing has been undertaken?

Commercial potential

  • Is there a clear market for your project?
  • What are the major competitive advantages?
  • What size is your potential market? How is it segmented?
  • Is the market growing/shrinking/stable/mature? What is the current rate of growth?
  • Is the market proven?
  • What are the main drivers/external forces influencing this market?
  • Who are your target customers? Commercial? Industrial? Consumer?
  • Where are your target customers? National? International?
  • To whom do you expect to make your first sales? How will you achieve market penetration?
  • What is the suitability of your proposed business model? Would an alternative be more appropriate?
  • Does it have global applications?
  • What are the barriers to market entry?

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

  • What is the IPR status?
  • Can the existing company, with no legal consequences, commercially exploit the IPR associated with the project?
  • Does one or more of the individuals named on the application wholly own the IPR?
  • Can the IPR be protected? Is the IPR protected by relevant legal instruments, such as patents?

Financial

  • What are the estimated sales figures? What percentage of the total available market does this represent?
  • What are the estimated profit margins?
  • How will the growth in sales that investors expect be achieved?
  • What is the total funding requirement for the project? How will the project be fully funded?
  • How scaleable is the project?
  • What is the projected time to break even?

Feasibility

  • Is the project viable?
  • Is project fundable?
  • Is your proposal practically achievable?
  • What are the key milestones in the project timetable?