Together with other forms of support, the total finance available to WestFocus Consortium members' projects is well in excess of £7m.

WestFocus Business Creation administers on behalf of the PARK Board a £750k Proof of Concept seed fund.   This fund provides a maximum of £20k of grant funding and projects are typically around the £10k size.  The first £5k of this is expected to be used to fund a Project Manager to create a business model that will form the basis for subsequent rounds of investment. 

The PARK I and PARK II funds (similarly administered by Brunel University on behalf of the PARK Board) is each a £1m seed fund for further development work.  Typically dispensed in £25k tranches in the form of loan finance, these funds will usually be deployed to support finalisation of proof of concept activities, patent protection, engagement with customers and any activity designed to hasten the generation of first revenues into the fledgling business.

Brunel University has also established a 10-year, £4.5m seed fund in conjunction with Close Venture Management that is accessible to all WestFocus institutions.  Funds in excess of £500k are available via this source for projects that have proven technology, demonstrate considerable commercial potential, are well developed and have strong management teams in place or identified.  The agreement with Close will help fill the funding gap for spin out companies by offering them early development funding than can pave the way to more substantial investments through the venture capital community and beyond. Sir Peter Williams CBE, chairman of the UK Engineering and Technology Board, says the initiative is a benchmark for the future representing a “prototype for the rest of the higher education world”.