TECH SY: Idea Validation Grants

The Idea Validation Grants programme in 2025 offered financial assistance and fully-funded support to help validate business ideas, ensuring their market potential before significant product development. An initial cohort of early-stage tech businesses has now completed their supported idea validation, showing early traction with angel investor interest and boosting founder commercial skills.

TECH SY has reopened its Idea Validation Support to new applicants, following high demand last year. Early‑stage founders in South Yorkshire can now apply to receive:

£3,000 worth of structured idea validation support from experienced provider Trove

This new extension to the pilot programme is particularly well-suited to part-time founders and side hustle businesses, with flexible support designed to fit around work, study, childcare, or other commitments. Places are limited, applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and the programme may close early once all funding has been allocated. Closing at the latest by 12 June 2026.

The focus is on testing market demand, feasibility and next steps before committing significant time or money. This round offers hands‑on validation support delivered by an expert provider, not a cash grant, and previous recepients of the 2025 Idea Validation Grants cannot apply to join the programme a second time.

You’ll need to complete an application outlining your idea, the problem you’re solving, your proposed solution and your readiness to engage with validation support.

This is a unique opportunity to access mentorship from exited tech founders to steer your innovation during the crucial early stage. Trove have specially adapted their 90-Day iMVP programme to take founders from idea to impact, helping you develop your tech idea for the market with 121 guidance. Please read the supporting documents below when making an application.

About Trove

Meet co-founders Chris Dalrymple and Carl Stanton

Trove exists to help experienced and aspiring founders launch businesses that matter. They offer deeply hands-on, structured support to help founders go from idea to traction, faster and with more clarity. Their tailored idea validation programme for TECH SY is designed to validate early-stage ideas through structured thinking, mentoring, and executional support. They are well connected across the South Yorkshire startup ecosystem, with strong links to Sheffield Angels, Sheffield Technology Parks, and the Cooper Project.

Eligibility Criteria

Early-stage entrepreneurs or small businesses in Tech based in South Yorkshire. Tech business defined as a business which has a technology-based product or service as their primary business activity.
Be registered as a Sole Trader or Limited Company with HMRC.
Projects should be innovative and have the potential for significant impact.
Show you are ready to act on support within the programme.
Clearly articulate the problem you are tackling, proposed solution and why the solution is meaningfully different from existing alternatives.
Demonstrate a credible plan to fully identify and define your customer base window, activity to end by 31st August 2026.
Sufficient founder capacity to take part, including availability for agreed touchpoints.
Applicants must not have received a TECH SY Idea Validation Grant in the original programme (direct financial grant or provider support).

Application Process

Applications open on 20th April and close on 12th June 2026 at the latest.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the closing date.
Grants will begin to be awarded in May, with idea validation projects expected to commence immediately, with all projects to conclude by 31st August 2026.
Progress meetings will be undertaken with supported founders through the Validation Provider on a biweekly or monthly basis, depending on the level of touchpoints, needs and the stage of validation.

Applicants must submit a detailed proposal outlining their business idea and validation plan to include the following:

Executive Summary: A concise overview of the business idea, including its value proposition and market potential.
Problem Statement: A clear explanation of the problem your idea aims to solve.
Solution Description: A detailed plan outlining how your idea addresses the identified problem.
Technology Description: A concise description of the technology being developed.
Market Research: Evidence of demand, target audience insights, and competitive landscape analysis.
Team Profile: Backgrounds, roles, and relevant expertise of team members.
Goals: Short-term objectives for validation and scaling the idea.
Supporting Materials: Pitch deck or video presentation (optional but encouraged). Links to relevant documents, prototypes, or customer testimonials.