NatWest has opened a new business Accelerator at Tyseley Energy Park in Birmingham, handing West Midlands founders direct access to capital, coaching and investor networks in a region whose advanced engineering and manufacturing sector already generates £22 billion a year and supports 273,000 jobs.
The hub, launched in partnership with TEP Birmingham and Webster & Horsfall Group, is aimed squarely at founders and growth businesses trying to make the leap from promising idea to investable company.
There is a pleasing symmetry in the choice of venue. TEP is owned by Webster & Horsfall Group, a family-owned Birmingham manufacturer with more than 300 years of industrial heritage and a banking relationship with NatWest stretching back to 1948. The Group still makes specialist wire and wire-rope products for the aerospace, automotive, marine and medical industries, while transforming part of its historic Tyseley site into an energy and innovation cluster.
For small business owners, the practical offer is worth noting. Members receive specialist coaching, workshops, peer support and introductions to investors, commercial partners and sector experts, alongside access to NatWest’s venture banking, sustainability finance and IP lending propositions. Membership is free, and the bank plans to grow its Accelerator community to 50,000 members during 2026, with entrepreneurs able to join through the digital platform at natwest.com/accelerator.
The location puts members inside a working industrial cluster rather than a glass-box co-working space. TEP Birmingham is home to more than 20 energy and technology organisations working across low-carbon energy, sustainable transport, resource recovery, advanced materials and the circular economy, bringing entrepreneurs together with manufacturers, universities, policymakers and infrastructure providers.
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