● Midsteeple Quarter and CodeBase join forces with space in The Standard to help empower entrepreneurs and fuel the creation of new technology businesses ● Scottish Government Minister says collaboration will create ‘affordable, dedicated working space for entrepreneurs in town and wider region’
A new partnership has been forged to encourage enterprise, collaboration and more people to work in Dumfries High Street, supporting the creation of more tech startups in the town and region.
Midsteeple Quarter has joined forces with CodeBase to launch an enterprise incubation hub in its flagship community-owned building, The Standard. Techscaler is the Scottish Government’s startup support programme run by CodeBase which supports more than 1,000 startups across the country, who have collectively raised in excess of £100 million in investment over the last two years.
This will see part of The Standard’s first floor operating as an affordable hot-desking space where people including start-up entrepreneurs, remote workers and those who might otherwise be based at home - including tech and creative sector workers - can hot-desk. Entrepreneurs will also be able to access multiple programmes, courses, and events run through Techscaler.
Desks will be available to hire for half and full-days. Bookings are now open - from 9.30am until 5pm, Monday to Friday - with interest in using the space already high.
Jakob Kaye, Midsteeple Quarter’s enterprise manager, said: “Hot-desking and coworking spaces have the power to unlock so much potential, not just in forging connections which encourage creativity and collaboration, but as a means by which we can attract more people to come into the town centre to work.
“We very much see our enterprise innovation hub as being the catalyst for other benefits, which will ultimately enhance our community and benefit local businesses, whether they be those who use our space or in other indirect ways.
“We are pleased to be partnering with CodeBase on this, opening up Midsteeple Quarter to its network and creating affordable and flexible opportunities for them in Dumfries town centre. Together, we can all thrive.”
CodeBase works to help startup tech entrepreneurs to accelerate their growth to support a healthier, wealthier and more sustainable society.
Its Techscaler programme aims to create, develop and scale-up tech start-ups, many of which benefit from the atmosphere and connections that can be made through coworking and collaboration.
Sarah-Jane Burns, Head of Regional Partnerships at CodeBase, said: “Partnering with Midsteeple Quarter is a tremendous opportunity for us to grow our work in Dumfries and throughout the whole region. There is so much potential locally to develop this into a thriving town centre hub
“Creating tech and creative communities - mostly out spaces such as this - is something we’ve been doing for the past 10 years. Providing space is a way in which people can come together, connect with one another. It becomes a hub - a market square - for an exchange of ideas and innovation.”
As well as supporting Techscaler, the Scottish Government was also a major funder in the transformation of The Standard.
Business and Employment Minister Richard Lochhead said: “Scotland has some of the brightest business minds in the world and it is imperative they are helped to succeed and flourish. As part of this, it is important that we break down the barriers that business founders can be faced with.
“This collaboration will create affordable, dedicated working space for entrepreneurs in the town and wider region – and also provide them with additional opportunities to access the Techscaler programme. I look forward to this partnership giving current and future start-ups across Dumfries and Galloway renewed confidence and ever more opportunities to develop their business propositions.”
To book a desk in The Standard, please email enterprise@midsteeplequarter.org.
Anyone interested in finding out more about spaces generally at The Standard - including its High Street-facing reception area and its main hall - can contact Jakob on the same email address.
