It is business as usual at the Digital Greenhouse, despite the search for a new boss being put on hold.
The annual Startup Academy will run from October, offering entrepreneurs the chance to win a place on an eight-week course to equip them with the tools, frameworks and networking skills they need to succeed.
It has been one of the core offerings of the Digital Greenhouse since it launched in 2016.
Applications are open now for anyone wanting to take part this year, said Digital Greenhouse Manager, Estelle Moseley.
“Building a startup can often feel like a solitary journey where founders spend too much time inside their own heads,” she said.
“The Startup Academy provides a collaborative environment where local entrepreneurs receive structured guidance, test assumptions with real peer feedback, and gain the confidence to scale their businesses globally from Guernsey.”
Past success stories from the Academy include Katie Inder who has founded her business Concise, Marketing Consultant and Brand Strategist Nadia Newton, and co-founders of MAP Health, Claire Reach and Andrew Melton.
While the Digital Greenhouse is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, its future remains uncertain as the States looks to cut costs amid ongoing debates around tax reform and public spending.
Plans to recruit a Director for the Digital Greenhouse, with a salary of up to £100,000, have been put on hold.
The Committee for Economic Development currently grants the Digital Greenhouse £450,000 each year, but that is also under review ahead of the 2027 Budget debate later this year.
An Interim Governance Board was appointed earlier this year, assuming responsibility for the delivery of the Digital Greenhouse’s services and support programmes, including oversight of its budget.
Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller – who is also Lead for Digital, Skills and Entrepreneurship – said: “Supporting innovation, technology adoption, and upskilling is a key priority for the Committee and essential to Guernsey’s economic and sustainable growth, especially in this fast-moving age of AI.
“Stronger engagement with industry at governance level has been on the books for a while, and so I am pleased we can announce this important next step which brings the work of the new Innovate Guernsey Board together with the mandate of the Digital Greenhouse.
“These interim arrangements will allow us to progress at pace the vision and the plans of the Innovate Guernsey Board and shape the future strategic and operating model of the Digital Greenhouse.”
