About

Good businesses are rarely built alone

Coventure is the University of Lincoln's Venture Development Platform. We give founders workspace, mentoring and a community, from the first sketch of an idea to a business ready to scale.

Why we are here

Starting a business is hard, and doing it alone is harder. We exist so that founders in Lincoln do not have to: affordable space to work, people who have done it before, and a University with the expertise and facilities to back you when a project needs more than your team has.

What began as one building in 2003 is now an ecosystem of centres, programmes and hundreds of businesses, from students testing a first idea to established companies scaling on research.

Talk to the team
A breakout lounge with sofas and a wall-mounted screen, beside glass etched with the word Enterprise

1,400+

Businesses supported

1,600+

Jobs created

68%

3-year survival rate

National average 46.5%

20+

Years of impact

Our story

Twenty years and counting

The timeline on the wall in the Enterprise Building tells it best. Here are the moments that shaped what Coventure is today.

  1. 2001

    Construction begins

    Work starts on the Old Station Master's House and Harcros Yard, the site that becomes Sparkhouse.

  2. 2003

    Sparkhouse opens

    The doors open on the University of Lincoln's first dedicated home for new businesses.

  3. 2005

    Virtual Tenancy launched

    A business address and mail handling for founders who are not ready for a desk. It now supports over 100 businesses.

  4. 2010

    The Enterprise Building opens

    Phase Two adds larger, professional offices for businesses growing out of their first space.

  5. 2011

    Student Enterprise Service launched

    Dedicated support for University of Lincoln students and graduates starting their own thing.

  6. 2013

    Ten years of Sparkhouse

  7. 2014

    50th physical tenant

    Habit 5 takes the fiftieth office.

  8. 2016

    Innovation Programme launched

    Innovation support opens up to businesses across Greater Lincolnshire.

  9. 2019

    Productivity Programme launched

  10. 2021

    100th physical tenant

    Identity Agency takes the hundredth office.

  11. 2023

    Lincoln Be Smarter launched

  12. 2026

    We become Coventure

    Three centres, four support tiers and more than twenty years of work, brought together under one name.

Meet the team

The people behind it

Leadership, venture development and business development. If you get in touch, these are the people you will be talking to.

Meet the team

12 people shown

  • Vicky Harris, Director for Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation

    Vicky Harris

    Director for Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation

    Director for Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation, leading the department across commercialisation, business development, business engagement, contracts and IP, business incubation and strategic projects.

    Senior leadership
  • Reece Leggett, Head of Business Development & Engagement

    Reece Leggett

    Head of Business Development & Engagement

    Heads up the University's business development and engagement teams, setting strategy and leading the team in working with and supporting businesses.

    Senior leadership
  • Dominick McOmish, Venture Development Manager

    Dominick McOmish

    Venture Development Manager

    Manages the Venture Development Team, overseeing the managed office spaces and our support delivered through Coventure Student.

    Venture Development
  • Laurel Kavanagh, Business Start-Up & Growth Manager

    Laurel Kavanagh

    Business Start-Up & Growth Manager

    Manages all of our start-up support, including our tenants at Sparkhouse and all of our student and graduate businesses.

    Venture Development
  • Lotte Smith, Centre Operations Officer

    Lotte Smith

    Centre Operations Officer

    Manages our financials, our tenant leases and some day to day operational procedures.

    Venture Development
  • Caroline Pattrick, Centre Administrator

    Caroline Pattrick

    Centre Administrator

    Receptionist for Sparkhouse and manages over 130 virtual tenants.

    Venture Development

Support built around your stage

Four tiers, one route through. You can join at any point, and move between them as the business grows.

Student

Students and recent graduates testing whether an idea has legs.

Explore Student

Incubate

New businesses taking their first space and structured mentoring.

Explore Incubate

Elevate

Growing businesses with revenue, customers and a team to build.

Explore Elevate

Scale

Innovation-led businesses scaling through University research.

Explore Scale
A University of Lincoln welcome sign bearing the crest, at a road junction on the edge of campus

Research, talent and expertise

Put the University to work

Being part of Coventure means the University of Lincoln is on your side. Work with academics on research and development, bring in specialist facilities, tap into student talent, or explore a Knowledge Transfer Partnership to embed University expertise in your business.

You do not need to understand all of it to get started. Tell us what you are building and the team will point you to the right pathway.

Academic engagement
Glass etched with Lincoln Enterprise lettering, looking through into a bright cafe and seating area

Come and see for yourself

Book a tour of a centre, meet the team and see the space before you decide anything.

Book a tour