Business and management consultancy and related services

Tender description

Aerogels are the most porous and thermally efficient materials known to man. They are used in space exploration including the capture of high-speed star-dust, cryogenic insulation for space launch vehicles and thermal insulation for Mars rovers. With their outstanding insulation properties, aerogels have great potential to be commercialised, but until now the high cost of manufacturing has prohibited their use in domestic applications. Aerogel companies working on these developments are addressing some of the major challenges facing the world over the coming decades, such as energy efficient manufacturing processes and materials to promote energy efficiency. A suitable CEO will be recruited who will bring together the founders as well as a management and delivery team to guide the pre-start business through company creation and spin out in the first instance. Newcastle, Durham, Sunderland and Northumbria universities, in common with universities throughout the UK, have advanced relevant systems and procedures and also dedicate significant public resource to both research and commercialisation of that research. A key route to commercialisation is the creation of a new business (a spin-out company) wherein the intellectual property (IPR) developed is exclusively licenced to a university start-up company in exchange for (founders’) shares in that company. The universities will engage suitably qualified and experienced executives through the DPS as and when required over the DPS period. The specific requirements will be detailed in each individual further competition. The initial brief of the executive for which he/she will be paid, dependent upon the scope of the specific project engagement sought, either a payment or a combination of a payment and a share/stock option scheme will typically be to: (a) produce a viable business plan; (b) obtain university approval for the venture; (c) act for the company in the spin-out legal process and address all company formation matters; (d) provide to the appropriate university all matters necessary for ESIF and Research England reporting requirements; (e) secure (venture capital and / or other) funding in accordance with the business plan.