ARC Launch

ARC Launch is for SHAPE (Social sciences, Humanities and Arts for People and the Economy) researchers that want to create sustainable impact from research by using commercial activities and begin to define their plan. Participants get the chance to test their idea and explore routes to generating sustainable impact at scale.

Find out more
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Overview

  • Learning outcomes

    Explore financially sustainable models for generating impact at scale, test your idea with external stakeholders and identify the next steps to progress your idea, be well-prepared to apply to ARC Accelerate

  • Duration

    Four virtual workshops (1.5-2.5h each), one presentation session and around 3h of self-study

  • Eligibility

    Applicants must have a PhD or similar research or innovation experience and be based at an eligible UK research organisation

Programme details

ARC Launch consists of four virtual workshops and one presentation, which are designed to help you identify new audiences for your research and explore financially sustainable models for generating impact at scale.

You also get the chance to test your idea with external stakeholders and gather feedback that will help inform the next steps to progress your idea. For example, this could be participation in an accelerator, collaborative research, forming a consultancy, offering licensing, or developing a social enterprise or for-profit venture.

After attending ARC Launch, you will be in an excellent position to apply to ARC Accelerate, our 6-month accelerator programme with time buyout. 

Upcoming cohorts can be found further down on this page. ARC Launch workshops run monthly, with new cohort dates released every three months, and are led by James Woodhams from the University of Exeter. Participants need to attend all sessions and a TTO/commercialisation representative should attend the sessions with them for support.

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Upcoming cohorts

  • ARC Launch cohort 5

    Cohort 5 (2024) Schedule

    Session 1: 26 February, 2pm-4pm
    Session 2: 4 March, 10am-12pm
    Session 3: 12 March, 10am-12pm
    Session 4: 18 March, 10am-11.30am
    Session 5: 22 April, 9.30am-12.30pm

    Apply here!

  • ARC Launch cohort 6

    Cohort 6 (2024) Schedule

    Session 1: 29 April, 10am-12pm
    Session 2: 13 May, 10am-12pm
    Session 3: 14 May, 10am-12pm
    Session 4: 20 May, 10am-11.30am
    Session 5: 17 June, 9.30am-12.30pm

    Apply here!

  • ARC Launch cohort 7

    Cohort 7 (2024) Schedule

    Session 1: 3 June, 10am-12pm
    Session 2: 10 June, 10am-12pm
    Session 3: 18 June, 10am-12pm
    Session 4: 24 June, 10am-11.30am
    Session 5: 15 July, 9.30am-12.30pm

    Apply here!

  • ARC Launch cohort 8

    Cohort 8 (2024) Schedule

    Session 1: 10 June, 1pm-3pm
    Session 2: 17 June, 1pm-3pm
    Session 3: 25 June, 10am-12pm
    Session 4: 1 July, 10am-11.30am
    Session 5: 2 September, 9.30am-12.30pm

    Apply here!

ARC Launch agenda

Session 1: Creating and Articulating Value – From Identifying Audiences to Validating Value
In this practical workshop, we will shape research into impact proposals and identify how to quickly, cheaply and effectively test and iterate them into compelling value propositions.

Session 2: Critical Questions – Evaluating the Impact Potential of Our Ideas
In this session, we will ask the necessary questions to evaluate the desirability, feasibility, viability, adaptability and authenticity of our emerging propositions and build confidence in taking the necessary steps forward.

Session 3: Masterclass – Talking to Prospective Stakeholders and Overcoming Self-Sabotage
This session will help you engage with industry professionals and give you the confidence to approach them. It will also look at how we can stop ourselves from achieving our goals.

Session 4: Creating Sustainable Impact – Building Business Models
We will explore how to sustain our emerging propositions as viable funded activities. We will also consider the formats our research might take and identify the most likely routes to a successful, sustainable legacy. 

Session 5: Presenting Back 
In our final Launch session, participants get the opportunity to share their emerging ideas and gather expert advice and feedback on their progress to-date and the paths ahead.

Apply to ARC Launch

Application process

The application is short and intended to help us understand your idea better. We want to know what stage you are at, who your project’s stakeholders are, how you imagine your project could have further impact at scale and how you think the programme could help you achieve this aim.

We will ask you to answer the following four questions:

  • What is your project or research about?
  • What is your idea for increasing the scale or sustainability of its impact?
  • Who are the various stakeholders of your project? Please outline the (potential) beneficiaries, users and customers*
  • What are you looking to gain from the programme?

We are not looking for specific answers or types of ideas! You also don’t need to know all the details yet as the programme is designed to help you figure those out. In fact, it is likely that your idea and your plan on how to progress the idea to the next stage will change during the programme.

*The application form provides additional guidance on how to answer this question and the topic is also covered in detail during ARC Discover.

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Workshops and Webinars

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