Bristol Water has officially launched a business incubator to boost innovation and create a new raft of suppliers. Called The Workshop, it encourages small, start-up businesses to help solve business challenges.
Businesses can take advantage of Bristol Water’s equipment and facilities, access to data and physical assets, access to IT and communications expertise, legal advice, and financial guidance to scale in a supportive environment, removing the risk associated with the early phases of growth. 
Bristol Water said the incubator is unique in that the firm will ultimately become a customer of the emerging businesses it supports.
The first business to join is Hackett Consulting. Founded by Dillan Hackett, pictured, the firm is a start-up intelligent automation and digital solutions consultancy looking to bring the technology and learning from robotic process automation in large companies to the mid-business market.
Since arriving it has grown quickly developing an offering around agile principles, continuous improvement and cross-departmental collaboration to ensure rapid deployment and return on investment. It will soon recruit its first employee to keep up with demand.
Dillan said: “Being part of the workshop at Bristol Water has been fundamental to me being able to start my own business. I know the RPA industry and I know I can bring RPA to the mid-market, but there is so much more to starting a business than just being good at what you do. The Workshop has helped with things I didn’t even know existed.”
Bristol Water has partnered with Business West, Enterprise Europe Network, and the West of England Growth Hub to reach a wide range of start-ups and investors.
Bristol Water head of business improvement and innovation Chris Thomas said: “At Bristol Water we know innovation is key to continually improving our services. We also know we cannot do it on our own, we need those new ideas coming through the entrepreneurs of today and disruptors of tomorrow to stay ahead and always providing a leading service to our customers.
“For us, innovation isn’t done in a lab or done by a certain team; it’s a mind-set throughout the business and throughout the community.”
To apply to be part of The Workshop visit www.bristolwater.co.uk/the-workshop
