Disabled and Neurodivergent People Offered Free Support to Launch a Business

Business support charity Hatch Enterprise has partnered with the Ares Charitable Foundation to support Disabled and neurodivergent people across the UK to launch their own businesses. 

Fifteen budding entrepreneurs from across the UK will benefit from a free Launchpad programme this October which is specially tailored to support Disabled and neurodivergent participants to develop their business knowledge, connect with professional networks, and access funding opportunities. 

Disabled people nationally have lower confidence in their ability to start a business, and 52 percent of business owners report experiencing a barrier due to their disability or health condition.

Hatch and the Ares Foundation are committed to levelling the playing field by ensuring that Disabled and neurodivergent founders are able to access meaningful opportunities and a supportive environment for their business idea to thrive. 

The specialised Launchpad programme consists of three months of online workshops and expert-led sessions, and will end with an opportunity for participants to ​​showcase their business to a panel of experts and get actionable feedback on how to take it to the next level.

After graduating, all attendees will also have the opportunity to pitch for grants of up to £1,000 to invest in their business.

This new programme is suitable for anyone who identifies as Disabled or neurodivergent with an idea for a business they are looking to launch. No prior business knowledge or experience is necessary, just a willingness to learn and engage with a cohort of like-minded peers. 

Katie Cory, who is neurodivergent and has chronic illnesses, was able to launch her positivity-led stationery business Peb and Reg earlier this year thanks to the support and funding she received from Hatch.

She said:

“I feel like a completely different person since finishing the course. The team at Hatch have honestly been absolutely incredible, and I can’t thank them enough! I now have much more confidence in myself and my business. 

“I wholeheartedly recommend the Launchpad programme to anyone with a business dream. The team and mentors are incredibly supportive, and I’ve found a wonderful community of like-minded small business owners who cheer me on and who I now consider friends!

“The Hatch team could not have been more accommodating to my needs and given how much I can struggle in life, it was amazing to be accepted and supported for exactly who I am.”

Mellissa Morgan, Head of Cohort Programmes at Hatch, said:

“At Hatch we have spent a decade advocating for underrepresented entrepreneurs, and are intimately familiar with the challenges and barriers faced by those typically excluded from launching and growing a business.

“We’re so excited to be partnering with the Ares Foundation to deliver this brand new, tailored, and accessible programme, which will help to overcome some of these challenges and enable Disabled and neurodivergent founders and their businesses to thrive.

“This feels like a positive culmination of the last decade we have spent growing our Disabled community, and we look forward to welcoming our very first cohort this Autumn to start their journey of growing sustainable, successful businesses.”

Michelle Armstrong, Ares Charitable Foundation Executive Director, said:

”We are pleased to partner with Hatch to help Disabled and neurodivergent founders strengthen the knowledge, skills, confidence, and networks necessary to address the challenges they may encounter when starting a business. 

“Our mission is to advance economic equity and equality, and that includes support for these individuals who might not otherwise enjoy access to the resources that can help them positively impact their community and the economy.

“We are also delighted that this initiative presents an opportunity to share important lessons learned with charities that, like Hatch and the Ares Foundation, seek to help people reach their full potential despite what may be perceived as barriers to doing so.”