FinTech Challenge Leeds – FinTech North announces new city-wide Innovation Challenge to address key sector and societal issues
FinTech North / 1st March 2023
FinTech North is delighted to announce the FinTech Challenge Leeds – a city region-wide FinTech Innovation Challenge designed to create more immersive engagements for entrepreneurs and established Financial Services institutions, whilst promoting Leeds as a centre of excellence in FinTech and Financial Services and increasing the number of opportunities available to under-represented founders and FinTech leaders.
This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda, providing £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, people and skills.
The aim of the FinTech Challenge Leeds initiative is to provide a series of engagements for FinTech and FS companies to form deeper connections and understandings of business issues faced. The FinTechs will gain insight into the issues faced by FS institutions. Equally, the FS institutions will learn more about the innovators in the space who can help solve those issues.
How will the FinTech Challenge Leeds work?
Now that we have announced the FinTech Challenge Leeds, we aim to establish challenges around some of the following themes. The challenge areas consist of, but are by no means limited to:
We’re looking for Financial Services institutions or large organisations that are Leeds-based or operational in Leeds to ‘own’ a challenge area; specifically, one that pertains to a business issue that they face or an aspect of their wider business growth strategy.
We are also looking for innovative FinTech start-ups and scale-ups whose innovative propositions address those respective challenge areas, so we can connect them with the challenge owners.
Once these challenge areas have been established, we plan to invite the participating organisations to a series of roundtables and workshops. The intention of these sessions is to:
Build cultural engagement and rapport around ideas
Connect our innovators with our institutions
Produce and adopt new FinTech solutions
The initiative will come to a head featuring as part of our Leeds Conference agenda in June 2023 and as part of a dedicated showcase event in April. Here, the participating organisations can share what they’ve learned and cover the progress, outcomes and future actions from the Leeds FinTech Challenge.
FinTech Challenge Leeds Timeline
Delivery of workshops / warm-up events: March-April 2023
Delivery of Leeds FinTech Challenge Showcase: April 2023
Follow up roundtables: May 2023
Delivery of Leeds Conference: June 2023
Delivery of subsequent events, including any ‘wash-up’ sessions: June 2023
Evaluation: June 2023
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED IN THE LEEDS FINTECH CHALLENGE?
“Can my FinTech help?”
Yes, we’re looking for FinTechs from Leeds and beyond to come together with some of the city’s best known Financial Services brands to impact big-picture societal and sector issues. We want you to put your hand up for relevant challenge areas, attend workshops and network with financial institutions.
“Can my organisation host workshops or own a challenge area?”
Yes, we are looking for established Financial Services and FinTech organisations to “own’ a challenge area, volunteering their time and resource to bring FinTechs together to impact that challenge area.
“Can my organisation sponsor a challenge?”
Yes, we are are also looking for sponsors to support the challenge commercially, to get involved in workshops, showcase events and our Leeds Conference in June 2023.
“Can I attend sessions as a delegate?”
Yes, we will be hosting showcase events as part of the FinTech North calendar of events, which will be free and open to anyone to attend.
Alternatively, please contact us via email at info@fintechnorth.uk to register your interest.
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#UKSPF #InnovationLeeds #LeedsCityCouncil
What is FinTech North?
FinTech North is the focal point for Northern FinTech. We are an established ecosystem facilitator that aims to develop the Northern FinTech ecosystem, primarily operating through the medium of events, webinars, trade missions and more.
Why FinTech North, why Leeds?
Anecdotally, as part of our involvement in Whitecap Consulting’s Regional Ecosystem Analysis and Research, we hear from FinTechs that Leeds is a great place to start a business and has a brilliant community to be part of. Community interest groups such as FinTech North provide a great platform for entrepreneurs and institutions to raise their profile, however we also hear that opportunities for extended engagement with established Financial Services brands are limited. That is all about to change with the FinTech Challenge Leeds!
