The Big House

What The Big House does

The Big House was a non-profit support programme for creative and digital businesses based in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, United Kingdom. Operating from 2016 until 31 March 2023, the programme provided free services including peer networking events, workshop events, expert mentoring, and grant funding access to over 2,000 cumulative enrollees. Two core delivery partners (Nottingham Trent University and NBV) executed the programme, with five additional regional partners (The Creative Quarter, Derby Theatre, University of Derby, New Art Exchange, and Derby QUAD) supporting outreach and delivery.

The underlying operational technology was minimal: The Big House was not a software company, deployed no proprietary technology, and offered no platform, application, or API. Service distribution relied on partner channels across the East Midlands region, with participant awareness generated primarily through institutional referrals rather than paid marketing.

The business model was entirely grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. Operating capacity came from a consortium of public funders including the European Union (via D2N2 LEP), Arts Council England, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, and Nottingham City Council. Programme services were offered free of charge to participants, with no pricing tiers, paid services, or commercial revenue streams. The entity's legal form is recorded as non-profit. Following the 31 March 2023 programme wind-down, core partners NTU and NBV continued offering compatible support through end of June 2023.

Name

The Big House

Legal name

The Big House

Website

https://bighouse.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Big House was a free, grant-funded non-profit support programme (2016-2023) for creative and digital SMBs in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, delivering peer networking, workshops, mentoring, and grant funding access to over 2,000 enrollees via Nottingham Trent University and NBV.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant-funded programme delivery: The Big House operated as a free support programme funded by grant funding (European Union and local government sources indicated by partner organisations such as D2N2 LEP, Arts Council England, and Nottingham City Council). The programme provided free services including peer networking, workshops, mentoring, and grant funding to creative and digital businesses. No commercial revenue was generated.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Big House was a free support programme for creative and digital businesses based in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It provided enrollees with peer networking events, workshop events, expert mentors, and access to grant funding. The programme operated from 2016 until 31 March 2023, helping over 2,000 enrollees and was delivered in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, NBV, and other regional organisations.

Product overview

The Big House was a business support programme for creative and digital businesses based in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, UK. It was not a technology product but rather a support service that offered peer networking, workshop events, expert mentors, and grant funding to over 2000 enrollees since 2016. The programme ended its operations on 31 March 2023, with partner organizations Nottingham Trent University and NBV continuing to offer business support through June 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Big House Business Support Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped over 2000 enrolees access support services

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nottingham Trent University (NTU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016One of the two main partner organisations delivering The Big House programme. NTU continued offering business support via workshops and funding until the end of June 2023 after the programme wound down.
• NBVcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Primary partner organisation alongside Nottingham Trent University. NBV continued offering business support via workshops and funding until the end of June 2023 after the programme concluded.
• The Creative QuarterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner organisation offering continued business support through alternative channels after The Big House programme concluded.
• Derby TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner organisation in Derby continuing to offer business support through alternative channels after programme closure.
• University of DerbyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner in Derby offering continued business support through alternative channels post-programme.
• New Art ExchangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural organisation partner in Nottingham continuing to provide business support through alternative channels.
• Derby QUADminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts centre and cinema in Derby offering continued business support through alternative channels after The Big House concluded.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Broad incumbents

• Digital Catapult: A UK government-backed advanced digital technology innovation centre running programmes, accelerators, and workshops for digital businesses, overlapping with The Big House's digital-business support mission at national scale.
• Barclays Eagle Labs: A UK-wide network of co-working and accelerator spaces for startups and scale-ups across digital, creative, and tech sectors, providing workshops, mentoring, and networking that overlap with The Big House's SME support offering.
• Tech Nation: A UK-wide industry body delivering programmes, networking, and policy support for digital and tech businesses; broader in geography and remit than The Big House but operating in the same digital-business support category.
• Creative UK: The national membership and policy body for the UK creative industries, providing sector advocacy, programmes, and funding support for creative enterprises that mirror The Big House's creative-sector development mission at a national level.

Emerging players

• Hatch Enterprise: A UK-based social enterprise support organisation delivering accelerator programmes, mentoring, and grants to purpose-driven businesses, offering a comparable model of free, cohort-based support for underserved founders.

Regional players

• East Midlands Chamber of Commerce: A regional business membership body serving Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire businesses with advice, networking, and growth programmes, sharing The Big House's East Midlands geographic focus.
• D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership: The Local Enterprise Partnership covering Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire, which provided funding support for The Big House and drives regional economic development strategy across the same geography.

Direct peers

• The Creative Quarter: A Nottingham-based hub supporting creative businesses with workspace, events, and business development resources, sharing The Big House's creative-sector target audience and East Midlands footprint.
• NBV: Nottingham Business Venture was a core delivery partner for The Big House, providing business support services including workshops, mentoring, and grant facilitation for SMEs in the same Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire region.
• Nottingham Trent University (NTU) Business Support: NTU was a core delivery partner for The Big House and runs the Elevator programme offering similar business support, mentoring, and grant funding for creative and digital SMEs in the same region.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheBigHouseUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thebighouse7

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Big House