Frequently asked questions

1. Do I have to move all of my operations to the UK?

No, this is not mandatory. Many GEP companies still have ongoing operations or R&D in their country of origin.

2. Is the programme free?

Yes, however we expect a commitment to growth in the UK and one co-founder should relocate to the UK and reside here for most of the year.

3. How long does the process take?

It can take anywhere between 3 - 9 months, typically.

4. Do you provide a Visa?

We can endorse for the Innovator Founder Visa, for founders on our programme. This gives the founders and eligible family members the right to stay in the UK for 3 years.

5. Are there additional incentives?

Yes, there are many supportive incentives for entrepreneurs once in the UK including tax incentives for investors such as S/EIS and R&D.

What are the stages?

1. Dealmaker: An experienced entrepreneur will be assigned to an overseas company to provide them with exclusive one-on-one support and help them relocate to the UK.
2. GEPIC: An application is sent to an Investment Committee Panel for review and assessment.
3. Innovator founder visa: Accepted applicants will attend an interview with our visa team. If successful, we will issue the applicant with an endorsement letter.
4. Home Office: The founder applies to the Home Office for their Innovator Founder visa using the endorsement letter.
5. Set-up of UK HQ: After the visa has been issued, the company has 3 months to apply for the Innovator Founder visa. If this is not done after 3 months, step 3 and 4 are revisited.
6. Official setup: A UK entity is created in addition to a bank account, etc. Updates will be made to the allocated dealmaker and informal calls with the GEP visa team take place after 12 and 24 months.