Hundreds of members of the public walk down a residential street looking hopeful

Citizen First LCR

Unlocking our hidden entrepreneurs

Get paid to build your business

Live in the Liverpool City Region? Got a powerful business idea that addresses a health or care challenge locally? We’re offering eight inspiring local people a year's £23,000 Real Living Wage salary, £5,000 seed funding, and leading support to make their business idea a reality.

Unlocking LCR's hidden entrepreneurs

Our communities are filled with hidden entrepreneurs with the inspiring ideas and passion to drive change that come from lived experience. Yet without financial security and the right opportunity, many are held back from becoming the social entrepreneurs we need.

Starting in early July, Citizen First LCR is a full-time fully-salaried 12-month programme that will support eight hidden entrepreneurs to build businesses that help tackle health and care challenges facing local communities, supported in some way by technology.

Sound like you? Apply today. Deadline 4 May.

See below for further information and download the Citizen First LCR recruitment pack here


Our unique and industry leading offer removes the barriers facing hidden entrepreneurs:

£23,000 salary

for a full year

£5,000 seed funding

to build your business

Full training

with an extensive curriculum

Dedicated business advisor

available when you need them

Tech experts

to integrate technology into your solution

Apply today
Deadline 4 May

Applying for Citizen First LCR couldn’t be easier. No CV required.

ApplY

Information events

A series of optional in person information events will take place across the Liverpool City Region during the weeks of 14 and 21 April. Further events will be added to this page.
Join us and ask any questions that you have.

Knowsley

14 April, 2-4pm
Make Huyton Village 47-49 Derby Road, Huyton,
L36 9UQ

Register

Liverpool

15 April, 11-12:30pm
Cunard Building, Water Street, Liverpool L3 1DS

Register


22 April, 2-4pm
Firefit Hub, 131 Upper Warwick Street, L8 8HD

Register

Wirral

15 April, 2-4pm
Make Hamilton, 69-71 Argyle Street, Birkenhead, CH41 6LQ

Register

St Helens

16 April, 11:30-1pm
Torus Foundation, Central 4 Corporation Street St Helens WA9 1LD

Register

Halton

17 April, 11-12:30pm
St Maries Lugsdale Road, Widnes, WA8 6DB

Register

Sefton

22 April, 10-11:30am
Bootle - Lock and Quay, 2 Irlam Road, L20 4AH

Register


23 April, 5-6pm

Southport - Southport Market, King Street, PR8 1LA

Register

Your Questions Answered

What is Citizen First LCR?

Starting in early July, Citizen First LCR is a full-time fully-salaried 12-month programme that will support eight hidden entrepreneurs to build businesses that help tackle health and care challenges facing local communities, supported in some way by technology.

Who is the programme for?

The programme is aimed at local people from the Liverpool City Region who have an innovative business idea that addresses a local health and care challenge rooted in their lived experience, but face barriers to making it a reality.

What are you looking for?

1. A great business idea:
- That offers a new way of tackling a health or care
- Has the prospect of becoming an investable business
- Can be tech enabled in some way (don’t worry if you’re not a tech expert or clear on this yet. We’ll provide full support to help you integrate technology into your solution)

2. Lived experience

- That shows you’re the right person to make this idea a reality
- You’ve experienced or witnessed this challenge first hand and understand its impact
- The Citizen First LCR offer removes crucial barriers to you building your business

3. Entrepreneurial drive
- Thatdemonstratesyou have the passion and drive to be anentrepreneur with all the challenge that entails

What do you mean by tech-enabled?

Tech-enabled simply means that technology can be integrated in some way into your business, from a website that supports your work to Artificiail Intelligence being at the core of it, and everything in between. Don’t worry if you’re not a tech expert or clear on this yet. We’ll provide support to help you integrate technology into your solution.

Do I need particular qualifications or work experience?

No, our recruitment process is completely CV-less. Citizen First LCR is open to any person living in the Liverpool City Region who has an inspiring business idea that offers a new way of tackling a local health or care challenge and believes this unique offer removes barriers for them to make it a reality.

Can I apply if I've already set up my business?

Yes, we welcome applications from people who have already set up their business. You may have been doing it in your spare time at the side of your desk or may have now taken the leap. Crucial to us is that you can demonstrate the the Citizen First LCR offer removes barriers to you making your business idea a success. You will be employed by us for the year of the programme.

Do I need previous business experience?

No, you just need a great business idea, direct or indirect experience of the challenge, and strong entrepreneurial drive.

Can I apply if I'm unemployed and/ or on benefits?

Yes, the programme is designed to support people who may not have had access to traditional business opportunities, including those who are unemployed and/ or on benefits. To support participants to understand the impact of participating in the programme on their benefits, all candidates shortlisted for interview will be offered an income maximisation review by IncomeMax, a successful social enterprise that has spent the last 15 years providing confidential money advice services. 

Are their criteria for the types of companies that can be created?

No, as long as it's a company (rather than a charity) that addresses a health or care challenge locally that's fine. It might be a company limited by shares or guarantee, a Community Interest Company or a more traditional commercial business.

How long is the programme?

Citizen First LCR is a full-time programme running for 12 months from early July.

What will the programme look like?

We believe that you learn best by doing so you’ll be supported to roll your sleeves up from day one and take your business idea directly to your customers and communities. You’ll develop your business model and evidence base by testing your assumptions with the people who would buy your product or service. And you’ll build your brand, be supported to integrate technology into your solution, and engage with investors. By the end of the year your goal is to have secured investment to take your best next step following the programme.

What is the time commitment?

Citizen First LCR is a full-time commitment for the 12 month period and you will be required to participate in all aspects of the programme and research underpinning it.

What support will I recieve during the programme?

You will receive a Real Living Wage salary of £23,000 for 12 months, £5,000 seed funding to help develop your business idea, a dedicated business advisor, full training, and support from tech experts at the University of Liverpool to integrate technology into your business.

Who will pay my salary?

You'll be employed by us on a year's Fixed Term Contract with a salary of £23,000. Your contract of employment will set out the terms of your employment including expectations that you:
- participate fully in all aspects of the programme and the research undperpinning it
- attend all training and support as required including regular meetings with your business advisor and sessions with the wider cohort
- will only work on the programme and your business idea during the 12 month period

Where will I work from?

This is a hybrid programme. The majority of your time will be spent working remotely but we'll have regular full-cohort days working together. We currently anticipate these being fortnightly.

Can I have another job during the programme?

No, you will be required to only work on your business idea and the programme during the 12 month period.

What can I use my seed funding for?

You will be able to use your seed funding flexibly to develop your business. Three areas all participants will be required to cover are travel and expenses incurred, branding for your business, and vouchers for your co-design group (a programme requirement). There will be a simple process to unlock seed funding over the course of the 12 months.

Who will own the Intellectual Property of what I develop?

You will own the IP for the business idea you bring to the programme, as well as any developments you make during the programme’s 12-month duration. Public Life will provide training and support, and the University of Liverpool will contribute expert support to help you develop your business idea and create a Minimum Viable Product to attract investment.

Will you take equity in my business?

No, this is your business and you will own all of it.

What is the research involved?

Citizen First LCR is supported by a research collaboration of organisations interested in understanding how we can bring this unique approach to communities across the country. You'll be required to share your experiences throughout and supported to capture data that can help us answer our research questions. We want to understand:
- How a fully-salaried 12 month programme like this best supports hidden entrepreneurs to develop and launch investable technology-enabled businesses addressing unmet health and care needs within the Liverpool City Region
- The key barriers faced by hidden entrepeneurs in translating their lived experiences and community-rooted ideas into viable health and care solutions and how we can mitigate these
- How expertise from a range of organisations and sectors can support hidden entrepreneurs to develop investable technology-enabled health and care solutions

What is the recruitment process?

We want to get to know you as a person not a CV (in fact we won’t even look at CVs!) and have designed each stage with that in mind.

Stage 1: Your short application. Deadline: 4 May

Stage 2:
In person selection event. Week of 12 May, Liverpool City Centre.

Stage 3: Final interviews. Week of 19 May.

Job offers will be made to the successful eight participants one month before the programme beings in early July.

How do I apply?

Applying for Citizen First LCR couldn’t be easier. You'll be asked to answer three simple questions (250 words max each). You’ll then be invited to submit a three minute pitch video. We’d recommend reviewing the ‘What we’re looking for’ section before answering. The deadline for applications is 4 May and you can apply by clicking here.

Still have questions? Email us at info@publiclife.org.uk

Apply today
Deadline 4 May

Applying for Citizen First LCR couldn’t be easier. No CV required.

ApplY

Citizen First LCR is part of the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone Programme, bringing Public Life’s Citizen Incubator model to Liverpool for the first time. The initiative is co-funded by the University of Liverpool’s LCR Innovation Zone-funded project, the Civic Health Tech Innovation Zone (CHI-Zone), and Fusion21 Foundation as well as Liverpool City Region housing associations Torus Foundation, Riverside and Livv Housing Group.