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The Startup Manifesto

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The Startup Manifesto

By 3 September 2014No Comments

manifesto-coverWith 9 months to go until the next general election in the UK, and as the political parties are writing their own manifestos, CREATe partner Coadec has published the Startup Manifesto to influence the debate.

It has been backed by over 175 startup founders, investors and others from the community.

The Startup Manifesto sets out 24 ways the next government can make the UK a world leader on digital innovation:

Improve access to finance

1. Commit to keeping SEIS and EIS tax reliefs for the next Parliament
2. Bring back tax reliefs for Corporate Venture Capital
3. Remove the cap on Entrepreneurs’ Relief and lower the equity threshold

Improve access to talent

4. Restore post-study work visas for STEM graduates
5. Make it easier for startups to hire from overseas
6. Reform the Graduate Entrepreneur Visa
7. Open up the Entrepreneur Visa to those with funding from angel investors and crowdfunding platforms
8. Review and streamline visa processes with the support of the Government Digital Service
9. Invest to help teachers deliver the new computing curriculum
10. Create incentives for individuals and startups to help train teachers and students
11. Promote free tools including Moocs, Codecademy, and third sector initiatives like code clubs

Build world class digital infrastructure and increase supply of affordable office space

12. Continue to invest in superfast connectivity and raise the level of ambition for digital infrastructure
13. Review the planning system and property regulations to increase the supply of affordable office space for startups

Bring laws and regulations into the 21st Century

14. Make it government policy to support disruptive innovation and create an environment where people and businesses can adapt
15. Encourage permissionless innovation
16. Commit more resources to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
17. Create a framework for data protection that gives confidence to consumers and does not stifle innovation
18. Continue to support fintech innovation
19. Review regulations surrounding collaborative consumption and the ‘sharing economy’

Use digital government to unlock innovation

20. Make it easier for startups to sell to government
21. Commit to keep and expand the Government Digital Service
22. Create standards for secure online identity assurance
23. Accelerate progress towards ‘Government as a Platform’, including releasing APIs for government services
24. Go further on open data, including real-time performance dashboards for all government services