Venturefest South celebrates regional impact as founding delivery partner Carswell Gould wins prestigious growth award

Venturefest South is proud to celebrate a major milestone for the programme and its wider community, as founding delivery partner Carswell Gould has been recognised with a prestigious regional award for its contribution to business growth across the South. 

Carswell Gould was awarded the Community Award for the South and Thames Valley region at the HSBC UK and FSB Small Business Growth Awards, recognising its longstanding commitment to supporting a thriving, connected business ecosystem. 

As founding delivery partner of Venturefest South, Carswell Gould has played a central role in shaping and delivering the programme over the past decade. This recognition reflects not only their leadership and strategic direction, but also the collective impact of the wider Venturefest South community. 

Since its launch ten years ago, Venturefest South has become a key platform for innovation, collaboration, and growth across the Central South. The programme has engaged more than 50,000 businesses and innovators through its events and initiatives, helping to connect ideas with opportunity and accelerate regional growth. 

The annual Festival of Innovation continues to expand its reach and impact, with strong growth in attendance and consistently high satisfaction from participants. The platform has supported hundreds of innovators, facilitated live pitching opportunities, and connected the region with significant funding and investment potential. 

This award is a reflection of what can be achieved through collaboration. Venturefest South brings together entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, academics, and public sector organisations, creating an environment where innovation can thrive and businesses can scale. 

Ed Gould, Chair of Venturefest South and Creative Director at Carswell Gould, commented: 

“Venturefest South was created to bring people together and turn ideas into opportunity. This recognition reflects the strength of collaboration across our region and the collective effort of everyone who has contributed to building this community over the past ten years.” 

The success of Venturefest South is built on the strength of its partnerships. From its founding organisations through to its growing network of supporters, sponsors, and collaborators, the programme continues to evolve as a shared platform for regional growth. 

As Venturefest South celebrates its tenth anniversary year, this recognition provides a timely moment to reflect on the progress made and to look ahead to the next phase of growth, innovation, and impact.