Since the announcement by Government of the first steps towards easing the lockdown, we’ve been working hard completing the Covid-19 risk assessment and making our spaces Covid-19 secure.

We’re having to adapt and change rapidly under extreme circumstances, but across the commercial world, the pandemic has created a unique opportunity to rethink and reshape what the workplace of the future might look like.

We have over 24 years' experience incubating some of the most innovative, fastest-growing businesses in the South East, helping them survive and thrive through good times and hard times. We're proud of our track record of building resilient businesses that continue to find customers, raise money and grow.

Safety, security and employee well- being are clearly the most important concerns for businesses as they start to return to work, but what we have been hearing loud and clear from the community is that flexibility will also be a priority for them. If Covid-19 has demonstrated one thing to our sector, it's that start-ups and SMEs need greater flexibility with one of their biggest overheads – rent – than most landlords afford.

That's why we've revisited all the packages we offer to tenants at Sussex

Innovation to support them as they establish what the 'new normal' looks like. So, whether:

• You're looking for additional overflow office space so that your whole team can return to an office base and reconnect;
• Your recent experiences have shown you that you need a more adaptable relationship with your landlord;
• You're looking to temporarily or permanently move to a smaller office as you work out what your future business model and working arrangements look like;
• You're planning to deliver more of your work remotely, but still want a space and community to be your 'home away from home'

...we've created packages to suit you.

Social distancing guidelines haven’t had as much of an impact on us as some of our competitors. We’ve always provided generous space for the companies we serve - not because we’ve had to keep employees apart, but because we believe in creating a great working environment.

We also know from talking to the business community in the South East that so many founders are eager to get back to work, but are still struggling with the practicalities of getting their team into the office safely.

With people rightfully wary of catching public transport for the foreseeable future, we might start to see even more congestion than usual as the country starts to return to work. We are lucky that the Sussex Innovation Centre has plenty of space to manage the increased demand for parking, by virtue of our location on the University of Sussex campus outside of Brighton – but we hope to not simply replace bus and train journeys with more cars.

Before the crisis hit, we’d already made a commitment to improve the environmental footprint of our centres. Depending on the time of day, cycling can be one of the quickest ways to reach us, with excellent bike routes and increased, secure storage available on site. Our car park in Falmer includes one of the first electric vehicle charging points to be installed in Sus- sex, and plans to install more charging stations are already underway.

As well as taking care of the practicalities, we can also offer much more than just a space to host your business. By virtue of our status as a university incubator, our members also get:

• Access to cutting-edge market research services through our unique LIVELAB business insight approach
• Connections to world-leading academics to set your business apart
• Funded consultancy packages to help inform your future growth strategy – including your own ‘task force’, made up of our senior advisors specialising in business modelling, sales and marketing, research and insight, and finance

Visit www.sinc.co.uk/office-space for a closer look at our space, and the steps we’ve taken to make it flexible, clean and safe – your home for the ‘new normal’.