The Bega Valley Innovation Hub will move from Bega to another Sapphire Coast town for the second intake of its 12-week startup program.
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The new venue is the Bega Valley Regional Learning Centre, located in Cabarita Place, Merimbula.
"This is a perfect opportunity for the Bega Valley Innovation Hub to become even more accessible to all businesses in our region," Bega Valley Innovation Hub manager Mia Maze said.
"It will remain a place to foster regional innovation and will see both cohort one and cohort two cross-pollinate in a unison of ideas and experience.
"It will be beautiful space nurturing the needs of businesses in incubation and also in acceleration."
Bega Valley Shire Mayor Kristy McBain said the new location was a great fit with the program and would help increase activity and events in Merimbula that promoted start up business, networking and community engagement.
"This location will also help attract entrepreneurs from the southern parts of the shire become familiar with the innovation hub and continue to build on the momentum from cohort one," she said.
The program starts on August 22 with applications closing on July 31.
Cohort one of the Bega Valley Innovation Hub was delivered from the Bega Valley Commemorative Civic Centre (BVCCC) in Bega.
With the ever-growing popularity of this venue and needs of the hub, an opportunity was seen to temporarily relocate the program to Merimbula to take advantage of interest from the southern parts of the shire.
"We want to extend our reach to even more of the local talent that is in our region and a move to Merimbula will mean that businesses that could not access the program when it was delivered in Bega will now be able to share in the benefits of innovation and innovative business development," Ms Maze.
2pi Software's Liam O'Duibhir said after the success of the first program earlier this year, the shire community was set to reap great benefits in terms of cultural and employment outcomes from an energised commercial and social impact landscape in Merimbula.
The innovation hub will return to Bega on a full-time basis in early 2020 with the kick-off of cohort three.
It will continue to have a visible presence in Bega for the remainder of 2019 through the BVCCC hosting the pitch final in November and other community related events as they develop.
