A fully funded, facilitated peer programme for local business owners
Join up to 10 local business owners to work through real business challenges, make stronger decisions and turn them into action.
Open to trading businesses across Whitehill & Bordon, East Hampshire and the wider Hampshire-Surrey A3 corridor.
BASE Catapult at a glance
Up to 10 businesses
Small, focused cohort
Sept-Dec 2026
Four-month programme
Four facilitated sessions
Live business issues
Every three weeks
Time to act between sessions
Fully Funded
No programme fee
BASE Bordon Innovation Centre
In person, with free on-site parking
Important decisions get squeezed between everything else
When customers, delivery and daily problems keep winning, the decisions that shape your business get handled in the gaps. A pricing decision gets pushed back. A marketing problem gets treated before its cause is understood.
BASE Catapult creates a regular space to step back, work out what deserves attention and keep important decisions moving towards action. You bring the context. The group brings questions, practical experience and different perspectives. The structure keeps the progress going after each session ends.
Bring the issue into the room
BASE Catapult is built around live business challenges, not a generic curriculum. The programme is facilitated by Michael Gordeev, Business Growth Manager at BASE Bordon. Meet Michael and explore BASE Business Support. →
Bring it
Set out the challenge, decision or opportunity, and explain why it matters now.
Pressure-test it
Use the facilitator and group’s questions, experience and perspectives to challenge assumptions and explore your options.
Act on it
Choose the next move, put it into practice and report back at the following session. It’s structured peer challenge, tied to real action and accountability, not classroom training or casual networking.
Your BASE Catapult journey
01.
Apply and onboard
Complete the short application. Suitable applicants will be invited to a brief onboarding conversation before places are confirmed.
02.
Kick off and assess (second half of September)
Meet the cohort and use GrowthCanvas, a structured business diagnostic tool, to clarify your starting point and identify the priorities you want to move forward during the programme.
03.
Four facilitated peer sessions (Every three weeks)
Work through live business challenges, test your thinking and agree the practical actions you will take forward.
After each session: Complimentary lunch and optional networking with the cohort.
Between sessions: Put your actions into practice and use the cohort chat to share progress, ask questions and exchange useful contacts or resources.
04.
Review and graduate (December)
Review the progress you have made, capture what worked and decide what you will take forward next.
Exact programme dates will be confirmed during onboarding, before you accept a place.
See what other Catapult participants say
The Catapult format has already been delivered at Launchpad Southend, another Oxford Innovation Space centre.
BASE Catapult is a new programme delivered through BASE Bordon Innovation Centre.
Is BASE Catapult right for you?
A good fit if you:
- Own or lead a trading micro or small business
- Have an important challenge, decision or opportunity
- Want practical progress rather than broad inspiration
- Are open to honest questions and different perspectives
- Are willing to contribute to other participants’ discussions
Your commitment:
- Attend the cohort kick-off, four peer sessions and graduation
- Participate openly and constructively
- Respect the agreed ground rules for open and confidential discussion
- Take practical action between sessions
- Report back on what happened
- Cover your own travel or incidental costs where applicable
Fully funded
BASE Catapult is fully funded by East Hampshire District Council. There is no programme fee. Your investment is the time and commitment required to take part fully.
Apply for BASE Catapult
What business issue would you bring to the room?
Tell us a little about your business and the issue you want to move forward.
The initial application takes around 90 seconds. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with the first cohort being finalised by 24 September. Suitable applicants will be invited to a short onboarding conversation before the cohort is confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions:
BASE Catapult is a structured business-support programme for up to 10 local business owners.
You work through real challenges in a facilitated peer group, commit to practical action between sessions and report back on your progress. There is no generic classroom curriculum: each session focuses on the live challenges brought by participating businesses.
The programme is primarily for founders and owners of trading micro and small businesses across Whitehill & Bordon, East Hampshire and the wider Hampshire-Surrey A3 corridor.
Up to 10. A small cohort allows focused discussion, meaningful participation and stronger accountability. Applications are reviewed to create a balanced cohort; direct competitors may not be selected together where this could limit open discussion.
Sessions run 10:00am to 12:30pm, followed by a complimentary lunch and an optional networking hour until 1:30pm. You’ll also need time between sessions to act on commitments and prepare a short update. Exact dates are confirmed at onboarding, before you accept a place.
BASE Bordon Innovation Centre, Whitehill & Bordon. Free on-site parking. Directions provided before the programme begins.
Progress updates, business hot seats, structured questions and input from the group. You leave each session committed to an action for next time.
GrowthCanvas with Michael at the start, to set your starting point and goals. Participants may also join a self-managed WhatsApp group for peer accountability, and relevant opportunities are shared through The Wire where appropriate.
No lengthy prep. Come ready to discuss a live issue and report back on actions from the previous session.
Consistent attendance matters: the group’s value depends on participants building trust and following each other’s progress. If you expect significant scheduling conflicts, this may not be the right time for you.
The group operates under agreed ground rules to support open, respectful discussion. Only share what you’re comfortable discussing within the group.
No programme fee. Fully funded by East Hampshire District Council. You cover your own travel or incidental costs where applicable.
We review your application and invite suitable applicants to an onboarding conversation, to understand your business, answer questions, and confirm fit before you accept a place.
Funding and delivery partners
BASE Catapult is fully funded by East Hampshire District Council and delivered by Oxford Innovation Space through BASE Bordon Innovation Centre.
Oxford Innovation Space operates the largest network of innovation centres in the UK and Ireland.
With more than 35 years of experience, it creates and manages environments where entrepreneurs and growing businesses can access workspace, experienced support and wider networks that help local economies thrive.
Step back from the day-to-day. Move your business forward.
Bring a live business issue to a group that will challenge your assumptions, share practical experience, and expect you to act. Sometimes the value is a different answer. More often, it’s a better question.
The initial application takes around 90 seconds.