Workspace for 10: Engine Shed

We’re super excited to be highlighting one of the most renowned techie coworking hubs in Bristol, and techSPARK’s former home, Engine Shed.

As a part of the University of Bristol, the space seeks to drive innovation across the South West. Crucially, Engine Shed has been home to SETsquared for the past decade, an accelerator that has been named the UK’s no.1.

Since opening its doors as an experimental partnership between Bristol City Council and the University of Bristol in 2013, Engine Shed has incubated the likes of Oracle, Neighbourly, Deloitte and Invest Bristol & Bath. Over the course of this journey, the innovation hub has made an international name for itself, providing a model for similar spaces across the globe.

We caught up with the team to bring you more info:

1 – Where are you?

Right next door to Temple Meads station in Bristol, in the original terminus building designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

2 – How would you describe your space?

Bristol’s innovation hub, driving innovation, collaboration and connections.

Our Grade 1 listed building is steeped in rich heritage, providing a mixture of formal, informal and open plan work environments – all connected with shared space to encourage serendipitous encounters and conversations.

3 – Who will I meet there?

You’ll meet entrepreneurs, startups, industry, academics, students, government and community organisations. These range from our members, partners and residents to people popping in for a few hours to use the Members’ Lounge or to host or attend an event or meeting.

We’re home to SETsquared Bristol,Eagle Labs, and companies doing great things in a range of sectors including Neighbourly, Western Training Provider Network, Neuronostics and getUBetter.

4 – Can I bring my team (do you have offices as well as co-working?)

Absolutely! We have 18 private offices (accommodating between 4 and 45 people) and there are also fixed desks available in our coworking space, the Arrivals Lounge, which has recently been expanded to support our growing community.

5 – Is there somewhere to meet clients?

Yes – as well as our Members’ Lounge, we have 5 meeting rooms and 4 event spaces available to book, which can accommodate anywhere between 3 and 80 attendees. Drop our team a message with your event needs and we’ll do the rest!

6 – Do you run any events?

We host Engine Shed events throughout the year, and our spaces are also available to book for external events, with around 1,000 events and meetings taking place in the building each year. You can check out upcoming public events on our website.

7 – What are the perks?

There are loads! Our residents and members get free use of our vibrant Members’ Lounge, 25% off event space and meeting room bookings and 10% off at the Members’ Lounge café. Residents also get 24/7 access and use of our bike shed, showers and kitchen. One of our coworking spaces and our private offices are also dog friendly.

8 – What makes your space different?

Engine Shed is more than just a workspace. We are part of an innovation network unrivalled in the West of England – including SETsquared Bristol, techSPARK, Eagle Labs, Bristol Innovations, the Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre and the University of Bristol – which means we’re able to connect our members and partners to the people, training and resources they need to thrive.

Our membership aims to get you connected to the people who can best help you achieve your goals, so Connect and Grow members get a one-to-one onboarding session where you can let the Partnerships Manager know what you need and where your pain points are. They’ll then start making introductions and help you tap into our network.

For those looking to take their business to the next level, our upgraded Grow membership includes free access to SETsquared Bristol business workshops and free one-to-one surgeries with our expert Advisers in Residence, including, lawyers, investors and product managers.

9 – How much is it to be based there?

Engine Shed Membership costs vary depending on the size of your team and the membership package you select. Our Connect Membership starts at £150 p/month and our Grow Membership starts at £210 p/month.

If you’d like a more permanent base, a fixed desk in our coworking space costs £280 + VAT p/month.

If you’re not a member (yet!) you can also pop in to try our space for £3.80 per hour/ £20 per day.

10 – How do I find out more?

You can visit our Engine Shed Membership page, and can check out our coworking space.

You can also get in touch with our team via our web form or at info@engine-shed.co.uk