Studybugs

How we helped Studybugs draw down its Innovate UK grant

Could THP’s grant audit service do the same for you?

About Studybugs

 When Jeremy Mabbitt’s daughter became ill, her condition was misdiagnosed by four doctors in succession. He then discovered that one of his daughter’s classmates had recently been ill with scarlet fever. If that information had been available earlier, the diagnosis would have been obvious.

This episode was the inspiration behind the company now known as Studybugs.

Jeremy teamed up with his sister Joanna and her partner, software developer Alex Lovelock-Wren, to create a unique communication platform for schools and parents across the UK. They wanted to make it easy to track what bugs were circulating in schools and to use the anonymised data to help the NHS and other public health bodies.

Since Studybugs was launched in 2014, it has grown fast and its software is used by some 1,500 UK schools – and counting!

The Innovate UK grant – improving children’s mental health and wellbeing

Studybugs responded to an Innovate UK grant call for feasibility studies into technology for improving children’s mental health. They wanted to use the money to learn best how to develop their platform to help schools and parents detect children’s mental health and wellbeing problems at an early stage.

The company’s application to Innovate UK was successful. This gave them the green light to individually contact some 200 schools – and particularly staff with pastoral responsibilities – to get their feedback.

Schools were overwhelmingly positive about Studybugs’ new concept. The results gave Studybugs the confidence to build a prototype of the new software, which many schools are already now trialling.

Drawing down the Innovate UK grant

In order to draw down Innovate UK grant funding, applicants have to submit audit reports that validate expenditure. To help them create the audit report they needed, Jeremy Mabbitt looked around for an accountancy firm to help him.

He discovered THP Chartered Accountants and was pleased to find that we have significant experience in preparing Innovate UK audits.

“I was looking for a company that really knew how Innovate UK audits work,” Jeremy explains. “I got in touch with THP and I not only found them a pleasure to deal with but their fee quote was very reasonable.”

The Studybugs audit was undertaken by Miles Girdlestone, one of the Client Managers working in our dedicated grant audit team.

“It was a pleasure to work on the Studybugs audit,” says Miles. “Like many of our clients in this area, their priority was to have the audit completed as soon as possible. We know that funding won’t be released until we’ve produced an accurate audit, so we pride ourselves on processing them very quickly.”

Jeremy particularly appreciated the THP speed of service.

“Miles was very clear about the information he needed from us. We uploaded the relevant documents via the portal on the THP website, Miles came back to me with a couple of questions and he turned the audit round over a weekend. Innovate UK then approved our claim without question. I’ve already recommended THP’s service to others!”

Can THP help you to draw down Innovate UK funding?

Miles explains that, while the Studybugs audit was a relatively straightforward one, THP can produce accurate grant audits to support any Innovate UK claim.

“We have an experienced and well-oiled process for getting the exact information we need for any grant audit. Many clients come to us late in the day and some have better prepared figures than others. Thanks to our dedicated grants audit team we have the right people on hand to turn round claims within 48 hours. If you want an accurate Innovate UK grant audit prepared in double-quick time, we’d be delighted to help you!”

To request a free Innovate UK grant audit consultation, please visit this page and get in touch.