Cyber Runway is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and will be delivered by innovation and growth company Plexal. In alignment with the Plan for Change, the overall goal of the programme is to drive innovation, create high-quality jobs and secure long-term economic resilience, all of which are areas Plexal specialises in. 
 
This new iteration of Cyber Runway evolves from its traditional streams – such as Grow and Ignite – with new offerings designed to drive scaling, regional expansion, net zero innovation and critical national infrastructure resilience. 

An overview of the Cyber Runway streams in full: 

• Grow: For startups and SMEs to lay the foundations for growth, benefitting from connections, mentors, community and expert advice to develop solutions that secure the UK's frontier technologies. 
• Scale X: For scaleups to blast away the barriers to the next stage of rapid growth through 1:1 advice and practical support, building a network of founders, VCs and CISOs. 
• Ignite: For founders and CEOs to develop as leaders and scale their businesses, receiving a highly tailored package including mentorship, leadership coaching, a founders’ retreat, international exposure and connections to industry and investors. 
• CNI: For cyber SMEs and industry fellows from critical national infrastructure (CNI) organisations to come together and strengthen UK CNI against evolving cyber threats. We'll bridge the gap between cutting-edge UK cyber innovation and the urgent security needs of CNI sectors such as energy, water, telecoms, transportation and data centres. 
• NW Net Zero: A regional programme for startups in the North West of England working at the intersection of cyber innovation and net zero technologies. Led by Plexal in partnership with Lancaster University, NW Net Zero aims to strengthen energy industry security and long-term resilience by supporting cyber startups through acceleration to foster collaboration with net zero stakeholders. 

Diane Gilbert, Senior Lead of Programmes at Plexal, said: “The cyber security landscape has long evolved beyond ensuring your computer has antivirus software. Consider how prevalent digital is in our daily lives – both personal and professional – and suddenly it’s clear how vast the ‘cyber’ realm is and where and why protection is needed. While risks such as ransomware and phishing persist, new technologies such as AI also pose threats with techniques such as deepfakes and automation, all of which requires fresh thinking and new solutions. 
 
“For this reason, we're delighted to partner with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to deliver the fifth edition of Cyber Runway. In keeping with growing online threats, we’ve enhanced the programme to create more opportunities for cyber innovation. This will see development of tools for traditional SMEs across the UK, while our engagement with net zero and CNI organisations will work to create protection for every level of enterprise.” 
 
Applications for Cyber Runway are now open and will close between Friday 10th October and Friday 17th October. 

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