Phase 4 · Product / Service Development · Build What You Can Actually Deliver
Open Innovation & Co-Creation
The best ideas for your business are not all inside your business. Open innovation is the discipline of finding them and bringing them in.
Open innovation and co-creation is the structured approach to sourcing, developing, and commercialising innovation through collaboration with external partners — clients, suppliers, academic institutions, startups, and innovation communities — enabling the business to access ideas, capabilities, and technologies beyond what its own R&D can generate.
The Pain We Solve
You may recognise yourself in one of these.
Three audience scenarios · because the same service produces a different transformation depending on where you are in the business journey.
Scenario 1
The business whose internal R&D cannot generate the pace of innovation that the market and competition requires
The internal team is talented but limited in size and specialism. The market is moving faster than the team can move. The competition is introducing capabilities the business has not yet developed. The internal R&D alone cannot close the gap.
Scenario 2
The business with clients who want to co-develop new products or services but no structured process for managing co-creation
Clients are asking to be involved in the development of the solutions they will buy. The commercial opportunity is clear. But the business has no process for managing a co-creation relationship that protects its IP, manages the client's expectations, and produces a commercial outcome.
Scenario 3
The business that wants to work with startups and emerging technology companies but does not know how to identify, evaluate, or structure the collaboration
The startup ecosystem has capabilities the business wants to access. The business has market access and commercial scale that startups want. But the business has never structured a formal startup partnership and does not know how to approach it.
The Impact It Creates
The Moment You Will Feel the Difference.
External innovation sources accessed — clients, partners, startups, and academia
Co-creation relationships structured to protect IP and produce commercial outcomes
Innovation capacity extended without proportional increase in R&D headcount
Startup and emerging technology partnerships generating competitive advantage
What You Receive
The Specific Deliverables.
Tangible outputs · documented, dated, and yours to keep.
- Open innovation strategy — what to source externally and from whom
- Partner identification and evaluation framework
- Co-creation process design — roles, IP, governance, and commercialisation
- Startup partnership programme design
- Academic collaboration framework
- Open innovation governance and portfolio management
The Outcome
Where You Will Be on the Other Side.
The business accesses innovation from beyond its own walls — through structured co-creation with clients, partnerships with startups, and collaboration with academic institutions — extending its innovation capacity and accelerating the pipeline of commercially viable ideas.
Primary Focus
Designing and managing the open innovation and co-creation framework that extends the business's innovation capacity through structured external collaboration.
KPI Measurement
- External innovation partnerships active
- Co-creation projects in pipeline
- Revenue from co-created products
- Startup partnership commercial outcomes
- Open innovation contribution to total pipeline
Investment & ROI
Pricing Engineered Around the Value You Create.
Every engagement is sized against the value we believe we can create with you · the fee is always a fraction of the outcome. Four tiers · so the investment matches your stage of business.
Tier 1
Foundations
£5,000 – £15,000
Right for
Pre-startup, startup, and micro-business founders ready to build on evidence rather than instinct.
Typical Value Created
£100K+ in product-market fit acceleration and reduced rebuild waste
Engagement
4 – 8 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 2
Acceleration
£15,000 – £50,000
Right for
Growing SMEs and established small businesses ready to scale a working model into the next revenue band.
Typical Value Created
£500K – £5M in scalable delivery capability and operational margin expansion
Engagement
8 – 16 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 3
Transformation
£50,000 – £250,000
Right for
Medium enterprises and scale-stage businesses ready to commit to a multi-quarter, organisation-wide shift.
Typical Value Created
£2M – £20M in product economics, retention, and capability advantage
Engagement
3 – 9 months
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 4
Enterprise
£250,000 – £2M+
Right for
Large enterprises, global operators, and complex organisations ready for a multi-year strategic partnership.
Typical Value Created
£10M+ in capability transformation, digital re-platforming, and operational moat
Engagement
12 months and onward
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Why We Price This Way
Every engagement is sized around the value we believe we can create with you. The fee is always a fraction of the outcome · typically 10 – 20% of the expected first-year return.
This is how we make sure pricing aligns with results. The conversation is never “what does this cost?” · it is always “what is this worth to your business?” We answer that together in the first call, transparently, and decide the right tier from there.
If we cannot articulate a credible 5–10× return for your specific situation, we will tell you in the first call. That honesty is part of why our clients trust us with the work that matters most.
Why This Conversation Matters
“The most innovative businesses are not the ones that generate all their ideas internally. They are the ones with the best connections. We build those connections.”
A 90-minute structured strategy session · produces a usable roadmap whether you engage further or not.
More in Phase 4