The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Street Food Incubator is a free programme designed to support and grow street food businesses.

The West Midlands has a rich tapestry of food driven hospitality, from the highest concentration of fine dining restaurants outside of London, to desi pubs, ground-breaking street food markets to historical regional specialisms (from chippies to the Balti triangle).

These businesses play an important role in place making, delivering flavour and identity to our high streets and local centres. They are important sources of employment across demographics and play a key part in our everyday economy. Supporting the growth of this sector is a priority for the WMCA Mayor.

NCASS have been appointed alongside Digbeth Dining Club to deliver the incubator which will include a free and comprehensive programme of training, workshops, mentoring and live trading for businesses across the WMCA.

You can apply to be part of the programme here

This program is designed to support start-ups and existing traders in growing their businesses through mentoring and training, and trading opportunities.

There are 36 places on the programme, and we will assess applications for suitability and may need to contact you to discuss your application as part of this process.

Please bear in mind when applying that you will be required to complete training, documentation and attend workshops from October to December, carry out hands- on training in December and spend time trading from February to April 2026.

You need to be based in Birmingham, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, Dudley or Wolverhampton to take part in the programme.

This programme does not cover costs for equipment; you must have funds available to kit your business out and be able to start trading within 3 months of the programme start date.

Alan Fox, Jack Brabant, Henry Poultney, Roxy Bentley, Nicol Dwyer, Leonie Martin, Clive Fletcher (photo credit Lee Allen)

“We’re incredibly excited to be working in partnership with NCASS and the West Midlands Combined Authority on the WMCA Street Food Incubator Pilot. Over the past decade, Digbeth Dining Club has been proud to champion independent street food talent across the region — helping to shape a vibrant and diverse food scene that’s become a huge part of the West Midlands’ cultural identity.

This incubator is a fantastic opportunity to build on that work, providing the next generation of traders with the tools, training, and support they need to take their businesses to the next level.

We’re looking forward to collaborating with NCASS and the WMCA to help nurture new entrepreneurs, strengthen independent hospitality, and continue growing the West Midlands as a national leader in street food innovation.”

Jack Brabant, Director – Digbeth Dining Club

‘We are delighted to have been selected to deliver the WMCA Street Food Incubator Pilot. NCASS supports catering and hospitality businesses every day, and we thank the Mayor and the WMCA for the opportunity to further support caterers and entrepreneurs in the West Midlands to make the next step to help support and grow their business.

We are proud to have been able to be part of so many street food businesses success across the UK and are invested in entrepreneurship in a sector that is inspiring, diverse and dynamic. We are very much looking forward to delivering the pilot together to provide the opportunity to new and growing businesses to support independent hospitality in the WMCA region.’

Alan Fox, NCASS CEO