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Posted: Wed 21st Oct 2026
7 min read
After spending 14 months restoring a classic Land Rover, Tom Helm spotted a gap in the market for well-designed accessories.
Now, the Loughborough University graduate is turning that idea into a business, KESWICK3, after winning Enterprise Nation’s Next Generation Grant.
It’s not uncommon for a business idea to start from a problem in your own life. For Tom, it was a simple one: where to put his drink when driving his classic Land Rover.
After spending 14 months restoring his own Land Rover Series III, Tom wanted a cup holder that fitted the vehicle properly and looked right. But he struggled to find one that met both requirements.
Rather than settle for something that didn’t work, he designed and made his own.
That first product became the starting point for KESWICK3, a business creating well-made accessories for classic Land Rover Series vehicles.
Tom has now been named the winner of Enterprise Nation’s Next Generation Grant, securing £1,500 to help bring his first product to market.
Tom’s idea grew out of his interest in classic Land Rovers and his background in industrial design. Having recently graduated from Loughborough University, he had the skills to design and make a solution himself.
But he also recognised that the problem went beyond his own vehicle.
Classic Land Rover Series models have little of the refinement found in modern cars, and owners can struggle to find accessories that fit properly or suit the vehicles’ character.
Tom saw an opportunity to create products that address those practical frustrations without looking out of place.
He began by designing a cup holder, and then tested the idea through small-batch sales on eBay.
The response was encouraging. The first version sold four units within an hour, giving Tom an early indication that other owners wanted the same thing.
Rather than rushing straight into a full launch, he spent around six months testing the idea and using customer feedback to improve the design.
That process helped him move from a product he wanted for his own Land Rover to one with evidence of demand from potential customers.
Tom’s entry impressed Enterprise Nation because he had already taken practical steps to turn his idea into a business.
Ryan Tindall, head of community at Enterprise Nation, says:
“Tom stood out to us with his clear understanding of a specific customer need, strong product design credentials and the early traction already demonstrated.
“Having identified a genuine gap in the market through his own experience restoring a classic Land Rover, Tom has already taken steps to bring his idea to life, investing his own money, responding to customer feedback and developing relationships with manufacturers.
“He showed real initiative, a clear vision for the future and strong potential to grow. We felt that the funding, alongside the right mentoring and support, could make a real difference in helping him launch his first product.”
For Tom, the grant offers a way to take the next step: getting KESWICK3’s first product manufactured properly in the UK and ready to launch in winter.
Having the skills to create a product is one thing. Building a business around it brings a different set of challenges.
Tom says he is confident in the design and manufacturing side, thanks to his degree, but this is his first business.
He wants to use the grant’s mentoring support to build his commercial knowledge and avoid costly mistakes.
Pricing, stock management and cash flow are among his priorities. He also wants to understand how to grow from one product into a wider range without taking on too much risk too soon.
The application process has already helped him think more carefully about the financial side of the launch.
Putting exact figures against how he would spend the £1,500 forced him to cost out each part of bringing the product to market. It also helped him recognise the importance of making the first product commercially successful enough to support the next.
It’s a useful reminder that developing a good idea is only part of starting a business. Understanding what it will cost to make, sell and grow a product matters just as much.
Tom believes confidence and a lack of knowledge can stop young people from starting businesses.
Many people have ideas but aren’t sure where to begin, whether that means finding suppliers, protecting an idea or working out the practical steps involved in getting a product to market. Without that knowledge, starting a business can feel like too big a challenge.
For Tom, support through the Next Generation Grant offers a way to bridge that gap, combining funding with mentoring to help him navigate the parts of running a business that are new to him.
His own experience also shows the value of testing an idea before committing to a bigger launch. Starting with small-batch sales gave him a chance to see whether customers wanted the product and to improve it in response to their feedback.
With funding in place and plans to manufacture his first product in the UK, Tom’s next challenge is to turn that early interest into a sustainable business.
Longer term, he hopes to build KESWICK3 into a range of accessories with a recognisable design style, giving classic Land Rover owners more practical products that feel right for their vehicles.
