BASE ONE - FAQs

Base One in North Acton, West London (Zone 2), is part of the Sciopolis network. It is built for scientists, engineers and founders who need space that works from day one, with some of the most cost-effective, fully fitted labs and offices in London and the backing of Imperial's innovation ecosystem.The building has 24 ready-to-move-in labs and 29 modern offices, plus hot desks, meeting rooms, coworking areas, event spaces, a Cafe, a front terrace and a rear private garden.It is designed for science and technology companies from start-up to scale-up, including life sciences, health innovation, cleantech, chemistry, advanced materials, deep-tech and AI.

Base One is a science and technology hub rather than an incubator. It is designed for science ventures entering their next stage of growth, whether Imperial spinouts or companies from anywhere else.Imperial Incubator is part of the community: its lab manager is based on site, and Base One founders get onboarding support, workshops, mentoring, investor introductions and access to Imperial's network. More about Imperial Incubator at Base One

Not only biotech. Base One welcomes tenants across all science innovation, including life sciences, biotech, med-tech, chemistry, quantum technology, cleantech, advanced materials, robotics, AI and more.Spinouts from any university in the UK and beyond are encouraged.

Yes. Base One labs can accommodate light engineering, fabrication and sensor development.Grapht Works, a nearby industrial site also owned by Imperial, provides easy access to heavier-duty pilot and advanced manufacturing facilities.

Yes. Flexible space at Base One, with two-year leases as standard and shorter or longer terms available, lets companies grow from early R&D through to production.Grapht Works, a five-minute walk from Base One, is the Imperial industrial facility which allows innovators to set up pilot plants and manufacturing facilities close to their labs.

Yes. Base One embraces cross-disciplinary innovation and collaborates with the nearby Park Royal Design District to bring art, design and manufacturing talent into the community.

Base One has 24 fully fitted CL2 labs from 42 to 250 m², ready to move into, with prices from £5,100 a month all-inclusive and two-year leases as standard.To view a lab, book a Tuesday tour or contact the team to discuss availability and a tailored quote.

Rates are among the most competitive for ready-to-occupy labs in London: check out our indicative lab prices here. We offer short- and long-term leases. Contact our team for a tailored quote.

All labs are developed as Containment Level 2 (CL 2) labs suited to most benchtop science. This includes:o Six air changes per houro Dedicated three‑phase electrical supply with switchboardo High and low‑level dado rails with power sockets every metre and several data socketso Ceiling‑mounted 32 amp outlets for island benches or central equipmento One dedicated gas line connected to external manifoldso Compressed air lineo One vented extract duct per lab which is sized to support one 1,500 mm fume cupboard in every lab (with capacity for additional units by arrangement)o Hand basin with Hot and Cold potable watero Lab sink with cold lab watero Vinyl flooring with coved edges to contain spillageso Ground‑floor labs and some first-floor labs have concrete floors which will provide better vibration performanceo All first‑floor labs are fitted with leak‑detection systems to minimise any damage to ground floor labs in case of a leak.More about our labs here

Containment Level 2 (CL2) is the UK standard for labs working with Hazard Group 2 biological agents: those that can cause human disease but are unlikely to spread in the community, and for which effective treatment is available. It is the standard needed for most benchtop biology. All 24 labs at Base One are built to CL2, so they suit most life science, biotech and med-tech work from day one.

External stores at Base One accommodate non-hazardous waste, chemical materials and liquid nitrogen (LN2). Waste contracts are coordinated by the onsite Imperial lab manager.

Every floor at Base One has a shared equipment room with autoclaves, glass washers, flake-ice machines and Type 1 and Type 2 demineralised water systems, all bookable through the Sciopolis app.See the Floorplans and Technical Specs page for more detail.

Fixed benching around the sinks and a set of mobile benches come as standard, so tenants can develop their own layouts. Tenants can add further furniture as needed.Tenants generally provide their own science equipment, though shared equipment such as autoclaves, glass washers, flake-ice machines and demineralised water systems is available in the common equipment rooms.

Yes, subject to compliance. Speak to the Base One team early so the space can be adapted to your needs.

Yes. As well as wet lab science, Base One labs suit dry lab work such as electronics, hardware and sensor development, prototyping and light engineering.Every lab has a dedicated three-phase electrical supply, ceiling-mounted 32 amp outlets for island benches or central equipment, and power sockets every metre with several data sockets, so benches can be arranged around equipment rather than sinks.Teams doing computational or data-driven work can also use Base One offices and hot desks, backed by high-bandwidth internet with backup and secure rack space in the comms room.

Base One suits electronics and hardware development, sensor development, prototyping, fabrication and light engineering, as well as computational and AI work.For heavier-duty pilot or manufacturing needs, Grapht Works, a five-minute walk away, offers larger-scale facilities.

Yes. A lab manager from Imperial Incubator is based onsite to provide technical expertise, operational support and direct links to Imperial’s network. Since 2006, Imperial Incubator has supported science‑driven startups with the space, tools and know‑how to progress breakthrough ideas. Its companies have raised over £622 million, created more than 600 jobs and achieved significant industry recognition.This impact is rooted in its ability to unlock Imperial’s world‑class research environment- from specialist facilities and academic collaborations to graduate talent and industry partnerships.Founders based at 1 Portal Way benefit from: • Streamlined onboarding and equipment access • A connected startup community across West London • Skills‑focused workshops, mentoring and expert guidance • Investor introductions, accelerator pathways and grant support • Advanced scientific capabilities and access to Imperial’s academic network

Base One leases are two years as standard, with shorter and longer terms available. All leases are flexible, all-in serviced leases that include utilities, cleaning and shared facility management.

One transparent monthly payment covers rental of space, business rates, meeting room access, utilities, operations, cleaning and community activities. Meeting-room and printing allowances are built in.

Yes. Water, heating and electricity are included within the service charge.

Yes. Base One has 29 private and open-plan offices from 15 to 100 m², with high-speed connectivity and meeting-room access, ready for immediate move-in.Hot-desking and coworking options available.

Yes. Base One offers pre-booked hot desks at £40 a day or £300 a month (introductory offers are available, check with us first) alongside dedicated desks and private offices, so individuals and small teams can work from the building without committing to a private space until they are ready.

Base One hot desks suit solo researchers or anyone who need occasional desk access and small teams looking for a consistent base, with the option to move into a private office or lab as they grow.

Yes. Base One hot desks in North Acton, West London, can be booked by the day or by the month. Desks are pre-booked, so contact the team to reserve one.

Yes. Base One in North Acton, West London, has coworking areas and pre-booked hot desks from £40 a day, two minutes from North Acton station on the Central line.Coworkers work alongside science and technology companies, with the cafe and social areas on site and meeting rooms available to book to all members.

One Portal Way is designed to foster community and productivity. Tenants can access:o Meeting rooms for team and client sessions (3–12 people), all Teams‑enabled), quiet rooms and phone booths, plus a Training Room for about 40 people with live streaming capability.o Cafe and social areas for informal interactionso Event spaces to host launches, demos and networking. Our ground‑floor event space seats 80 people and includes full AV for presentations and launcheso Private garden at the rear of the site is suitable for relaxation and large eventso Regular programming to support collaboration and culture

No. Base One meeting rooms are available to members at a discount through monthly credits, and to external organisations at standard hire rates, from £35 an hour.

Yes. Our event spaces are open to members and external organisations alike, with onsite catering available throughout. Get in touch for a tailored quote.

Yes. Base One Cafe serves rotating menus of hot food, including vegan options, and barista coffee. Onsite catering is available for meetings and events.Base One Cafe is open 8am to 4pm Monday to Thursday, and 9am to 2pm on Fridays.Each floor also has tenant-only tea points with free tea and coffee, fridges and microwaves.

Yes. The Cafe is open to everyone, so you can drop in for coffee, lunch or a working session without being a Base One member.Check out our Base One Cafe page to see what's on the menu

Sciopolis staff clean offices, lab floors and shared areas regularly. Tenants clean their own benches and equipment.General waste is handled centrally by the cleaning team. Specialist waste is handled by tenants through approved providers.

Our sites all have main and back-up high bandwidth internet provision, each offering very high reliability. All sites use Cat 6A cabling with wide Wi-Fi coverage and secure network options. Access control and room bookings are managed through the Sciopolis app.Secure rack space is available for tenant rental in the comms room.

Yes. Tenants have round-the-clock access with onsite security. Lone-working policies apply for labs outside normal hours.

Base One is exceptionally well connected.*      North Acton station (Central line) is a two-minute walk away, and Acton Main Line (Elizabeth line) is a 13-minute walk, with fast links to central London, Heathrow and the South East.*      Base One is two stops from White City and one stop from Hammersmith Hospital on the Central line.*      When HS2 opens, the nearby Old Oak Common superhub will be the only place in London where the Elizabeth line and HS2 meet, cutting journey times to Bond Street (9 min), Tottenham Court Road (10 min), Canary Wharf (23 min), Heathrow (18 min) and Birmingham (31 min).

Yes. Base One has secure covered racks for 60 bikes and three showers for cyclists, plus a limited number of bookable visitor car spaces in a gated car park.

Smaller parcels will be received at reception and placed in secure tenant post lockers; larger deliveries use the rear logistics bay and goods lift with short-term holding space in the logistics store.

Support starts well before move-in. Through our partnership with Imperial College London and a network of trusted collaborators, we offer far more than space. Members can access: o Peer-to-peer collaboration – we connect tenants who can help each other overcome challenges. o Community and learning – events, workshops and socials blend knowledge-sharing and fun o Talent attraction – curated introductions to recruiters and investors to grow teams quickly. o Practical business support – help finding suppliers, mentors and vetted service providers. o Direct links to Imperial – connections into research partners, recruitment pipelines and collaborative projects. o Lab and technical support – onsite expertise and facilities from the Imperial Incubator to aid scaling. o Visibility and brand building – promotion through events and media within the Sciopolis network.