Ideas Fund

B-Enterprising Ideas Fund - turn an innovative idea into a working reality. Applications for Ideas Fund are now open.

You don't need a registered business to apply for £500. The Ideas Fund is designed to help you test your idea or to help you get ready to start a business or social enterprise. Maybe you need some materials, a marketing campaign or a prototype to make your idea come to life. You can test your idea out before committing yourself to registering a business.

Please note, you must apply for the full £500 - please check Terms and Conditions below. If your application is successful you will be invited to a panel interview.

 

How funding has helped others

See how previous recipients benefitted from funding and support from B-Enterprising below:

Ideas Fund terms and conditions

  • The claim must be for exactly £500. Please note, we are unable to accept a claim under £500.
  • You will need to be in a position to spend the money on your project/business within 6 months of receiving your funding.
  • Please give accurate costs as you will need to provide receipts/evidence for expenditure at a later stage
  • Successful applicants will be required to provide reports on the progress of their idea after 6 months. On completion of the 6 month programme, you will be requested to complete a case study which will be used for publicity/marketing purposes.
  • This is available to current undergraduates and postgraduates at the University of Birmingham.
  • Due to visa restrictions on starting a business in the UK, this is only available to students from the UK. International students looking to start a business in the UK after graduation can contact the B-Enterprising Team for more information.
  • Funding cannot be used to purchase: flights, laptops, mobile phones or equipment for direct resale.
  • This funding is aimed at those who wish to try out their idea with a potential view to commercialising it at a later date

How to apply to the Ideas Fund

To apply for funding please complete the below application form:

A panel will review your application and if successful you will be invited to attend an interview. If you need advice or guidance with your project/business idea, we recommend that you book a Business Start-Up advice appointment.

You can find more information about our B-Enterprising events on the B-Enterprising events page.

When to apply to the Ideas Fund

We recommend that you apply as early as possible as successful applications are considered on a first come first served basis. If you apply for the Ideas Fund, successful applicants will be invited to interview.

If you have already registered a UK business after August 2023, please apply for the Business Start-Up Fund.

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