Ideas Fund

• The Ideas Fund is only available to current UoB Edgbaston Campus students only. 
  • 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 please visit our Start-up Visa webpage or contact the B-Enterprising Team for more information.
• The claim must be for exactly £500. Please note, we are unable to accept a claim under £500. It can be over, but we will only reimburse £500 to successful applicants.
• 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 within 6 months.
• You must upload examples of quotations to support your predicted costs.
  • These examples must be clearly titled and attached to your form, where you have clearly outlined what you are claiming for.
  • For example, you could outline the quotation type, amount, business provider (where applicable): 'Marketing Costs £250 B Marketing'.
• Successful applicants will be required to provide reports on the progress of their idea after 6 months. You will be requested to complete a case study which will be used for publicity/marketing purposes, and will feature on our B-Enterprising Blog.
• Funding cannot be used to purchase: flights, laptops, mobile phones or equipment for direct resale.
• Funding cannot be used to reimburse: travel costs, staff expenses, salaries / wages.
• This funding is aimed at those who wish to try out their idea with a potential view to commercialising it at a later date.

To apply for funding please complete the below application form:

• Apply for Ideas Fund

A panel will review your application and if successful you will be invited to attend a meeting with one of the team to discuss your application. 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.

Am I eligible for the Ideas Fund? To apply for the fund... You must be:

• A University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Campus Student

You could be, but do not have to be:

• Registered with HMRC as self-employed .
• Wanting to trial an idea to test its market capability.
• A charity.

You cannot apply to the Ideas Fund if you: 

• Are an International Student.
• University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Campus Graduate.
• Are a University of Birmingham, Dubai Campus Student or Graduate
• Have already registered the business through Companies House or an international equivalent. If you have already registered a UK business after August 2024, please apply for the Business Start-Up Fund.

When can I apply to the Ideas Fund? You can apply to the Ideas Fund throughout the entire academic year.

How long will it take to receive the £500 award? If all eligiblity criteria, terms & conditions and evidence are submitted correctly, and your application is successful, we endeavour to have your account credited with the £500 fund within 6 working weeks. The processing time for applications can vary if certain entry requirements are not met.

*Please note: During University closure dates and staff annual leave, these timeframes may differ, thank you for your understanding.*

What could slow down my application?

• Not providing evidence.
• Not providing evidence in the correct format (outlined in the terms & conditions).
• Claiming below £500.
• Incomplete application answers.