Start-Up Fund

Have you recently registered a business or as self-employed? Claim £500 for your costs.

Applications for the Start-Up Fund are open throughout the academic year.

The Start-Up Fund is designed to reimburse you for the costs which you have already incurred. If you need to make purchases for your business, we have provided a useful shopping list below which you can use to purchase and claim back. You will also gain access to the University of Birmingham start-up/freelance community and feature on our B-Enterprising Blog.

To apply, you will need to have a registered business or be registered as self-employed from Thursday 1 August 2024 onwards and be able to provide receipts to support your application.

This versatile fund has been tailored with you in mind. You can apply for a variety of start-up costs including; website creation, domain hosting, business cards, marketing and even the cost of registering your UK business.

How funding has helped others

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

Case studies

What start-up costs can I claim?

Use our quick guide below to identify your start-up costs:

Marketing

Branding and Design
Marketing activity
Market research

Business Admin

Company registration
Insurance
Memberships

Legal

Advice
Copyrighting and trademarks
Intellectual property

Materials

Raw materials
Business Equipment
Branded materials

Website and App

Domain name
Web hosting
App development

This is not an exhaustive list. If you are unsure if you are unsure if you can claim for your business costs, please email B-Enterprising.

Open all sections

Application Process

Check eligibility criteria, terms and conditions before applying.
If you meet the eligibility criteria, complete the application form below.
Wait for a response from one of the B-Enterprising team (we endeavour to respond within 2 working weeks).
Make any necessary adjustments to your application, as recommended by a member of the team.
Book a 1-1 appointment with Student Entrepreneurship Officer Vikesh Mistry.
Receive an outcome email.
If successful, please submit your bank details as instructed in the email, via a secure link.
Wait for up to 6 working weeks for your payment to be credited to your account.

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

Start-Up Fund terms and conditions

You can only apply if your business/self-employment has been registered at the start of this academic year (2024/25). Unfortunately, we are unable to accept claims for businesses which have been registered before Thursday 1 August 2024.
The claim must be for £500. You can submit receipts for more than £500, but not under £500. We will only reimburse a total of £500.
The Ideas Fund is only available to current UoB Edgbaston Campus students and recent graduates (up to two years since graduation) 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 made for a business/self-employment registered in your own name.
This scheme is limited to an allocated overall amount. Once all the allocated money has been spent then all subsequent funding will be stopped.
You must upload receipts to support your predicted costs.
- These receipts 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 product/service type, amount, business provider (where applicable): 'Marketing Costs £250 B Marketing'.
- They must be dated within this academic year, from Thursday 1 August 2024.
- Each individual receipt must total more than £10 and be in your own registered name.
- Each individual receipt must include: date, recipient name, merchant name, item(s) purchased, individual amount(s), and total amount.
Funding cannot be used to purchase: desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones or equipment for direct resale.
Funding cannot be used to reimburse: travel costs, staff expenses, salaries / wages.
An informal meeting will take place once the application is received to clarify details and understand your business in more detail.
Successful applicants will be requested to complete a case study which will be used for publicity/marketing purposes, and will feature on our B-Enterprising Blog.

How to apply for the Start-Up Fund

You can apply for the Start-Up Fund anytime throughout the academic year subject to our Terms and Conditions. Make an application now by completing the online form below:

Apply for Start-Up Fund

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Be a University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Campus Student or recent graduate (up to two years since graduation).
Have a registered business or be registered as self-employed from 1st August 2024 onwards

You cannot apply to the Ideas Fund if you:

Are an International Student.
Are a University of Birmingham, Edgbaston Campus Graduate of more than two years since your graduation.
Are a University of Birmingham, Dubai Campus Student or Graduate.

When can I apply to the Start-Up 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 is 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.