Explore It, Launch It and Grow It

The Careers and Employability Enterprise Team are here to support all students and graduates who want to start their own businesses or build freelance careers.

Our flagship funding programme, Explore It! Launch It! Grow It!, supports students and graduates at all stages of business development, from ideation to growth, by providing funding, coaching, and skills-based workshops.

We run two cohorts a year, one during the academic year and one over the summer.

Funding available

• Explore It! awards up to £500 to students and graduates who need funding to explore a potential business or freelance idea.
• Launch It! awards up to £2,000 to students and graduates who have tested a business or freelance idea and are ready to fully launch.
• Grow It! awards up to £5,000 to established business owners and freelancers (earning more than £2,000 in revenue in the last year) who are looking to grow or scale their businesses by reaching a new audience, launching a new product or service, or scaling their means of production.

All funding awardees participate in a business bootcamp offered during term holiday breaks.

We also invite any applicant who was not successful in their funding application, but whose idea and motivation is clearly evident, to participate in the bootcamps.

Criteria

• This award is open to applications from current undergraduate or postgraduate students, and graduates who have graduated in the last two years.
• Unfortunately, our funding programmes are not available to individuals on student visas. However, visa-holders are welcome to apply to participate in the business bootcamps.
• The applicant and the business must be based in the UK.
• The funding cannot be used for assessed course projects.
• Applicants cannot receive the same award twice, i.e. you cannot receive Launch It! two years in a row. However, you can receive each of the different awards, and we often encourage Explore It! or Launch It! awardees to apply for the next level of funding when applications for the new cohort opens.

Deadline for applications

The deadline for the 2024/25 awards has not been set, but applications for the academic year cohort are likely to open in late October 2024 and close in early December 2024. Applications for the 2025 summer cohort will likely open around March or April 2025.

Once the deadline is set, it is a firm deadline. No late applications will be accepted.

How to apply

Applications should be made via MyCareer and the SantanderX platform. Santander Universities is a partner in this funding programme.

How applications are judged

Applications are judged by the Careers and Employability Enterprise Team. We follow a quantitative rubric and all applications are reviewed by at least two individuals.

All shortlisted applicants will come for an interview, and the interview will also be judged based on a quantitative rubric completed independently by two individuals.

Decisions are typically communicated 4–6 weeks after the application deadline.

What we're looking for

In general, we are looking for a clear business or freelance idea with a unique selling point, an understanding of the target customer or audience for the idea, an understanding of the costs and potential revenue associated with the business or freelance idea, and evidence that the applicant has the skills and experience required to carry out the business.

When applications go live, we publish a specific list of criteria that we are looking for at each level of funding. The criteria differ for the different funding levels, with Grow It! requiring the most overall development in business planning. We also supply FAQs to answer additional questions that may arise.

Coaching appointments

Lastly, applicants are welcome to book a 1:1 coaching appointment (booked via MyCareer) with someone from our team to go over any questions they may have. We cannot review applications in these appointments, but we can answer questions and offer guidance on overall direction.

Terms and conditions

Successful recipients will be subject to the following conditions:

• The funding award must be used for the purpose stated on the application form.
• The information provided on the application form must be true and complete. Any misleading information or omissions will be sufficient grounds for rejecting applications.
• If, by reason of any emergency or other circumstance, the applicant is unable to fulfil the activity for which they have applied for funding, they will be required to refund all or part of the award as may be considered reasonable.
• Recipients will be expected to complete a feedback form and submit receipts for their expenses.

Contact us

Please submit any questions via MyCareer or email enterprise@bathspa.ac.uk.