We know it can be challenging to start your business without some funding in place.
Primary page content
Santander Universities Business Development Grants
Applications for the 2023-24 grants are now closed. Applications for 2024-25 will open in March 2025.
The purpose of these grants is to support Goldsmiths students and recent graduates to develop and launch a UK-based business.
For these grants you need to have moved beyond the “having the idea” stage. As a minimum you will need to be actively researching and testing your idea. If your business is in the process of being launched or has recently been launched we encourage you to apply.
We are looking for well thought through and carefully costed proposals, which will clearly assist you in establishing and growing your business.
Grants are open to current Goldsmiths students, and recent graduates who graduated after 1 June 2021.
Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Entrepreneurs (DBACE)
Win up to £20,000 to start and grow your enterprise.
DBACE supports visionary creative entrepreneurs who are over 18 years of age, and are driven by a mission to create and sustain social value through their enterprise.
DBACE aims to reach ambitious individuals from all backgrounds with ideas that will improve the lives of others and the communities we live in.
Deutsche Bank is partnering with MeWe360 to deliver this unique programme.
Applications for DBACE 2025 will open in January 2025.
The Mayor’s Entrepreneur Awards
Enter this award to win £20,000 for your business idea.
Open to students and recent graduates from London Universities the competition is looking for business ideas that can improve the city we live in.
The Mayor’s Entrepreneur competition is looking for your business ideas to make London cleaner, greener and ready for the future.
There are four categories you can submit an idea to (Creative Industries, Environment, Health and Tech) and each has a top prize of £20,000 start-up funding to help you turn your idea into a real business.
For more details about this competition and the challenges London is facing take a look at the website.
For the last three years a Goldsmiths student has made it to the Final of the Mayor’s Award. So definitely think about applying.
Applications for the 2025 Mayor’s Entrepreneur Awards will open in the autumn of 2024.
If you would like some support with your application please book an Enterprise Appointment via CareerSPACE or email student-awards (@gold.ac.uk)
Santander X UK Awards 2024
Calling university and early-stage start-ups! Enter your innovative business and win up to £15,000 in equity-free funding and the opportunity to compete against the best early-stage startups from across Europe and Latin America in the Santander X Global Awards.
In 2024 Santander Universities is once again running an open call for applications to the Santander X UK Awards. The competition is open to University startups from any UK university.
There are two categories:
University (for university-linked new businesses looking to launch))
Startup (for growing businesses ready to scale)
The University category is for university entrepreneurs preparing their go-to-market strategy and who are looking to launch their business. To enter this category businesses must meet the following:
Have an innovative solution which could scale
Be linked to a UK university – at least one team member must be a current student or university employee, a graduate of the last five years (since 2019), or an entrepreneur from a university incubator, accelerator or spin-out
Be preparing to go to market
Have a team of two people or more (if a solo founder, this can include advisors/board members and/or full/part-time staff)
Have a minimum viable product (MVP)
100 businesses (65 in the University category and 35 in the Startup category) will be shortlisted.
The 100 shortlisted businesses will be invited to join a series of online pitch workshops and receive group and 1:1 coaching. All 100 businesses will then pitch virtually through a series of heats which will take place between 30 September and 25 October to select 30 semi-finalists (15 per category). The 30 semi-finalists will pitch live at Unity Place, Santander’s newest head office in Milton Keynes the week of 28 October. 12 finalists will be selected (6 per category), who’ll pitch live at the National Final which will again take place at Unity Place on 14 November.
There will be six winners overall (3 per category), who will win up to £25,000 funding and automatically progress to the Santander X Global Award, the bank's international entrepreneurship competition, where they will have the opportunity to compete against the best early-stage startups from across Europe and Latin America in Spring 2024.
Applications for the 2023 Tata Varsity Pitch Competition are now closed
Since the inception of Varsity Pitch over 10 years ago, we have seen thousands of innovative and creative businesses from students and graduates.
The concept of the competition is to actively support early-stage student and graduate start-ups throughout their entrepreneurial journey, providing them with access to support, mentors and the opportunity to compete for the prize pot of £15,000, equity-free.
The Enterprise Advisor will give you feedback on how to write and submit an application with a higher chance of being shortlisted.
Stay informed about upcoming opportunities, deadlines and more - email student-enterprise@gold.ac.uk to sign up to the student enterprise mailing list.