Find out how we can help you explore your entrepreneurial side and potentially launch and grow your business or social enterprise idea.
Support and funding opportunities
Here's a summary of what we have coming up this year:
Ideas Lab
Being entrepreneurial can serve you no matter what path you take in life. This series of entry level sessions are designed to help students/recent grads to explore their entrepreneurial side, build the foundational skills and self-awareness needed to generate meaningful ideas, and start developing and testing a venture.
This innovative learning programme also helps students prepare for the University's entrepreneurship funding opportunities including Kickstart grants, Big Ideas contest and Startup Sussex.
Book to attend the first Ideas Lab workshop, Shape Your Future - Explore your strengths, skills & resources, on 28 October 2025.
Big Ideas contest
The University of Sussex has partnered with UC Berkeley to bring Big Ideas to the UK. This highly-respected student startup initiative supports those who have big ideas for a better world. Contest categories include global health, food and agriculture, arts and social change, education and more.
Each year one Sussex student is selected to travel to California and pitch their idea at a Grand Final, with a chance to win £10,000 launch funding. Selection takes place at the end of autumn term, where applicants are required to submit a short proposal, with a final pitching stage in the Spring.
Go Freelance
Go Freelance provides inspiration, information, and straightforward guidance to help students and recent grads understand freelancing. It includes an introductory session, followed by three weekly prompts that will help participants to explore options and get started.
Book to attend the Freelancing 101: Intro to Freelancing session on 9 December 2025.
Kickstart funding
Sussex students and recent grads with an idea they’d like to pursue are invited to apply for development grants of up to £500 to explore the market and test their idea.
Getting a product or service in front of users early to gain feedback and iterate can boost your chances of success and help focus your time and effort.
Kickstart funding will open for applications in December 2025.
Startup Sussex
Startup Sussex is the University’s long-running ideas competition for students and recent graduates. It has a long history of supporting new founders who have gone on to success and media acclaim. Past winners include Darren Tenkorang of TRIM-IT and Lucy Hughes of MarinaTex.
Startup Sussex is a series of valuable idea development sessions, a community of entrepreneurial students and graduates, and a funding competition. It will return in Spring 2026.
Elevate Grant
The Elevate Grant exists to support trading entrepreneurs at Sussex.
You can apply for up to £5,000 funding to accelerate your venture's success, if you are a current student or recent graduate (within three years) and are operating an active business, social enterprise or freelancing project, or are on the brink of trading and can show evidence of real progress.
To apply you’ll need to answer a series of questions relating to both your entrepreneurial qualities and your progress so far.
The Elevate Grant is funded by a range of university donors including Santander Universities.
The Elevate Grant will open for applications in Spring 2026.
Ben Miller Award
The Ben Miller Award is available each summer to support a University of Sussex BA/BSc Product Design student or recent graduate with the development of their ideas and career.
The Ben Miller Award will open for applications in Summer 2026.
Momentum Incubator
The Momentum Incubator is a four-phase programme designed to equip student entrepreneurs with the skills, resources, and funding to launch their ventures. It begins with intensive workshops on lean start-up principles, followed by a summer of real-world market testing, supported by a 100-hour paid intern. In autumn, participants develop strategic skills like marketing and IP awareness, with hybrid sessions for flexibility. The programme culminates in a pitch competition where participants can secure funding for their venture.
Graduates of the Momentum Incubator will also receive a year of support, including business mentoring, investor access, networking, and co-working space - ensuring they have the momentum to succeed.
The Momentum Incubator will take on its next cohort in Summer 2026.
Important: If you are an international student you are encouraged to participate in our support activities and many of our funding opportunities, however you cannot engage in business activity while on a student visa. Find out more about what you can do during your studies and after graduation in the UK.