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 the support we offer:
Startup Sussex
Startup Sussex is back for 2026! This is our annual, flagship opportunity for students and recent graduates to win up to £5,000 to fund a business or social enterprise idea, and access business support. Startup Sussex isn't just a funding competition – it's also an entrepreneurial community, and a series of five free workshops.
Startup Sussex prioritises innovative ideas and viable business plans and rewards those who want to create a better world, with additional prizes on offer for social impact.
Previous winners include Darren Tenkorang, founder of TRIM-IT, Lucy Hughes of MarinaTex, and Plastic4Change founder, Gladys Mwamba.
Changemaker Challenge
The Changemaker Challenge is a new initiative to help you discover your voice and agency, building the confidence to shape the world around you. It will empower participants to turn ideas into action and create solutions with real-world value. You are supported to explore issues you care about, develop creative responses, and build the skills and self-belief needed to lead change.
With access to mentoring, resources, and up to £2,000 in funding, the Changemaker Challenge enables you to transform curiosity into impact and take meaningful steps towards becoming active, engaged changemakers in your communities.
The Changemaker Challenge will open for applications in Summer 2026.
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.
Go Freelance will return in Summer 2026. You can access the 2025 Go Freelance 101 learning materials on the Entrepreneurship Canvas module. If you cannot access the Canvas module, email the entrepreneurship team at entrepreneurship@sussex.ac.uk to request Go Freelance 101 materials.
Ideas Lab
Being entrepreneurial can serve you no matter what path you take in life. This series of entry level sessions is designed to help students and recent graduates 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 our entrepreneurship funding opportunities including Kickstart grants, Big Ideas contest and Startup Sussex.
Ideas Lab workshops run in the Autumn term. Catch up with any sessions you have missed on our Canvas module.
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.
The Big Ideas deadline has now passed. The competition will return in Autumn 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 your 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 internship. 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 you have the momentum to succeed.
The Momentum Incubator will take on its next cohort in Summer 2026.
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.
Applications are now closed. Kickstart grants will return in December 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.