Workshops and programmes

Placement Enterprise Pathway - run your own business for your placement!

Surrey Business School and Student Enterprise are offering up to 10 students the opportunity to start up their own business in a supported placement year with the award-winning placement programme at Surrey.  

If you have a business venture you’d like to develop during your placement year, you can apply to the Placement Enterprise Pathway 2023/24 to work on your own business as an entrepreneur instead of working as an employee for an existing company. 

Plus, you have the chance to join a Venture Builder Programme at our partner University in Singapore this summer!

This is open to second-year students from any faculty, department or course. 

Please note that unfortunately, those on a Student Visa are not eligible due to the terms of the visa which does not allow for self-employment and business activity. 

Check out our FAQs or APPLY NOW

SETsquared investment Showcase

Investor readiness support & showcase for start ups including graduate start ups.

Bringing together the best graduate start-ups from across our six SETsquared partner Universities, this opportunity is an exclusive programme that selects and supports tech start ups to reach an audience of potential investors.

This showcase is a culmination of a supportive programme whereby each graduate is given guidance to hone their company pitch to maximise their attractiveness to potential investors.

Graduate companies are provided significant promotion within the investor and wider start-up ecosystem, both nationally and internationally, as well as the corporate and media community, with an online audience of several hundred expected from an international audience.

Why should I apply?

Overall, the programme is a great opportunity to hone your pitching skills, gain feedback from real investors, SETsquared programme managers, experienced entrepreneurs and mentors and to promote your business to a wider network.

The University of Surrey Student Enterprise will support you throughout the programme and there is great camaraderie amongst the graduates, particularly those who make it to the showcase. Those who are successful will develop connections with potential investors, mentors, and the larger business community, with many doors opened to them beyond this.

Selection criteria

Applicants are eligible if they have graduated from one of the SETsquared Universities (Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey) or plan to graduate imminently. In special circumstances those entering their final year will be considered. We accept applicants up to 3 years post-graduation.

All applicants must be able to demonstrate rigorous market validation, a strong and viable business model and the potential for continued growth and development.

Applications are welcomed whether the company is looking to:

• Raise early stage investment (seed level, or feasibility/proof of concept)
• Find mentors to support the development of their business idea
• Gain access to further support through SETsquared accelerator programmes, or other incubators/accelerators.

Financial support from the University of Surrey Student Enterprise will be available to those Surrey graduates who make the final, in order that they can attend the rehearsal and final.

Applications open (usually autumn) and the programme will run until the showcase, with a one-pager required initially. Those successful at this round will be invited to pitch for a place at the showcase. Only one individual may represent the graduate company throughout the process and any companies who have already progressed through the competition in a previous year will not be eligible to enter again unless there has been a significant pivot to their business model.

How do I apply?

In the first instance it is best to contact Kat Mack, your Student Enterprise Manager at Surrey who can provide you with a one-pager template and review your application before you submit it. Applications must be submitted on the SETsquared website.

2023 dates:

• One-pager applications open September
• Closes 9 October
• Showcase 28 November

For more information or to discuss your eligibility please contact Kat Mack, Student Enterprise Manager on k.mack@surrey.ac.uk.

MORE INFO AND APPLY

Enactus

Enactus Surrey is a society at the University of Surrey, but to our members it’s more than just a society. Enactus is a worldwide community of students, academics, and business leaders committed to using entrepreneurial action to improve lives and shape a better, more sustainable world.

Enactus Surrey has many projects both locally and internationally. An example of one of our local projects is JumpStart, which is a project that aims to reduce youth unemployment in Guildford by running employability workshops and one-to-one mentoring. An example of one of our international projects is Source, which is a project in the Philippines that provides and installs solar lighting to houses that do not have lighting, or are using kerosene lamps.  

As well as having a positive impact on people’s lives, being part of Enactus also opens many opportunities, like free training to develop skills. Regional, National and Global World Cup competitions take place annually, these develop the leadership skills of Enactus members as well as providing a platform to meet other teams and share ideas in a culture of learning and developing from each other.

For more information visit our Enactus website or join our society.

Follow Enactus on Instagram and LinkedIn: Enactus_Surrey

Start-up Bootcamp

Start-up Bootcamp runs several times a year so there will always be one coming up when you need it!

This is the perfect bootcamp for those who have a business idea that they are looking to develop with support.

Food? Femtech? Aviation? Plastics? Any kind of business idea is eligible!

Bootcamp is an in-person activity over 4 Wednesday afternoons 1:30-4:30pm where you can meet other aspiring student entrepreneurs like you and work through a number of activities and use tools to help you develop your idea, no matter what sort of business you are working on.

Schedule for Start Up Bootcamp

Day one (or first two Wednesdays if running over 4 Wednesdays): 

• Meet other students and hear their ideas, take a step into customer profiling 
• Next up take a deep dive into The Problem before moving well-equipped to tackle The Solution. 

Day two (or second two Wednesdays): 

• Spend time in small groups walking through an external perspective on your idea, then bring it all together by working on your own Lean Canvas. 
• Finally you’re ready to test out your idea, and we’ll help you work out what you need to do just that. After that we’ll walk you through creating a great pitch deck to take forward when you’re asking for support (and cash!)

Bootcamp details, latest dates and application form

International Student information

For information about working on your business during your studies, check out this information. Please also note the Start-Up Visa which Student Enterprise previously supported students to gain has been discontinued by the UK Government, meaning that it can no longer be offered as a graduate route for International students. You can find out more here and seek advice on what options you have available for you instead:

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