Do you have a great idea but need a bit of funding to get it up and running? Are you already working on a business venture but need help getting it to the next stage? Are you a current student or recent alumni (within two years of graduation)? If so, why not take part in the LSE funding competition run by Generate at LSE Careers? With two separate competitions running in Michaelmas and Lent Terms, you have a chance to compete with fellow LSE entrepreneurs to win up to £10,000 towards your venture.
We are looking to award money to interesting projects at any stage of maturity to help them move to the next stage of development. In each case, we award an amount that makes a significant impact to the business. Typically, around 3-5 businesses are selected for funding from each competition. You can read about the latest projects we have funded on our blog. In Summer Term, the winners of each competition are invited to apply to the LSE Entrepreneur and LSE Social Entrepreneur of the Year competitions where an overall winner of each category will also be chosen and awarded additional funding.
Application process and timeline
funding competition process
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Friday 7 October
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Competition opens and we begin accepting entries
Please submit your entry through this application form.
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End of day (midnight) Friday 21 October
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Deadline for submission of initial application
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Tuesday 1 November
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All applicants informed of outcome and shortlisted candidates asked to submit a full application
For this second round, you will have to provide a detailed business case as well as a one minute recorded pitch.
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End of day (midnight) Monday 14 November
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Deadline for submission of business case
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Friday 25 November
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We inform the students that have been selected to pitch before judging panel
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Friday 2 December
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Business pitch before panel of external judges and funding decisions made
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Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa
The funding competitions are the mechanism through which LSE students and alumni can seek endorsement for a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa with no restriction for applying with regard to the time elapsed since your graduation. While funding awards are restricted to current students and recent graduates, sponsorship can still be granted to those who do not win the competition. For more details see the International Student Visa Advice Team (ISVAT) website.