Funding support
Find out about the three business funding competitions run by the Careers and Enterprise team.
Popular pages on the careers website
£150 Survey Award
Secure £150 of funding for your business idea!
Open to all students, regardless of discipline or study focus, this funding is designed to support budding entrepreneurs like you. To take part you must:
- be a current student of The University of Salford.
- film yourself answering the three questions shown below. Please note: we may use your videos in our marketing campaigns.
- attend a Start-Up School or an Enterprise Workshop.
- attend The BIG Pitch Competition 2025 Grand Final in person on 8 May 2025, in the SEE Building Multifunction Space on the Ground Floor.
The three questions for your video
- What more can the Enterprise team do to foster entrepreneurial spirit and innovation among students?
- Why do you think incentives and events like the £150 Survey Award, the £300 Start-Ups Competition Award and The Big Pitch Competition matter?
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What advice would you give to students who are disinclined to put themselves forward for enterprise workshops, activities and competitions?
Send us your video by Monday 31 March 2025. All shortlisted students will be notified in the week beginning 21 April 2025.
If you have any questions, please email careers&enterprise@salford.ac.uk.
Dare to Pitch: Start-Up Award
Take to the stage and bring your business idea to life!
Do you have a groundbreaking business idea that's sustainable and ready to shine? Here’s your chance to showcase your entrepreneurial potential in the Dare to Pitch: Start-Up Award competition!
Who can enter?
The competition is open to all students with a business idea that meets these criteria:
- Your idea must be sustainable and viable.
- You must be available to pitch live on campus on 5 March 2025 in front of a panel of judges and an audience of your peers.
- You must register for our Start-Up School: How to Pitch workshop and attend the session from 10:00 – 14:00 on 5 March 2025.
- You must complete the Dare to Pitch form before the deadline of Friday 21 February 2025.
Important notes
If you have been a finalist in the Big Pitch Competition or have successfully applied to the £300 Start-Up Award Competition this year, you are not eligible to enter.
What you need to prepare
- A 5-minute pitch, delivered live on stage.
- A PowerPoint presentation to accompany your pitch.
Your pitch must include the following:
- Introduce yourself: Share who you are and your passion for the idea.
- Identify the need: Explain the problem your business will solve and why it matters.
- Showcase your expertise: Demonstrate why you are the right person to succeed.
- Pricing strategy: Outline your approach to pricing and revenue generation.
- Plan for the money: Explain how you would use the award to grow your business.
Key dates
- Deadline to apply: Friday 21 February 2025.
- Successful applicants notified: Week beginning 24 February 2025.
- How to Pitch workshop: Wednesday 5 March 2025, from 10:00 – 14:00.
Why enter?
- Gain valuable feedback: Learn from experienced judges.
- Build confidence: Develop your pitching skills.
- Make networking opportunities: Connect with like-minded entrepreneurs.
- Shine in the spotlight: Showcase your innovative idea.
How to apply
- Register for the Start-Up School: How to Pitch workshop.
- Please fill in our Dare to Pitch form to tell us about your idea before 21 February 2025.
Are you ready to Dare to Pitch and make your business dreams a reality? Sign up now!
The Big Pitch Competition 2025
Turn your business idea into reality and win up to £5,000 in start-up funds!
Whether you are passionate about making a difference, starting your own venture, or freelancing, join The Big Pitch Competition 2025 and secure funding to kickstart your business.
Open to all students (and graduates within one year), regardless of discipline or study focus, this funding is designed to support budding entrepreneurs like you. Your idea doesn't have to be related to your studies. To take part you must:
- have the legal right to start a business in the UK.
- have attended a Careers and Enterprise appointment or workshop.
- pre-register and fully attend one of the Careers & Enterprise Team's 2024/25 Start-Up Schools.
- provide evidence, through research, of market demand for your business.
- have a business idea that is sustainable, and capable of making a profit, with the potential to start trading within 12 months.
- have a product or service that complies with UK law.
- attend The BIG Pitch Competition 2025 Grand Final in person on 8 May 2025, in the SEE Building Multifunction Space on the Ground Floor May 2025.
- be eligible to work or be self-employed in the UK.
Students who were finalists in the Big Pitch Competition 2024 are not eligible to apply.
Students without the right to set up a business in the UK are encouraged to apply for our £300 Start-Ups Competition and £150 Survey Award.
What you need to do next
Taking part in the competition is easy.
- Fill in The Big Pitch Competition 2025 application form.
- Send us your three-minute video pitch. We recommend that you watch this video on turning PowerPoint slides into a video.
The competition closing date is Monday 31 March 2025. If shortlisted, you MUST be available to pitch live on the given date. All shortlisted entrants will be notified in the week beginning 14 April 2025.
If you have any questions, please email careers&enterprise@salford.ac.uk.
Speak to a Small Business Adviser
Our Small Business Advisers are on hand to help. Book an appointment or call +44 (0)161 295 0023 (option 5).
Appointments are available for current students and graduates of the University of Salford only.