Business Start-up programme
Structured help to launch your business
Our Business Start-up Programme is a structured programme of practical support aimed at helping students and recent graduates take their business ideas from concept to market readiness within one year. Taking an idea from concept to market readiness can be a protracted process, with a lot of time spent finding the right information and guidance. With the Business Start-Up programme, this process is efficiently managed and students that successfully progress through the programme can have a business that is ready to launch within 12 months or less.
Our Business Start-up Programme will guide participants through the following stages:
- Proof of concept: Assessing the viability of the idea as a business concept
- Proof of market: Identifying the potential market for the product or service
- Company Formation and Launch: Designing an action plan to bring the product or service to market; establishing viable legal, operational, marketing and legal structures; and launching the business
Participants can join the programme at any of the above developmental stages.
What does it involve?
Through the Business Start-up programme, students and graduates can benefit from dedicated resources and support including:
- A series of facilitated workshops, using practical frameworks to provide guidance through the above stages of business planning
- Business advice and mentoring through each stage of the programme
- Admittance to other useful Enterprise events and activities as a secondary source of support
- The opportunity to apply for financial support via the Enterprise Fund
- Access to office space and facilities in the Incubation Centre
Who is it for?
To participate in the programme, the following eligibility criteria apply:
- Participants must be current University of Hertfordshire students or have graduated from the University of Hertfordshire within the last two years
- Participants must already have a business idea that they want to develop further
- Participants must be UK/EU nationals without visa restrictions
How to apply
Complete the application form to apply. To discuss your application or the programme in more detail, please contact us at enterprise@herts.ac.uk or by calling +44 (0)1707 285647.
