The programme is inclusive, diverse and accessible for all and supports students, alumni, staff and community members nationally to turn ideas for change into exciting new ventures. Now in its 9th year, the programme is designed to demystify entrepreneurship and it works with underserved and underrepresented social groups that face distinctive barriers. We encourage all participants to carefully review the programme eligibility criteria as available on our website and to reach out via email with any queries – https://ingenuityimpact.org/terms-and-conditions/ Ingenuity Impact is open to all, subject to the eligibility criteria as available on the website as linked above.
All participants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of registering to take part. There is no upper age limit to participation.
Yes, the programme is open to all, including those with disabilities. If you have a disability, please let us know as part of the registration form about any reasonable adjustments we can make to support your participation.
Yes. Ingenuity Impact is designed to be accessible for people with a range of personal and lived experiences and professional or academic backgrounds. Our programme events and activities are all designed to be accessible for people with little to no previous experience starting up or running a business. We provide you with a step-by-step process to help you develop your idea, build your business plan and prepare to launch your new venture.
Yes, Ingenuity Impact is committed to eliminating unjustified discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity and good relations across and between different underserved and underrepresented social groups. We welcome registrations from all sections of the community and do not discriminate on the grounds of age group, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or health condition, ethnicity, religion or belief or socio-economic status.
Participant registration takes place from late September until late January and the registration form is made available via our website during this time period. When registration is closed, an ‘express an interest’ form will be made available in its place, so that you can share contact information for us to reach out to you when the next programme cycles reopens.
Participants can choose one primary challenges theme: building stronger communities, improving health and wellbeing or tackling climate change, as well as select from a number of other themes that are deemed relevant to the business/idea. There will be an option on your registration form to indicate which challenge theme you have chosen.
The programme is designed to be accessible and inclusive for people with work, study and/or caring responsibilities
The programme takes place from late September to mid June and is broken down into 3 key stages:
Throughout the programme we offer start-up skills training experiences, access to mentoring and networking, learning and development opportunities, plus routes to funding for early-stage business ideas. Attendance at these are optional but strongly recommended and all online sessions will be recorded, wherever possible, for those unable to attend them live. All eligible businesses/idea will be invited to get involved in mentoring session during the programme. If you are shortlisted for the national competition, there will be some additional pitching events in May and June that you will be expected to attend to compete.
We also have a digital platform, Ingenuity Skills Hub, where all learning and development resources are made available, including recordings, copies of session slides and activity frameworks. Most participants typically spend a few hours a month working through the core resources and drafting their business plan outline and video pitch submission.
Participants can enter as an individual or as a team of no more than four people, including themselves. There will be opportunities through Ingenuity Impact in person and online events and activities to meet other participants, discuss your idea, network and access peer-to-peer support alongside mentoring. You may also find fellow participants who love your idea and want to work with you to develop it. Similarly, you may meet someone and decide to develop a new idea together with them.
All team members must be registered and complete their own registration form individually indicating their team status. There is an option on the registration form to input your team name and details of the other teams members, which helps us identify all team member. We ask team members to complete this separately, so that can comply with our Privacy Notice.
Yes, but typically the business/idea and lead applicant should not have previously received significant funding or investment. The Ingenuity Impact national competition is designed to provide funding as grant funding and in-kind support for early-stage business ideas. Ingenuity Impact is not suitable for businesses/ideas that have already received previous significant funding or investment from other programmes, competitions or investors or that assigned equity, or received significant grants and awards previously. If you would like to check your eligibility, please contact ingenuityimpact@nottingham.ac.uk. Enquiries will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Yes, but typically the business/idea need to be at a pre-trading stage or not yet trading at time of application to be eligible for the competition, prizes and funding, mentoring opportunities and targeted support events and activities. If you would like to check your eligibility, please contact ingenuityimpact@nottingham.ac.uk. Enquiries will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Yes, but there are certain requirements. Ingenuity Impact is for early-stage businesses/ideas, therefore we try to offer opportunities to participate in the competition, win prizes and funding, access mentoring opportunities and receive invites to targeted support events and activities each year to new ventures that have not already received funding from us. If you would like to check your eligibility, please contact ingenuityimpact@nottingham.ac.uk. Enquiries will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
