The programme
The Ingenuity Programme runs from October to June. The skills and training will help you develop your idea, build a business plan and prepare for launch. Our Skills Hub will provide tutorials to help turn your idea into a business that creates impact and prepare you to pitch for funding.
The Ingenuity Competition will support you as you develop your pitch with help from experienced mentors and present your idea to expert judging panels.
The National Showcase will reveal the top ideas from across the nation and crown our national challenge champions and entrepreneur of the year.
The Challenges
The Programme focuses on three key challenges: building stronger communities, improving health, and tackling climate change.
We’re interested in supporting ideas that promote sustainable ways or living and tackle the ongoing cost of living crisis and growing health inequalities, which disproportionately impact the lives of the UK’s deprived, underserved, and under-represented groups.
Skills and training
The Programme will provide you with skills and training to develop your idea into a business that creates impact.
First, join one of our idea generation sessions to help you develop, test and validate your idea. Our team will help you identify your area of focus related to the Ingenuity Challenges.
Then, with the support of mentors, you will work through a step-by-step process to build an outline business plan, 3-year financial forecast and video pitch. Access learning materials and tutorials on our Skills Hub platform, alongside regular workshops and drop-in sessions where you can meet fellow participants and learn from our network of experienced professionals and business experts.
In addition to business skills and training, we will provide you with a range of personal development opportunities to help build your confidence and capability to launch and run your own business.
The Competition
Once all business plans and pitches have been submitted, our judging panel will shortlist the Top 36 teams, who will be invited to take part in the opening round of our National Competition.
Following a series of local pitch workshops, shortlisted teams will be invited to pitch their idea to a panel of expert judges. The Top teams will advance to the National Competition and be invited to pitch for a share of the £75,000 prize fund.
If you aren’t shortlisted, don’t worry! We will signpost you to local support services who will be able to assist you in developing your idea further.
The Prizes
The top winners and national finalists were announced and celebrated at our Ingenuity Impact Event and Ingenuity Showcase held in June. These included the following prizes and more!
– Overall Impact Entrepreneur of the Year
– University of Nottingham Impact Entrepreneur of the Year
– Community Champion
– Health Champion
– Climate Champion
– Regional Champions
The 2023-24 programme also includes in-kind support packages from a range of professional service providers.
The My Way Project
The Ingenuity Programme also collaborates with the My Way Project – an Ingenuity alumni CIC – in a series of workshops offering you space for reflection and self-development along your Ingenuity journey.
Stepping into an entrepreneurial way of life can be daunting, but the My Business My Way workshops are created to support you overcome any barriers to building a sustainable successful business. The team will be exploring themes such as ‘overcoming bias’, ‘your values and strengths’ and ‘your challenges’, alongside looking at creating goals and vision for the future.
