Startup support
Startup support at Student Enterprise is a service designed to help you start up and run your own business. We deliver a range of enterprising activities and education across the whole University.
We can provide you with expertise on:
- Legal set-up
- Business planning
- Financial planning
- Sourcing funding
- External professional advisers including solicitors, accountants and IP specialists
- Support networks once your venture is up and running
If you have a business idea
Do you have an interest in enterprise education or an early stage idea you want to explore? Would you like to be your own boss but don't know how to go about it?
Student Enterprise can provide you with the knowledge and understanding of what it takes to get up and running including:
- Practical workshops
- Business competitions
- Enterprise events
- Writing a business plan
- Validating your idea
- Discovering the next steps
If you've already started a business
If you have already started a business, Student Enterprise can provide you with a more tailored level of support including:
- Access to funding and business investment
- Links to specialist industry support
- Networking events and competitions
- Possibility of space in our on-campus business hatchery
- Connecting you with experienced entrepreneurs in your field
- Notification of and access to certain enterprise events nationwide
- Legal support
- Connection with funding opportunities
Social Shifters
The University of Glasgow has partnered with Social Shifters - empowering you to explore, start, and grow your social or environmental business ideas. Get free access to specialist digital learning resources and for those ready to take the next steps, we provide one-to-one on campus start-up advice.
Social Shifters aims to support and grow change activity in universities across the UK, because all change starts with one thing: an idea.
Whether you want to solve local or global problems, Social Shifters enables you to explore, start, and grow ideas that can change the world.
CLASP – Corporate Law Advisory Support Project
Do you have a student led business and are in need of basic legal support? If so, we could be able to help you.
The CLASP programme provides access to Law Students currently undertaking the Diploma in Legal Practice who are willing to support you in finding out more about the legal steps required to start up your business such as how to register, what type of legal structure you should take, what type of insurances you may need, what IP you may have and how you can protect it etc.
As the students are not yet qualified to practice, all meetings, which are free of charge and held in complete confidence, are overseen by a qualified practicing solicitor.
Interested? Get in touch!
For further information or to book an appointment please contact:
Start-up visa
The University of Glasgow has an allocation of 20 endorsements on an annual basis which allow international students to apply for a Start-up visa on completion of their studies.
These visas allow non-EEA graduates to stay in the UK for two years to develop their business ideas with a view to turning them into legitimate start-up businesses.
The process:
You must have a genuine and credible business idea and be willing to work closely with the University’s Student Enterprise programme to fully develop your proposal and formulate a robust business plan.
There is a full range of support available to you, not only from the University but from other local business support organisations, during this time.
Once the Enterprise Manager deems you ready, your business plan is sent to be assessed by an experienced panel of business experts.
You will then attend a panel meeting to pitch your idea and answer any questions the panel members may have. If successfully endorsed at this stage, you will be able to apply for the visa.
Once the visa has been approved by UKVI, you must agree to a monitoring programme which is designed to help you develop and grow the business.
The University will also actively encourage you to participate in workshops and networking events organised by Student Enterprise.
Get engaged early:
If you wish to be considered for endorsement contact the Enterprise Manager at least 6 months before your current visa expiry date. This is to ensure you have enough time to prepare your business plan and for the assessment panel.
If you are applying less than 3 months before the visa expiry, you are less likely to be successful in being endorsed by the panel.
Interested? Get in touch!
Please note that we can only offer endorsements to University of Glasgow students/graduates.
For more information or to discuss your potential business ideas contact:
Marion Anderson, Enterprise Manager
Further information:
See UKVI webpages.
You may also wish to contact International Student Support, who can offer advice on the required documentation and relevant visa application form(s).