Business boost for budding entrepreneurs
22 February 2012
Entrepreneurial graduates from Leeds Metropolitan University are being offered the chance to transform their business idea into reality with a £3,000 scholarship.
The Vice Chancellor’s Enterprise Scholarship, of which Leeds Metropolitan Vice Chancellor Professor Susan Price is the founding donor, has been launched this week and will provide at least three graduates per year with £3,000 of funding each, including support through the University’s business incubator, QU2, and a city centre business address, for twelve months.
Professor Price commented: “Our
students are the professionals of the future, making important and valued contributions
to society. In these tough economic times with high levels of job uncertainty,
research is finding that more of our students and graduates are considering starting
their own business; and leading economists are reporting that the best way for us
to stimulate our economy is to encourage small business growth to increase job
creation. Being housed in our business incubator increases companies’ chances
of trading after year one from 50% to 95%.”
Applications are now open to Leeds Metropolitan University students graduating in 2012 and to any of the University’s graduates since 2007. The £3,000 funding includes:
Hot desk and meeting space at QU2 and the Enterprise Hub at Old Broadcasting House, equipment and marketing costs at launch, a city centre business address, entry to business start-up workshops and boot camps, dedicated business advisors and mentors, work shadowing and placements with successful early-stage businesses, profiling and networking opportunities and membership of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce.
Applications close Monday 16 April and applicants with the strongest business cases will make it through to a second round where they will be invited to give a ten-minute pitch about their business idea to a selection panel on Wednesday 2 May.
www.leedsmet.ac.uk/enterprisescholarship
