Ford Family Foundation announces Ignite Competition (UK)

Deadline: 31 July 2025

Entries are now open for Ignite, the UK’s flagship social enterprise competition for student and graduate entrepreneurs ready to scale solutions that tackle the world’s toughest problems.

Ignite is a unique pitching event designed exclusively for the social entrepreneur.

Benefits

Because opportunity shouldn’t be limited by access. They bridge the funding gap for early-stage impact founders and help the best ideas thrive.
Win up to £20,000 in equity-free grant funding to accelerate your impact
Open for for-profit and not-for-profit ventures
Pitch your venture live at an exclusive Fleet Street venue
Access to expert mentors, coaching, workshops and advice
Growing alumni network of social innovators
Eligibility for follow-on investment from the Ford Family Foundation

What are they looking for?

Ignite backs student and graduate-led ventures tackling social and environmental problems with scalable, entrepreneurial solutions.
They’re open to all models – as long as you’re building something with:
- Clear purpose demonstrating measurable impact
- Potential for long term sustainability
- An ambitious founding team ready to lead change
- A plan to generate 50%+ of income from trading

Eligibility Criteria

Ignite is a competition for the rising stars in social enterprise and they want to make sure their funding provides opportunity where it will be of most value and make the biggest impact.
To ensure fairness, transparency and to verify applicants as social enterprises, they’ve outlined specific criteria for participation. Please ensure you meet this prior to application:
- Have at least one founder who is a current student or recent graduate (past 3 years) of a UK university
- Be a registered organization
- Operate with a legal structure that supports a social mission (e.g., reinvesting profits, asset lock, community benefit clauses)
- show evidence of demonstratable social and/or environmental impact
- Have early traction with revenue, users or pilots, etc
- Be generating or planning to generate at least 50% of income through trading
- Have turnover or investment to date under £100,000
- Must be available for a live pitching final in October based in London