Deadline: November 21, 2025
The Open Business Creators Fund for Women in Business is a UK-based competition by The Open University, sponsored by NatWest, designed to support women at the idea or early stage of starting a business by providing funding, confidence-building, capabilities, and networking opportunities.
The goals of this opportunity are: To provide individuals with the knowledge and resources they need to start their own businesses. To boost confidence among participants, enabling them to pursue their entrepreneurial ideas. To connect participants with additional business support resources and networks. To enable participants to present their business idea to a panel of judges (potential investors).
This funding opportunity is open to women and those who present as women or whose gender identity aligns with being a woman, including trans women, who reside in the UK and are over 16 by 21 November 2025. Existing businesses must have been registered for less than one year by the same date. Individual grants of up to £2,500 will be awarded as part of a support and workshop package to help participants start their entrepreneurial journey.
Applicants are required to create a portfolio using the Validate platform, a tool provided by The Open University that guides users through identifying problems and opportunities, business modelling, and creating a polished portfolio for submission. A panel of judges will review these portfolios, providing feedback and advice to help entrants create more sustainable businesses. Successful recipients will be announced by 19 December 2025.
To support participants, Open Business Creators will host a three-part webinar series across October and November focusing on Confidence, Capabilities, and Connections. Each webinar will feature inspirational women sharing their insights and experiences to help new business creators grow their skills and networks.
To apply, participants must register for a free account on the Open University site, enrol in the competition, create their portfolio in Validate, and submit the link along with the entry form before the deadline. Employees of The Open University, NatWest Group, and their families are not eligible to enter.
For more information, visit The Open University.
