Deadline: 2 April 2025
Do you have a novel, early-stage business idea? Apply now for the the KickStart Challenge!
The KickStart Challenge is for aspiring entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas they’d like to test, validate and prepare to launch.
Funding Information
- Prize Fund: £40k
- Winner: £10k in equity-free cash plus fast-track entry to the semi-finals of an advanced challenge category.
- Runner-up: £7.5k in equity-free cash x 2
- Entrepreneurial Spirit Award: £5k in equity-free cash
- Creative Award: £5k in equity-free cash
- Social Impact Award: £5k in equity-free cash.
Eligibility Criteria
- Members of staff from all Scottish universities are welcome to apply including early-career researchers, academic and professional staff.
- They welcome applications from postgraduate and undergraduate students from all Scottish universities.
- Recent graduates (up to 36 months after graduation from the initial application date) from all Scottish universities are eligible to apply.
- Team and joint applications are welcome provided one member of the team is a staff member, student or recent graduate from a Scottish university.
- Applicants must plan to have their business headquartered in Scotland.
- Active participation in all training sessions and events is mandatory for the lead applicant.
- You must either own or have the right to use and commercially exploit all Intellectual Property Rights related to your business idea.
- Stage of development:
- This challenge is aimed at early-stage projects that have the potential to become high-growth businesses. Applicants need to demonstrate feasibility and early market research.
- If you do have an existing company, it must be dormant, non-trading or trading for no longer than 24 months with a secured income not higher than £150,000 (including but not limited to grants, investment, loans, revenue, prizes).
- Technology readiness levels (TRLs) are a scale used to measure the maturity of a technology during its development. To apply for this challenge, they recommend TRL2-4.
Judging Criteria
- Kickstart Challenge applications are judged on the novelty and innovation of the idea combined with clarity of planning. They’re looking for individuals and teams who understand what it takes to get market ready and launch a business. Successful applicants will be able to demonstrate product/service feasibility, a strong USP and market demand.
- Innovation
- Demonstration of market need
- Understanding of your market and customers
- Clarity of product/service development plan
- Viability of proposed business model
For more information, visit Heriot-Watt University.
