Student Enterprise Fund - BUILD Pathway

Apply for up to £2,000 to BUILD your business.

Applications are now open. Applications close midnight, Sunday 15 June 2025.

To explore eligibility or get feedback on an application form, book a 1:1 with the Student Enterprise Team.

Who is the BUILD Pathway For?

This pathway is suitable for students who have strong validation of their business or social enterprise idea, demonstrated through customer research or initial traction. If you have identified and spoken to your target customers, have a strong understanding of the problem and your customer needs and wants, and you can provide evidence that they are interested in your product or service, the BUILD pathway could help you further develop your product or service, launch it to the market or take your business to the next level. This pathway is suitable for businesses and social enterprises across all industry sectors.

What can BUILD Funding be used for?

BUILD funding can be used to support a wide range of different business expenses. Example use of funds might include product development, essential equipment, software, raw materials, stock, marketing costs, business administration costs, professional development and much more.

Am I eligible for BUILD Funding?

At a minimum, students applying for the BUILD pathway must demonstrate the viability of their opportunity through market and customer research and/or initial traction. They must also demonstrate clear progress and commitment to their business or social enterprise to date.

BUILD Pathway funding is available to undergraduates, post-graduates and recent graduates (up to 18 months post-graduation) leading an early-stage business or social enterprise across a broad spectrum of different industries.

Applicants must be legally eligible to start a business in the UK (unfortunately students studying on an International Student Visa are NOT eligible to apply).

Applicants who have previously received Student Enterprise Funding, are eligible to apply for further BUILD funding, within the following parameters:

Students must provide evidence of successful spend, impact of the previous funding awarded and demonstrate realistic projections based on the further funding required.

Students can win up to a maximum of £4k per year and up to a total of £4k across multiple years for the same business via the BUILD Pathway.

Students can win up to a maximum total of £10k, across multiple years, for the same business, across all three funding pathways.

How do I apply?

Applications are now open. Applications close midnight, Sunday 15 June 2025.

Please complete and submit an online application form and 2 minute video pitch (see details in application form) before the deadline: midnight, Sunday 15 June 2025.

Apply Now – BUILD

Short-listed candidates, based on the application form and video pitch, will be in invited to an online panel interview, where they will be expected to present their business/social enterprise idea. Students invited to panel will have three minutes to pitch, and this will be followed by up to ten minutes of Q&A from the panel.

Key Dates:

Applications Close: midnight, Sunday 15 June 2025.

Online Interview Panels: Monday 23 and/or Monday 30 June 2025.

Funding Decisions: by Friday 4 July 2025.

If you are interested in applying for the BUILD Pathway or have any questions regarding eligibility, we highly recommend you book a 1:1 appointment with a member of the Student Enterprise team.

Book a 1:1

You can contact the team at studententerprise@soton.ac.uk

Sign up to the Student Enterprise Mailer to keep up to date about all the support and opportunities available to you and your business.