Celebrating Student Innovation

The annual Student Experience Awards Ceremony took place this week, recognising and celebrating students and societies who go above and beyond their academic commitments to positively shape the culture and values of the University of Southampton and SUSU.

This year, winners in three award categories had strong connections to Student Enterprise and the Social Impact Lab, showcasing the influence of entrepreneurial thinking, community action, and sustainable innovation.

Enactus Southampton was a standout presence at the ceremony, receiving two prestigious awards for their hard work and dedication in implementing positive changes to the University and wider community:

• Sustainability Champion Award: Through their Seeds for Thought initiative, Enactus has provided over 50 hydroponic kits and a 6-week educational programme to local primary schools, reaching over 90 children and promoting sustainability, healthy eating, and awareness of food systems. The initiative has already saved more than 800kg of CO₂ and over 3,000 litres of water. It also secured the Ford C3 grant, awarded to projects that creatively address community needs.
• Society of the Year Award: Commended on their wide-ranging social impact work with their WonkyBowl (repurposing surplus vegetables into free soups for the community) and Seeds for Thought projects, reflecting the power of student-led initiatives to create global impact through local action.

In the Student Enterprise Award category, undergraduate entrepreneurs Jamie Horsnell and Samuel Aaron were honoured for their remarkable achievements. Starting with 1:1 support from Student Enterprise and progressing through the University’s entrepreneurial support pathway, they secured both the Student Enterprise Build Fund and Santander Grow Fund. Their hard work culminated in securing £250,000 in investment – the largest ever awarded to an undergraduate-founded start-up at the University – for their AI-driven bid-writing platform. Their journey is a testament to the innovation, resilience, and ambition that define our student entrepreneurs.

Congratulations to all of this year’s inspirational winners and nominees!