Venture Development Fund

Apply now for up to £5,000 in startup funding 

Are you a current student or recent graduate (within the last two years) from the University of Edinburgh working on a high-potential startup? The Venture Development Fund is here to help accelerate your journey. 

This £25,000 fund is designed to support student and graduate founders who are building ventures with the potential for significant growth or impact. This fund could help with activities such as accounting, legal or Intellectual Property support, product design or development, customer or partner development, market research or living costs.

Who is eligible?

• Current students at the University of Edinburgh
• Recent graduates (within the past 2 years)
• Founders working on a venture with clear potential for high growth or meaningful impact 

Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to their venture and be able to clearly articulate how the funding will help them reach key milestones. A completed application and shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview. 

Our privacy policy can be found here. 

What’s expected?

Successful applicants will:

• Engage with the Student Venture Creation team to track progress
• Complete a case study within a year of receiving funding
• Use the funding to develop their venture

Why apply?

This fund is designed to significantly accelerate your startup’s development and improve your ability to secure further investment or grant funding. Successful applicants will also received advice and support from a student adviser.

Don’t miss the chance to take your startup to the next stage.

As well as the funding, we have two exciting additional awards:

1. A place at the UNA Europa EuroPitch Competition - one winner will be invited to represent the University of Edinburgh at the inaugural UNA Europa EuroPitch Competition, which will be hosted by KU Leuven in Belgium on 20th and 21st October. This is a pitching competition for representatives of all 11 UNA Europa member universities and will include pitching, awards, international networking opportunities and a reception with food and drinks, as well as a prize for the winning pitch.
2. 10 free legal hours - one winner will be offered 10 free legal hours from Shepherd and Wedderburn, which can be used on any of Shepherd and Wedderburn's legal services.

Successful applicants will also receive advice and support from a student adviser.

Deadline: 10am on Friday 12th June