Meet our 2024 New Enterprise Competition winners!

The New Enterprise Competition (NEC) drew to a thrilling conclusion at the Engine Shed last night. The award ceremony brought out the best and brightest of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The NEC is the Careers Service’s flagship start-up competition. Run by the Basecamp Enterprise Team, students, graduates, and staff, with support from mentors and experts, transform their business ideas into business realities. The final stage of the competition, the GROWTH stage, sees participants battle it out in pitches to a panel of experts for a chance to win a share of £25,000 of funding!

(Pictured from left to right are: Shabaj Ahmed (Progressable), Rachel Keys (Heartly), Ajeet Bhambra (Foundercentre), Artemis Fragkopoulos (SLANT), Deeshen Shah (Lettus Digest), Louisa Billington (Accomodeep), Weronika Stelmach (Weaving Change), Isobel Turner (Attic Catalogues), and Vasudev Menon (Invaai)). 
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Reflecting on the Universities Business Challenge

On 1 March this year, two teams consisting of members from the University of Bristol Business School and School of Economics, were delighted to attend the semi-finals of the Universities Business Challenge held in London. 

One team of five students, and one of four, made the journey to London after their work in the first round of the competition was recognised as being worthy of a semi-final place. 

Universities Business Challenge Worldwide logo
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Could you be an INTRApreneur?

Develop your intrapreneurial skills and gain invaluable experience working with inspiring entrepreneurs with IKEEP.

Students involved in the IKEEP programme engage in online training in a range of business areas such as managing innovation, business model canvas and leadership strategies. 

From here, students can apply for a short project placement (a commitment of 70 hours per student, spread flexibly over 4 weeks), working remotely for a regional business or charity as part of an interdisciplinary team of 3 students.  

Some of this year’s IKEEP participants at our IKEEP mingle event.

We spoke with Mansour Alshamsi, a student who has previously participated in IKEEP training and an industry project placement to find out about his experience in the IKEEP programme. 

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Founder’s keepers – advice from a working start-up

The New Enterprise Competition 2023 has come to an end. We caught up with finalist Ben Wainwright who comes loaded with lived experience from the world of start up.


Tell us about yourself and what sparked your interest in entrepreneurship.

Remap founder Ben Wainwright.

My name is Ben Wainwright and I am a co-founder and CTO of Remap Mental Fitness.

At Remap, we teach working professionals and global brands how to train their mind to improve how they think, feel and perform.

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How to get into: Start-ups and SMEs

Are you innovative, self-driven and interested in working in a close-knit work environment? Then working in a start-up or SME might be the right career move for you!

On 28 February, the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law invited University of Bristol alumni to talk about their experiences in start-ups and SMEs, as part of the ‘How to get into…’ event series.

Read on for our speakers’ top tips for those interested in pursuing a career in the sector, as well as an overview of the sector and some useful links.

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The Growth Stage: Entrepreneurial reflections and why you should enter

The Growth Stage of the New Enterprise Competition (NEC) is just around the corner, with applications open until Friday 5 May.

It’s an incredible opportunity for any new business, with a prize of up to £20,000 of funding.

A headshot of Beverley Samways.

We caught up with Beverley Samways, one of the runners-up from last year’s finale, who shares some of her insights on the NEC, and her thoughts on what it means to be an entrepreneur!

Beverley’s company, Unique Connections, provides innovative programmes and services to empower young people with disabilities and support them to help them thrive in their communities.

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Get supported as a female founder with the Growth Support Programme

Back in March 2019, HM Treasury and Alison Rose published the ‘Rose Review’. The goal of the Rose Review was to tap the huge unrealised economic potential of women entrepreneurs by making the UK one of the best countries in the world for women to start and grow a new business. 

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The Growth Support Programme: a springboard to success

The New Enterprise Competition’s (NEC) award-winning Growth Support Programme (GSP) is open for applications.

The NEC is a year-long programme that offers you the chance to build your dream business, taking it from an idea scrawled onto a pub napkin, all the way up to a sustainable, successful, and profitable business.

What does it all mean?

After the initial Ideas and subsequent Development Stage, the final Growth Stage begins. It’s the highest point of the competition, where you will be competing for up to £20,000 in funding for your business.

Logo: The word "Growth" in green letters
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Calling all future founders! The Development Stage is open.

The Development Stage of the New Enterprise Competition (NEC) opens on 28 November for applications until 27 January.

The New Enterprise Competition is the University of Bristol’s flagship start-up competition and will soon be entering its 20th year. The Development Stage is where we can help you turn your start-up idea into a more realised business.

The word development

If you have a business idea and would like to take it to the next level then you should absolutely apply now on MyCareer. Read on to find out exactly why should apply for the Development Stage!

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Happy Global Entrepreneurship week!

It’s Global Entrepreneurship Week this week, which means people all over the world are coming together to celebrate start-ups and new business ideas.

Here at Basecamp, we have a lot of exciting events and opportunities coming up this academic year, to help you get a leg up for your start-up. Read on for more info, as well as some insights from former students who have worked with us and turned their start-up dreams into reality. You can also visit the Global Entrepreneurship website where they have more information, as well as events running all week, online and in-person, all over the world. 


How we can support you

 

A picture of Rose Tan, a female student, smiling

PlayThru is an amazing education tool, designed to bring the fun and innovation of video gaming into a learning environment.

Its creator, Bristol graduate Rose Tan (pictured left), worked closely with us here at Basecamp, and shares her thoughts below: 

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