South Bank Ignite

Fuelling and funding founders, freelancers, innovators, social activists, and dreamers at LSBU.
APPLY TO SOUTH BANK IGNITE

Spark your passion with the support, community and funding in LSBU's biggest idea competition.

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Meet the 2024 Participants

Be inspired by the ideas that wowed us at the 2024 competition.

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Partner with South Bank Ignite

How can you support innovative students and grads?

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Help & Support

You bring the idea, we'll bring help! Book a 1-2-1 Appointment.

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FUELLING LSBU INNOVATION

Spark Your Idea

South Bank Ignite, LSBU premier ideas competition, fuels business start-ups, freelancing, innovation, impact, and passion.

You bring an idea! South Bank Ignite will provide the foundation, support, and community to grow as an entrepreneur. Plus, you might walk away with part of the £24K prize pot.

Date

Details

Mon., 30 Sept. 2024 South Bank Ignite 2024-2025 – Round 1 Application Open
Oct – Dec. 2024 Ongoing South Bank Ignite 2024-2025 – Round 1 Support
2 - 6 Dec. 2024 Give Your Ideas Some Love (Support in the Hub)
Mon., 6 Jan. 2025 South Bank Ignite 2024-2025 – Round 1 Application Deadline
Tue., 7 Jan. 2025 South Bank Ignite 2024-2025 – Round 2 Application Open
Jan – May 2025 Ongoing South Bank Ignite 2024-2025 – Round 2 Support
Jan – Feb 2025 Start-Up London 6-Week Accelerator Programme
Mon., 17 Mar. 2025 South Bank Ignite 2024-2025 – Round 2 Application Deadline
Wed., 21 May 2025 South Bank Ignite 2024-2025 – Semi-Finals
Wed., 4 Jun. 2025 South Bank Ignite Final, Festival, and Marketplace

Download the South Bank Ignite Round 1 Application Word Document

Download the South Bank Ignite Competition Terms and Conditions

Additional Resources and Information

Put Your Best Idea Forward (Info Session)
Download the Put Your Best Idea Forward Presentation
Watch the Zoom Recording

How To Turn Good Ideas Great (Idea Workshop)
Download the How To Turn Good Ideas Great Presentation
Watch the Zoom Recording from 29 October
Watch the Zoom Recording from 31 October

How I Won £3K For My Idea Panel + Q&A with Past Competition Winners.
Watch the Zoom Recording

Take the Next Step

Answers to your burning questions

Who can apply to South Bank Ignite?

South Bank Ignite is open to all LSBU students and recent graduates (up to three years). Regardless of your school, degree, or time at university, if you have an idea or passion for a business, you can apply.

All ideas are welcome – whether it’s for a business, freelance service, social enterprise, or side-hustle.

All stages of the idea and business development are eligible! No business knowledge or experience is necessary.

Why should I join South Bank Ignite? What’s in it for me?

South Bank Ignite offers you:

- An opportunity to express and test your passion or business idea,

- Networks and connections with other LSBU entrepreneurially minded folks as well as industry experts,

- Growth (and not a bad CV filler) in entrepreneurial skills – like problem solving, thinking-outside-the-box, pitching and presenting, leadership, and more,

- Funding opportunities with prize money as well as fast-track access to LSBU’s incubator and acceleration programmes taking place year-round.

There is so much to gain – and win – by applying!

What information do I need for my application?

When applying, tell us (in a nutshell)

- What the problem or need is,

- How it is currently being solved,

- What your solution is, and

- How your idea or business solves the problem.

Don’t forget to also introduce yourself (and your team) and how you are in the best position to lead this business idea forward.

Download the Word document of the application to review the information requested, and to work on your answers before submitting the online form.

I need help. What support is available to help me?

The South Bank Starters team is here to help you develop your idea – and win at South Bank Ignite. Schedule a 1-2-1 idea feedback meeting through Careers Hub and attend the upcoming workshops or panel discussions taking place October through December.

IGNITE YOUR IDEA

Apply to the 2025 South Bank Ignite Competition to gain new skills and confidence (plus win big!)

APPLY TODAY

More Competitions and Funding Opportunities

Competitions offer you a chance to test your idea, network with other innovators and industry experts, gather feedback on your business, build entrepreneurial skills and knowledge, and more.

Below are a few external competition and funding opportunities for the LSBU students, alums, staff, and/or community members.

Stay up-to-date on all competitions and challenges by connecting with us on LinkedIn.

Hult Prize – Win $1 million to solve the world's most pressing issues with your innovative social venture

The Hult Prize challenges young people around the world to solve the planet's most pressing issues through social entrepreneurship – and giving them $1 million to do it!

Deadline:

Cost: Free

Prizes: Every year, one team receives $1M USD in funding to make their idea a reality.

Award Categories: You can pitch any idea you have for a social enterprise, as long as it is world-changing and aligned with at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Eligibility: To apply, you need to be:

  • You must currently be a student enrolled in a degree seeking program.
  • Teams must be between 3 - 5 members. All students must be from the same university, with an additional option to have one, that can be from a different university.
  • You must be at least 18 years of age to compete.

Additional Support: South Bank Starters is here to help you with your application and making the best impression for this competition. Set up a 1-2-1 appointment to talk about this competition.

For more information, please visit https://www.hultprize.org/

Texas Christian University Values and Ventures Competition – $40K for innovators who want to make a difference and a profit.

Pitch your idea for conscious capitalism ventures that make a profit while also solving a problem in the Texas Christian University Values and Ventures Competition.

Deadline: 17 January 2025

Cost: Free

Prizes: Winners and finalists have a chance to win cash prizes including:

  • Grand Prize: $40,000
  • Second Place: $25,000
  • Third Place: $15,000
  • Honourable Mentions (5): $2,500 each
  • Plus additional special awards which all teams are eligible for

Award Categories: All for-profit, values-cantered enterprises which demonstrate a societal or environmental need to be filled are eligible. Nonprofit ventures are not allowed. Visit the competition website for more information on judging criteria.

Eligibility: To apply, you need to be:

  • Any Undergraduate Students Only
  • Only currently enrolled undergraduate college students taking classes during the 2024-25 academic school year (August 2024 – May 2025) are eligible.
  • Students who completed their studies and will graduate in December 2024 are also eligible, provided they have not started graduate school or are taking graduate-level courses at the time of the competition.

Additional Support: South Bank Starters is here to help you with your application and making the best impression for this competition. Set up a 1-2-1 appointment to talk about this competition.

For more information, please visit https://www.neeley.tcu.edu/vandv/

Young Entrepreneurs Challenge – Get noticed and change the world

The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge—brought to you by Verizon and  Unloc—is looking for the best young talent across Europe and could help you get your business off the ground—or if you’ve already launched, boost it to the next level.

Deadline: 17 January 2025

Cost: Free

Prizes: Applicants will compete to win the overall prize at the grand finals:

  • £10,000 of funding for their start-up business.
  • A mentorship package and training programme to accelerate their idea
  • Finalist runner ups will also receive £1,000 of funding for their start-up business

Award Categories: Applications will be judged on three key factors:

  • Is it innovative?
  • Does it improve sustainability and meet/sustain a UN Sustainable Development Goal?
  • Is it viable?

Eligibility:

Applicants must be:

  • Between the ages of 16 and 25 years on 1 February 2025
  • Residents and/or citizens of the U.K. or the continent of Europe
  • Immediate family members of the judging panel are not eligible to apply
  • Previous entrants are welcome to re-enter, but previous finalists are not eligible

Business proposals must:

  • Be legal in all mainland European countries
  • Not have the purpose of political lobbying
  • Be the applicant’s own idea
  • Not infringe on the copyright, patent or intellectual property of others
  • The businesses must be either pre-start (not yet trading) or no more than three years old and have had an annual turnover of less than £100,000 (120,000€) in its most recent financial year

Additional Support: South Bank Starters is here to help you with your application and making the best impression for this competition. Set up a 1-2-1 appointment to talk about this competition.

For more information, please visit https://youngentrepreneurschallenge.com/

Rice Business Plan Competition – Real-world Experience and Cash Prizes for Student Start-Ups

The Rice Business Plan Competition helps student founders creating new possibilities in technology, energy, healthcare and more so they can surround themselves with a powerful network; learn what it takes to secure investor funding; hone their pitch; and compete for prize money.

Deadline: 17 January, 2025

Cost: Free

Prizes: In total, more than $1 million in investment and cash prizes are expected to be awarded at the 2024 Rice Business Plan Competition. Prizes are still being confirmed for 2024.

Award Categories: The competition encourages businesses in the following sectors:

  • Energy, cleantech and sustainability
  • Hard tech
  • Life sciences and healthcare solutions
  • Digital enterprise
  • Consumer products and services

Eligibility: You are eligible to apply if your startup:

  • is student-driven, student-created and/or student-managed,
  • has at least two current student founders or management team members, and at least one, of those students is a current graduate degree-seeking student,
  • are from a college or university anywhere in the world,
  • has not raised more than $250,000 in equity capital prior to July 1, 2024,
  • has not generated revenue of more than $100,000 in any 12-month period prior to July 1, 2024,
  • is seeking funding or capital (or will be in the next 12 months),
  • is a potentially viable investment opportunity.

Additional Support: South Bank Starters is here to help you with your application and making the best impression for this competition. Set up a 1-2-1 appointment to talk about this competition.

For more information, please visit https://rbpc.rice.edu/

Connect with South Bank Starters

South Bank Starters is here to guide, support, inspire, and motivate you. Find ways to connect with the team and your community of entrepreneurial minded individuals. You can email us at studententerprise@lsbu.ac.uk.