South Bank Ignite

Fuelling and funding founders, freelancers, innovators, social activists, and dreamers at LSBU.

CELEBRATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

CELEBRATE AT THE FINAL & FESTIVAL

Be part of an incredible year of hard work, ingenuity, and achievement. Applaud the finalists, get inspired, network, and party!

Join Future Competitions

Be the first to learn about new opportunities to spark your passion.

Meet the 2025 Participants

Be inspired by the ideas that wow us in the 2025 competition.

Partner with South Bank Ignite

How can you support innovative students and grads?

Help & Support

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

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.

Applications for the 2025 South Bank Ignite competition have closed.

JOIN FUTURE SOUTH BANK IGNITE COMPETITIONS

Date	Details
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 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

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT FOR PERSONAL SUPPORT

Take the Next Step

Open day

What's On

Find a range of LSBU events taking place on campus or overseas including open days, s...

Book now

InSight - LSBU Photography Degree Show

A free exhibition of works by LSBU photography students held at the Embassy Tea Galle...

Book now

04 June 2025

Product of South Bank Marketplace

Shop, connect, and ignite a spark! 🛍️💖🔥

Book now

04 June 2025

South Bank Ignite Final and Festival

Celebrate LSBU founders, freelancers, innovators, social activists, and idea generato...

Book now

04 June 2025

Product of South Bank Degree Show (private view)

Book now

06 June 2025

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis

Directed by Aiden Condron

Book now

13 June 2025

An exhibition of architectural works

Book now

17 June 2025

TikTok LIVE x LSBU: The Next Wave of Social Entrepreneurs

Get in on the TikTok revenue game!

Book now

18 June 2025

Summer Side Hustle Sprint

Got £100 and an idea? Let's see what you can do with it. ⚡🚀

Book now

19 June 2025

Freelancing Fundamentals

Thinking of going freelance? Make sure you're set up for success, ££, and fun!

Book now

25 June 2025

How to Communicate and Negotiate Effectively

Say it right, stay true to your idea, and make every conversation count. 💬

Book now

30 June 2025

From Vision to Reality: Overcoming Founder Bias through Customer-Centred Innovation

Are you starting a business, a freelance offer, a product, or a service that people a...

Book now

08 July 2025

From Idea to Launch

Turn your spark into something real! 💡⚡

Book now

14 July 2025

How to Set Your Price and Value

Helping you make sure your business, freelancing, or side hustle is worth it. 💷💷

Book now

21 July 2025

Cashflow

Dreams are great, but cash keeps them alive. 💸

Book now

Answers to your burning questions

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.

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!

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.

IGNITE YOUR IDEA

Be the first to learn about upcoming competitions and the 2026 South Bank Ignite Competition (and win big!)

LEARN MORE

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.

CONNECT ON LINKEDIN

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/

Pitch your idea in a 3-minute video to Sir Richard Branson and Simon Squibb using the Ring doorbell located at the Virgin Hotels London- Shoreditch. One pitch will be selected every week to win £1,000 (or other prizes) by HelpBnk.

Deadline: 17 April, 2025

Cost: Free

Prizes: Each week during the competition (17 January – 17 April, 2025), one pitch will be selected to win £1,000 supplied by HelpBnk. The judges may choose to offer alternative prizes including a stay at the Virgin Hotels London-Shoreditch or mentor access.

Award Categories: Judging criteria include originality, feasibility, and impact of the pitch idea.

Eligibility: You are eligible to apply if:

you are a UK resident.
There are no restrictions based on employment status or business stage.
Participants may submit their pitch either individually or as part of a team, although individual submissions are preferred.

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.elevatorofdreams.com/

In partnership with Enterprise Nation and Channel 4, Constant Contact is giving small businesses a chance to win a share of £300,000 in advertising airtime, expert marketing support, and a professionally produced TV ad to boost their brand's visibility.

Deadline: Thursday, 15 May 2025

Cost: Free

Prizes: Prizes include:

a share of £300,000 of Channel 4 advertising airtime
the chance to work with a top-tier video production agency to create your dream TV ad
the opportunity to consult a full team of experts on how best to reach your target audience across Channel 4 live and streaming services to make sure your business truly shines on screen
an exclusive package of marketing tools and expertise, to take your marketing to new heights

Plus, ten businesses will each win an exclusive marketing package, worth £4,000, including a 12-month Premium subscription to Constant Contact, mentorship from industry leaders, a £2,000 grant, and access to a marketing consultant.

Eligibility: To be eligible, small businesses must

have been trading for at least three months
have a Companies House number or a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number
employ no more than 50 staff members
have a British bank account

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.enterprisenation.com/small-business-big-break/

The Entrepreneurship World Cup gives everyone who enters access to the knowledge, networks and for some, the capital they need to start and scale a company.

Deadline: Monday, 30 June 2025

Cost: Free

Prizes: Prizes include training, resources, connections, mentorship and more. Plus, the participants have a chance to win a number of impactful prizes – USD $1.5 million in cash and/or investment total for the global winners plus in-kind support for the top 100 global finalists, not to mention investment opportunities and awesome resources and perks from our leading partners.

Award Categories: Award categories are based on business and idea development:

Idea Stage
Early Stage
Growth Stage

Eligibility:

Any startup from around the world is welcome to apply and become an Applicant.
Applicant startups must be legally registered or planning to register in their country of residence.
Applicant startups must be ten years or less old by the date of the Global Finals. Entity age is set by the date of company registration and not idea conception.

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.entrepreneurshipworldcup.com/ewc

The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation Scholarship Award supports students working to close the diversity, equity and inclusions gaps in their future aspirations.

Deadline: Monday, 30 June 2025 at 5pm

Cost: Free

What’s included:

Funding to pursue your own education and career ambitions.
Exclusive mentoring from leaders in their fields
Work experience (depending upon availability and COVID).
Reverse mentoring
Networking
VIP attendance to our educational diversity leadership lecture event(s)

Award Categories: Scholarships are available across many fields of study and sectors. This relates to your future aspirations. These include:

Law
Finance & business
STEAM
Medical
Multi-sector (for all other industries) - Scholarship applicants can place their preferred sector(s) not listed under the multi-sector scholarship
Future Leaders on Boards
Venture Capital (VC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Kidney Healthcare
Disability and Neurodiversity
LSBU Leadership - supported by the "London South Bank University" (LSBU) for students who will be a student at the LSBU from September 2025 to August 2026.

Eligibility: Students from all races (black, white and asian), nationalities, and social backgrounds are welcome. To be eligible for the scholarship programme, the students must meet all the conditions below:

Applicants must meet all the entry requirements for their full-time course
Scholarships are only available for new students. Previous scholarship winners are not eligible to apply
Applicants must enrol as full-time students in the UK. Part-time students are not eligible to apply
Have good academics and/or aspirations to achieve good academics
Be able to commit the time and effort to complete the scholarship programme
All scholarship applicants must have a demonstrable and genuine interest in diversity.

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

For more information, please visit https://www.tmbdlf.com/scholarship-programme

The James Dyson Award is an international design award open to current and recent design engineering students who think differently and want to create products that work better.

Deadline: Wednesday, 16 July 2025

Cost: Free

Prizes: As well as winning a cash prize, participants gain media exposure to kick-start your career, new networks and communities, and the experience launch your own business.

National Winner: £5,000
International Runners Up: £5,000
Sustainability Winner: £30,000
International Winner: £30,000

Eligibility:

The James Dyson Award is open to current university students of engineering, product design and industrial design – and those who have graduated in these subjects in the last four years.
All entrants must have undertaken their studies in one of the participating countries or regions.

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.jamesdysonaward.org/home/

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.

Book an appointment

South Bank Ignite

CELEBRATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Join Future Competitions

Meet the 2025 Participants

Partner with South Bank Ignite

Help & Support

FUELLING LSBU INNOVATION

Spark Your Idea

Date

Details

Additional Resources and Information

Take the Next Step

Open day

What's On

InSight - LSBU Photography Degree Show

Product of South Bank Marketplace

South Bank Ignite Final and Festival

Product of South Bank Degree Show (private view)

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis

An exhibition of architectural works

TikTok LIVE x LSBU: The Next Wave of Social Entrepreneurs

Summer Side Hustle Sprint

Freelancing Fundamentals

How to Communicate and Negotiate Effectively

From Vision to Reality: Overcoming Founder Bias through Customer-Centred Innovation

From Idea to Launch

How to Set Your Price and Value

Cashflow

Answers to your burning questions

Who can apply to South Bank Ignite?

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

What information do I need for my application?

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

IGNITE YOUR IDEA

More Competitions and Funding Opportunities

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

Elevator of Dream – Pitching your idea for HelpBnk and Virgin Start-Up in a Lift

Small Business, Big Break – A share of £30K of TV advertising

Entrepreneurship World Cup - $1 Million up for grabs in the largest and most diverse pitch competitions and support programmes.

The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation Scholarship Award – Funding education and careers ambitions

James Dyson Award – Make a name for yourself as an inventor

Connect with South Bank Starters