Ignite, UK student social enterprise competition for £50,000, returns for a second year

Ignite 2025, the social enterprise competition for social entrepreneurs emerging out of UK universities, is now accepting entries.

The competition is run by the Ford Family Foundation in partnership with some of the UK’s top universities to invest in student and graduate entrepreneurs tackling social and environmental problems including inequality, public health, climate change, mental health and access to education. 

Hosted at Barclays Innovation Hub by Eagle Labs in Shoreditch, the pitching event will take place on 21 October. 

Ford Family Foundation founder and philanthropist Tony Ford (pictured below) said: “By using entrepreneurial solutions to tackle deeply entrenched societal issues, social enterprises combine mission-driven impact with the agility and sustainability of trading models. They can scale, innovate and respond rapidly, all while generating revenue. This means any financial support drives impact directly to change lives and reshape the future.”

The top five social enterprises will receive mentorship from Ignite innovation partner Barclays Eagle Labs, access to digital resources and funding. They will split a share of the £50,000 Impact Accelerator Fund, with a top prize of £20,000 in grant funding. 

Stephen Brown, director of Barclays Eagle Labs, said: “We’re delighted to be the Ignite Innovation Partner, aligning to our ambition of supporting university founders and deepening our commitment to entrepreneurs in the social enterprise ecosystem.  With growth and opportunity at the forefront of the work we do, we are committed to supporting the thriving UK tech sector with a mission to inspire and educate ambitious founders and start-ups to help them succeed.”

Ignite 2025 is the second annual Ignite competition, the first being held last October. The six finalists were chosen from 33 entries and shared a £50,000 prize pot for their start-up businesses, with a further £280,000 in follow-on investment awarded post-event by the Ford Family Foundation.

• Read more: UK’s most innovative student social entrepreneurs battle for £50k at The Shard

Ignite was one of the most genuinely supportive entrepreneurial programmes that I’ve been part of

Last year's third place finalist, Giselle Gonzales, the founder and CEO of EqualReach – an employment platform that connects refugee professionals with skilled freelance digital opportunities, was awarded a £7,500 grant.

Gonzales (pictured) said: “Ignite was one of the most genuinely supportive entrepreneurial programmes that I’ve been part of. When they say they back founders, they mean it. The coaching was practical, the feedback actionable, and their network of support is top-tier. I’d wholeheartedly recommend Ignite to any changemaker who is merging profit and purpose to build something that matters.”

The application for this year’s competition is due by 17 August. Applicants must submit a 1,500-word business plan or a five to seven-page pitch deck, a five-minute video pitch and a 12-month cashflow forecast. The shortlist of finalists will be announced in September. 

To be considered for Ignite 2025, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Have at least one founder who is a current student or recent graduate (past three years) of a UK university

• Be a registered organisation

• Operate with a legal structure that supports a social mission (such as reinvesting profits, asset lock, community benefit clauses)

• Show evidence of demonstrable social and/or environmental impact

• Have early traction with revenue, users or pilots, etc.

• Be generating or planning to generate at least 50% of income through trading 

• Have turnover or investment to date under £100,000

• Must be available for live pitching final in October based in London

The five finalists chosen will deliver a short pitch to a live audience and the panel of judges – who this year include Tim West, founding editor and CEO of Pioneers Post. The event will also feature a keynote speech and present opportunities for networking. 

The organisers continue to seek new partners to support the competition. Ford said: “We’ve already seen tremendous results by working with last year’s Ignite finalists, and I strongly urge other philanthropists, businesses and educational institutes to consider the catalytic potential of supporting this year’s competition.”

Header image: Giselle Gonzales pitches her social enterprise EqualReach at last year’s Ignite competition.