Start-up at Sunderland
Explore your entrepreneurial potential with our Start-Up at Sunderland programme. Whatever your starting point and wherever you are in your university journey, our Entrepreneurial Development team can help you explore your business or freelance venture, innovative project, or enterprising idea – even after you’ve graduated.
How we'll support you:
When you join our community at the Digital Incubator, you’ll find all the support you need to take your start-up idea from concept to launch. We’ve supported many students and graduates over the years, and you can find out more by viewing our Start-Up at Sunderland showreel.
It all starts with attending our weekly information session, where you can find out more about the programme, and we can hear from you about your ideas. This is followed by:
- Explore and Test – interactive workshops which help you validate and redefine your ideas
- Start-Up Series – a series of seven workshops that give you the tools and knowledge to launch your business
- Start-Up Pitch – at the end of the workshop series – if you want to access bespoke support through Launch and Grow – you’ll practise your pitch and get feedback from our panel.
Launch and Grow
Whether you’ve already started your business and want to take it to the next level, or you’re just starting out and want to develop your ideas, you can access bespoke support to launch and grow your venture.
This support includes:
- Access to funding
- One on one advice and guidance
- Coaching and peer support
- Access to a mentor
- Coworking spaces.
Networking Opportunities
The Digital Incubator – based at the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s – is a digitally enabled, coworking, and events space where entrepreneurial students and graduates can come together to share their start-up experience. This opportunity for peer-to-peer collaboration means you can immerse yourself in a community of like-minded individuals.
You can also benefit from networking and information sessions, held by guest speakers, covering a wide range of topics to inform your business knowledge.
Events
We run several events throughout the year, designed to help you develop enterprising skills and inspire ideas. From innovation challenges linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, to real life projects with external organisations that have a local impact, you can unlock the career potential of innovative thinking.
International Students
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) rules restrict international students from being self-employed or running their own business. If you have a business idea you want to pursue after graduation, please get in touch via the contact details below to find out how we can help you research your idea and apply for the Innovator Founder or Global Talent visa.
Contact Us
Visit us in person at the Digital Incubator (Room 101), David Goldman Technology Centre, Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s, Monday-Friday between 9:30am and 4:30pm.
You can also email us at startup@sunderland.ac.uk, or visit our Employability and Enterprise Hub pages to find out more.
The start-up support from the University of Sunderland forms part of the Enterprising Sunderland project which has received £1,271,885 from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme, managed in Sunderland, by Sunderland City Council on behalf of the Sunderland Partnership.
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