Events and opportunities

Our events include workshops and networking opportunities to boost you and your business to the next level. Find out about our workshops below or see all of our events.

Enterprise clinic 

Our enterprise clinics are regular drop in sessions where you can receive one-to-one advice and guidance. For the time being all of our meetings have gone virtual, this includes our enterprise clinics. To speak to a member of the team you can book an ‘Enterprise Advice’ slot on the appointment tab of MyCareer.

If you can't make the times on MyCareer, you can email us at studentstartup@port.ac.uk to make alternative arrangements. We can arrange appointments via video call or over the phone. 

We'll help you: 

• develop your ideas
• explore a self-employed placement year
• discuss funding opportunities
• select which workshops best suit your idea
• find resources to grow your business

If you're an international student we'll talk you through what you can and can't do as a student on a Tier 4 Visa, and how to apply for a start-up visa.

Contact the Student StartUp Team to get started.

Development workshops

These workshops provide you with the tools, expertise and inspiration to generate ideas and grow these from initial concepts to fully fledged startups. Our bespoke workshops have helped over two hundred students and graduates per year develop their business ideas.

RoutetoStartup

Our startup development programme includes four short interactive workshops, ad-hoc specialist sessions, occasional meet-ups and mentoring. These workshops run throughout the year. 

Entrepreneur's lounge

These workshops introduce guest speakers to present on key business topics. You'll listen to subject talks and have the chance to ask specific questions about your startup. Subjects include: 

• Going from a student to successful entrepreneur
• Marketing and branding your startup
• How to disrupt a competitive market and stand out
• Building your website
• How to start an animation studio from your bedroom
• Are you investment ready?

Entrepreneurs Society

Are you a budding entrepreneur looking to network with like-minded people, find out more about enterprise and entrepreneurship or perhaps you are ready to launch or develop your own business? We are a student-led initiative looking for new members to join the society.

For more information and to join the society please email entrepreneurs@upsu.net.

Join the Enactus Portsmouth team today!

Do you want to tackle major issues such as homelessness, recycling or other pressing problems in your area? Do you want to advance your skills and enhance your CV? If the answer is yes then Enactus is for you!

This is the first year of Enactus Portsmouth and the team are looking for new members to join them in making a difference in our local area in Portsmouth

For more information and to join the team visit Enactus Portsmouth

House Hack - Innovation Challenges

The Innovation Challenges are one-day events hosted once every 4 weeks with students from across the UK and the World helping you to network, develop skills and make a tangible impact on real businesses during lockdown. 

"A remarkable experience to learn and explore about business consulting and how individuals with different disciplines can come together and innovate new ideas. A must for those interested in working in the business and enterprising industry!"

"This event really helped me develop my creative thinking and time management. It was great to be given a real life business to work on and figure out a solution to help them, it was really enjoyable."

The Future Founders Fellowship

The Fellowship is Founders of the Future free invite-only community for the most promising future founders under 30. The Fellowship is a 2-year journey of peer to peer community support in your journey to become a full-time tech entrepreneur with access to mentorship advice and introductions to investors. The Fellowship is currently taking applications for the next M21 cohort!

Application deadline 1 April 2021

Apply today.

Amazon Small Business Accelerator

A free, online educational programme for anyone who wants to start a new online business or grow an existing one. The online learning is tailored to your experience level, with a comprehensive curriculum covering website building, selling online, social media, marketing, managing cashflow, selling on Amazon, and identifying growth opportunities.

i news - 30-minute interviews

To shout about your startup why not contact alys.key@inews.co.uk. Alys is always looking for fast-growing UK businesses to speak for the i's weekly 30-second interview.

Have a look through their archive to see what kind of businesses she's been talking to.

IdeasLab

IdeasLab is an inclusive global community for student entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate and be supported on their entrepreneurial journey.  

Visit their website to find out more.

Follow them on Instagram & Twitter: @ideaslabglobal

Kitchen table entrepreneurs

The Kitchen Table Entrepreneurs Competition aims to help business people bring their enterprising ideas, imagined during the coronavirus lockdown, to fruition.

Successful participants will be awarded grants to grow or buy the basics they need to commence trading.

The competition has an overall budget of £250,000.

Prizes are as follows:

• 25 grants of £5,000 will be given to existing small businesses looking to expand.
• 25 grants of £5,000 will be given new businesses needing some funding to get started.

Applications are open to entrepreneurs and micro business owners who are residents of the UK and aged 18 or over.

A panel of experts will choose the winners and grants will be allocated in June and July.

The deadline for applications is 22 May 2021 (23:59 BST).