Make your idea happen in 2021 and win a cash prize

Do you have an idea for a new product, service or community project? The Santander University of Brighton Ideas Competition is your chance to make it happen.

Thanks to the generous support of Santander Universities, the beepurple team is delighted to launch the competition with cash prizes of up to £1000.

The prizes include The Roger Cowdrey Enterprise Breakthrough Award, this £500 award goes to the highest scoring creative arts student entry.

The deadline for applications is 23 April 2021. Enter the competition now.

Amazing past UoB student ideas

The annual ideas competition organised by the University of Brighton’s beepurple team has been running for over 15 years. During this time, the beepurple team has seen over 500 promising entrepreneurial ideas for new products, services and community projects, submitted to the competition. The diverse range of winning ideas has included:

• a drawing tool for disabled artists
• a global letter-exchange programme for young people
• woven products made from recycled dog hair
• a chatbot for universities to use during the clearing process.

Top tips on writing a strong application

The application process is straightforward, and we don’t require any kind of a business plan. My top tips for writing a strong application are:

1. Write a concise description of your product or service, and make sure you highlight the benefits of your product/service/community project to your target audience. (Respect the word count limit, and choose your words carefully. Get to the point quickly – don’t waffle).
2. Know who your target customers are, and what they need. What are their needs/challenges, and how will your product/service/community project meet those needs?
3. List your closest competitors and be really clear on how you differentiate from them. (There is nothing wrong with having competitors. You just need to know who they are and how your solution is different to theirs).
4. List in detail how you would spend the £1000 prize money. (The judges always like to see how the funding would impact you if you were to win the competition).

Remember, this is an ideas competition rather than a business plan competition. So, don’t feel you need to have a really polished idea! Just get your idea down on paper, and submit it before the deadline.

Who can apply?

The competition is open to current University of Brighton students and recent graduates (from the Class of 2019 or 2020). Make sure you submit your ideas for new products, services or community projects before 23 April 2021.

What are you waiting for? Kick your creativity into action

Find out more information here and enter the competition.