BCU Future Founders Fund
At Birmingham City University, we’re shaping the future through innovation and entrepreneurship. The BCU Future Founders Fund gives students the mentorship, skills, and up to £25,000 in early investment to turn ideas into ventures. The Fund bridges creativity and technology to drive inclusive growth. For partners, it’s a chance to connect with emerging talent and shape the next generation of innovators.
What is the Future Founders Fund?
We’re a university built to shape futures. We empower students with the skills, experiences and ambition to become leaders. Our approach doesn’t just prepare them for work; it builds confident, creative, and resilient innovators ready to make an impact.
The BCU Future Founders Fund fuels that ambition. It provides a launchpad for budding entrepreneurs with the vision and determination to turn their ideas into reality. The fund will provide the education, mentorship and early support students need to turn bold ideas into real-world endeavours, with the chance to pitch for up to £25,000 of investment for their businesses.
Why get involved?
The fund will connect you, as a corporate leader, to the next generation of innovators. It’s a chance for you to mentor emerging talent, shape real ventures, and gain fresh perspectives. You’ll play a vital role in building a powerful network of collaboration, creativity, and shared growth - driving innovation that benefits both business and society. Empowering students with the skills, confidence, and mindset to create their own opportunities, you’ll help to bridge the start-up gap and accelerate student’s path to investment and growth. As part of the programme, you’ll have opportunities to:
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Shape future talent: Influence and inspire the next generation of innovators and leaders through mentorship and education.
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Fresh perspectives: Gain new ideas and creative insights from ambitious, entrepreneurial students to help meet your business goals.
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Talent pipeline: Identify and connect early with emerging talent for future recruitment or collaboration.
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Reputation and impact: Strengthen your brand as a champion of innovation, education, and social impact.
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Mutual growth: Build partnerships that foster creativity, collaboration, and shared success.
What next?
We will be opening the fund for applications later in the academic year. Future partners interested in getting involved can be kept up to date via our mailing list.
The importance of entrepreneurship
Building our student’s entrepreneurship skills is vital because it prepares them not just to find jobs, but to create them. Entrepreneurship develops critical abilities like problem-solving, creativity, adaptability, leadership, and resilience - skills essential in a rapidly changing world.
It also empowers students to turn ideas into real-world impact, driving innovation, economic growth, and community development. For many, it opens pathways to independence and confidence, enabling them to thrive in any career or start their own ventures.
Fueling BCU’s 2030 vision
BCU students have determination, creativity, and resilience. But many haven’t had access to the networks or resources that others take for granted. The Future Founders Fund backs their ambition, giving them the skills, experience, and connections to turn great ideas into thriving ventures.
The Future Founders Fund plays a pivotal role in enacting our Birmingham City University Strategy 2030, further embedding us in the region as we drive economic growth and power prosperity.