Ideas Festival

Do you have an idea you keep coming back to? Could your idea benefit others, solve a social problem or be the start of a product or service? Want to share your idea and have the chance to win a cash prize?

Here at Rise, we are always providing students with opportunities to learn and explore outside their courses. But! We also want to encourage you to pursue your own ideas and ambitions. As such, we are delighted to share the Enterprise Team’s Ideas Festival, which offers a unique opportunity to gain funding for your initiatives.

The Ideas Festival is an annual celebration of student and recent graduates’ ideas with prizes up to £1000. It is designed to support you in bringing forward your ideas and developing your skills and confidence in validating and communicating them in a supportive environment.

We know we have brilliant problem solvers in all faculties, courses, and levels, so the festival is open to all students and 2021/22 graduates. You don’t need any prior experience, just an idea and the passion to share it.

The Ideas Festival consists of a five-step process that starts with your application, where you will share your idea, tell us a little about why it’s needed and what else is out there already – don’t worry, the application form walks you through these questions. For step 2, you will attend two workshops covering idea validation and idea communication to ensure you are prepared to present your idea. Step three is an optional opportunity to practice and receive feedback on your proposal, and for step 4, you will finally present your idea at your faculty round. Step five is the Grand Finale,wherethe top two ideas from each faculty will communicate their idea in a short five-minute proposal to a judging panel that will decide on our grand winner.

You can learn more about the process, the dates of each step, and the eligibility criteria at the Enterprising Team’s Site.

Each of the top two ideas from each faculty will receive £500, and the grand final winner will receive £500 additional, £1000 total.

Applications for the Ideas Festival open on 25th January and close on 5th February 2023. Apply now here.

The Ideas Festival is a great opportunity to develop your skills, meet other creative thinkers, add something that stands out to your CV or even spark the start of your own enterprise!

And remember, Rise compensates all additional efforts! If you already have a side hustle or are freelancing, you can apply to claim Rise Points as a reward for your initiative. Claim points for independent work here.