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Undergraduate Programme

WBS Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship Programme

YES


Apply for a scholarship to pay your full Undergraduate tuition fees for your entire course (subject to full engagement conditions) and learn from established entrepreneurs to help you realise your entrepreneurial idea!

Warwick Business School (WBS) is pleased to invite highly motivated young entrepreneurs from under-represented backgrounds to apply for the 'Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship'.

The Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship (YES) is awarded to one individual per year who has entrepreneurial ambitions. Applicants are invited to detail their business idea as a part of the application. The YES will provide the financial means to enable study for a Bachelor’s Degree at WBS, and meanwhile provide the study-related support to achieve on the undergraduate programme, and the business-related support and skills to succeed as an entrepreneur.

What will scholars receive?

The successful candidate will receive the following:

  • Tuition fee bursary for 3 academic years - up to £9,250
  • A £3,000 yearly bursary to contribute towards living expenses
  • One-to-one guidance on your business and mentoring from Senior WBS faculty.

Eligibility

The Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship is available exclusively to those who:

  • Have a household income as assessed by the Student Loans Company of £35,000 or under
  • Have applied for a place on a full-time undergraduate course at Warwick Business School, or; have successfully completed the WBS Foundation Year, or; be a current student on a full-time undergraduate course at Warwick Business School.
  • Have not previously studied for a first-degree
  • Are eligible for both the tuition fee and maintenance loan, even if you have not taken out one or other of these loans.

You must also satisfy at least one of the following criteria to be considered. Please note that we will consider only applicants entering higher education for the first time:

  • Have spent time in local-authority care. Applicants meeting this criterion are not required to meet any of the other criteria below.
  • Attend/attended a school where the average performance of students achieving 5 A*-C GCSE including English and Mathematics was below the national average and/or attending a school/college with below the national average performance at KS5.
  • Attend/attended a school or college with above national average entitlement/eligibility to Free School Meals.
  • Live in a low participation neighbourhood (POLAR 4, quintile 1) or an area which has a high level of deprivation (Index of Multiple Deprivation, 0-20%).*
    * To find out if your home postcode is in a low participation neighbourhood you can use the following postcode toolLink opens in a new window (when you type in your postcode you should look at the number in the first category ‘POLAR4 young participation quintile’.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply?

The applications for the Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship are now CLOSED! Applications closed at 12pm, 28th July 2024.

What is the selection process?

Candidates are invited to submit a written personal statement of no more than 500 words outlining how they would benefit from the scholarship programme. The statement should also include an insight into the candidate's entrepreneurial interests and ambitions.

If the candidate already has an idea to develop a business of their own, there is an option to attach a document presenting this. The idea can be for both commercial or social enterprises, and please see below which aspects you may wish to consider:

  • Size of the market served or the size of the problem solved by the enterprise
  • Route to market launch
  • Barriers to entry for competitors (including any intellectual property)
  • Pre-existing team, or plans to build a team to support enterprise
  • Evidence of steps already taken to implement the plan (if any)
  • Path to profitability (or financial self-sufficiency if a social enterprise)
  • Estimates of investment or financial support required to implement the plan.

How will I be notified of the outcome of my application?

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview before the start of term in September 2024 with a panel of WBS Faculty, and following this you will be notified of the outcome of your application by email. Specific interview details, dates and times will be confirmed again via email at a later date.

These assessments may take place in person or virtually. More guidance about this will be provided closer to the time.

I have another question, who should I contact?

Please contact Prof. Simon Barnes (simon.barnes@wbs.ac.uk) for questions regarding your entrepreneurial project; or Mel Twigger, Senior Student Experience and Widening Participation Coordinator (Melanie.Twigger@wbs.ac.uk) for general questions.