WBS Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship Programme

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 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 succeed in 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 £9,535;
A £3,000 yearly (*) bursary to contribute towards living expenses;
One-to-one guidance on your business and mentoring from Senior WBS faculty.
- (*) please see FAQs below regarding funding during year away.

Eligibility

The Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship is available exclusively to those who:

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.
Must be eligible for and have applied to Student Finance England (SFE), Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI) or the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for income-assessed financial support via the undergraduate funding system.(*).
Have a family income of £42,875 or below, as assessed by SFE, SFNI or SAAS (*)
- *If you do not wish to take out a loan, you should still apply for a household income assessment to be carried out and request a loan of £0.

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:

Be a care-experienced applicant who has been a 'looked after child' for at least 3 months.
Have been granted refugee status or are under 'humanitarian protection' in the UK. You must have studied A Levels or equivalent qualifications in a UK state school or college.
Living in 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 tool.
The following information will also be collected and may be used to support your application:
- Completed your studies at a school/schools where performance of students was below the national average and eligibility for Free School Meals was higher than average.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply?

The applications for the Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship close at 12pm noon (UK time) on 27 July 2025.

2025-26 entry: Please complete the application formLink opens in a new window.

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 2025 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 will take place in person. More guidance about this will be provided closer to the time.

Will I receive the funding during my Year Away? My family income is under £42,875 but I haven't applied to Student Finance England (or Student Finance Northern Irland/Student Award Agency Scotlans) because I don't want to take out a Tuition Fee Loan or Maintenance Loan. Can I still apply for the Scholarship?

You do not have to take out a Tuition Fee Loan or Maintenance Loan in order to be eligible for a scholarship but we do need to be able to see that you meet the criteria above and what your family income has been assessed as. If you wish to be considered for a scholarship you should make an application to Student Finance England (or Student Finance Northern Ireland / Student Awards Agency Scotland as appropriate), apply for a household income assessment to be carried out and request a loan of £0.

I have another question, who should I contact?