Taking place across the summer months, the new virtual programme includes dedicated support for student and graduate start-ups from 83 of the bank’s partner universities, with businesses from across a whole range of sectors, including technology, retail, education and health and wellbeing.

The programme involves fortnightly webinars of online support sessions  aimed at helping the emerging entrepreneurs understand how to get the most from their business and includes a unique educational experience led by a series of innovative businesses and speakers including Lesley Stonier, Founder, We Mean Business and Jeremy Snape, former international cricketer and Founder and Managing Director of Sporting Edge.

Alongside panel discussions and workshops, coaching and peer-to-peer learning, the programme also focuses on responding to key challenges and goals for start-ups during the current coronavirus crisis. Sessions so far have included topics such as: funding and finance; marketing and growing your brand on a budget and; pitching to investors.

Matt Hutnell, Director of Santander Universities UK commented: “We’re delighted to celebrate 10 years of supporting entrepreneurship with our dedicated new programme for student and graduate start-ups. Adapting to the current environment, our new digital offering will support young entrepreneurs with their innovative business ideas particularly in light of present-day challenges and ensure the immense array of entrepreneurial talent from across our partner universities all have a chance to pitch at the national final next month.”

Santander UK, through Santander Universities, launched its 2020 Santander Universities Emerging Entrepreneurs programme in celebration of 10 years of supporting entrepreneurship. Since the competition launched in 2011, Santander Universities has awarded more than £500,000 in support of student start-ups across the UK and given universities the chance to showcase entrepreneurial talent from across the country. Overall, Santander Universities has provided over £2.5m of funding each year to support entrepreneurship at its 85 UK university partners.

Semi-finals of the competition will run in September when all the emerging entrepreneurs will pitch for one of eight places in the final. The live virtual final will take place on 29 September 2020, where the eight finalists will pitch to a panel of judges with two winning entries receiving £30,000 of seed funding each and a fully funded Santander intern.

This year the programme also includes a Crowdfunding challenge, where the businesses will have the chance to work with the team at Crowdfunder to create a campaign for their business and be in with a chance to receive a cash prize of £6,000,  alongside any funds they may have raised during the challenge.

One of last year’s Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards winners Lauren Bell, Founder of Cosi Care, joined the programme’s launch event to share her experiences of the competition with this year’s cohort.

Santander, through Santander Universities, has established partnerships with over 1,000 universities in 20 countries, of which over 80 are in the UK. Since 2008, Santander Universities UK has donated over £88 million to support more than 108,000 students into higher education or work and now has 85 university partners. Through these agreements Santander Universities in the UK provides financial support to students from all backgrounds, creating transformational opportunities in education, work, and entrepreneurship.