Pitch It: Creative Enterprise Funding

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Pitch your creative business idea for a chance to get funding and support.

Pitch It 2025.

Do you have an idea for an enterprising creative project? Do you want to test it out and need the funds and support to get it off the ground?

Pitch It provides a platform to pitch your idea, in person, to a panel of industry experts. With the opportunity to receive start-up funds and support in the first steps to develop your idea.

Who can apply

You are eligible to apply if you are:

A current UAL students or graduate who is within 2 years of graduating.
Your idea must be at an early stage and not already have an established market or customer/client base.
We particularly welcome applications from those currently underrepresented in the creative and digital industries. This includes students and graduates who are: disabled or have a specific learning disability; Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic; LGBTQ+; are the first in their family to attend university; or are from a low socio-economic background.

You are not eligible to apply if you:

have taken part in UAL’s Creative Business Accelerator
are on, or were previously on an Innovator or Innovator Founder Visa endorsed by UAL
won a Creative Enterprise Award in a previous year
have been awarded a Mead fellowship
have received funding through London College of Fashion Enterprise Challenge.

How to apply and deadlines

Please note: Applications for Pitch It 2024 are now closed.

Step 1

Complete the short application form. You will be asked to tell us about:

your idea and the potential you believe it has
why you’re the right person to make it happen
the steps you will take to progress your idea.

Step 2

Submit this online form by 9 am on 11 April 2024. You will be asked to attach your application to the submission form.

This event has limited capacity so there may not be room for all applicants to pitch. You will be notified to let you know if you have been selected to take part. If selection is required, an anonymous randomiser process will be used.

Step 3

If you are selected you will be invited to:

Attend a ‘How to Pitch an Idea’ workshop w/c 29 April. This will help you to prepare for your pitch.
Pitch your idea at the event at UAL, (272 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7EY) on Friday 17 May. You will be invited to attend for half a day, morning or afternoon.

Prize money will be awarded to the most innovative, impactful and viable ideas selected by the judges. Support will also be available to help you get your idea off the ground, including a business development workshop.

If you believe there are any barriers to your participation in this opportunity or you have any access requirements you wish to discuss, we would be happy to talk to you. Please contact enterprise@arts.ac.uk in advance.

UAL’s Creative Enterprise Awards are no longer running and have now been replaced by UAL’s Pitch It: Creative Enterprise Funding.

What we are looking for

You must have an original or innovative idea for a creative enterprise or project.

It could be:

a product or service
a freelance practice or a business idea
a big idea or small idea
commercial or social.

We want to hear about ideas:

that have the potential to impact on a community, audience or customer
that demonstrate positive social and ethical practices
that are a new idea or offer a new approach
that support your career development.

Pitch It is for ideas that are at an early stage, not for ones that already have an established market or customer/client base. Your idea should have scope for testing, research and launch.

You can apply as an individual, group or collaboration.

Why take part?

By taking part in Pitch It you get:

The experience of pitching an idea.
Support in how to prepare for pitching.
An opportunity to pitch your idea to a panel of industry experts.
A chance to receive start-up funds and support to develop your idea.

The prizes

Prize money will be awarded to the most innovative, impactful and viable ideas selected by the judges.

Winners will receive up to £2,000
runners-up will receive up to £1,000.

Following the event support will be offered to develop and test these ideas, including a business development workshop.

Photo by Unai Mateo

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