Please fill in this form to register your interest in our Startup Competitions and to be notified when applications are open: https://lsegenerate1.typeform.com/to/Mxu4L7Dv
Application requirements
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Businesses must have at least one co-founder who is an LSE student, alumni or staff member.
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There is no restriction on how many team members you can have for each entry, but you will need to explain the role and contribution of each person.
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Startups can be based anywhere in the world, and pitching can either be in person or virtual.
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Your venture must be a commercial product or service rather than a charity or organisation that relies on grant funding.
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Previous applicants are eligible, but we will be looking for evidence that your idea has developed since your last application.
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Previous winners are unfortunately not eligible as we want to be able to support as many entrepreneurs as possible.
Applications will open two months before each competition, and will be open for at least a month. The application form will ask you to fill in questions about your business, and send in a short video. Applications will be shortlisted by a panel of assessors, and the finalists will be chosen to pitch at the competition.
Each finalist will receive pitch coaching to prepare them for the competition. At the competition, each finalist will be able to pitch for five minutes to a panel of judges who will give feedback and select the winners.
Please note LSE Generate can only transfer prize money; grants or awards to individuals' personal accounts, and not corporate or business accounts.
If you have any questions, please contact the LSE Generate team at generate@lse.ac.uk.
Read on to find out more about the competitions we’ll be running and how you can apply.
How to apply
December: Pre-launch businesses
Do you have an idea for a business that you want to launch? This competition is for those who have identified an opportunity and are in the process of developing their solution and team.
You can win a share of £10k plus bespoke business coaching.
Applications will open in October and close in November.
March: Live businesses
Do you have a live MVP or product in the market that you want to grow? This competition is for those who have launched their business and and in the process of building traction and growing.
You can win a share of £20k plus bespoke business coaching.
Applications will open in January and close in February.
June: 10th Anniversary Celebration
We will be hosting a special competition to celebrate ten years of LSE Generate’s Funding Competitions, with prizes in categories including female founders, underrepresented founders, financial inclusion and more.
Applications will open in April and close in May.
September: Startup of the Year
We will hold our annual search for the LSE Startup of the Year in September, inviting finalists from all three other competitions to apply to pitch to be crowned SOTY. Winners will receive funding and be the face of entrepreneurship at LSE for the year.
Applications will open in July and close in August.