Explore It
Explore It gives you the opportunity to apply for up to £500 to explore a business idea. This could include buying equipment or producing a prototype to test out a concept, product, or service.
You can start your application on MyCareer.
Go From Zero: Freelance and Business Start-Up
Thinking about starting your own business or freelancing?
Many of our students go on to either work as freelancers or to run their own business after graduating.
We can support you at any stage, whether you’re getting your idea off the ground or accelerating an existing business to the next level.
Developing a business idea or freelancing is also a great way to develop your skills, confidence and industry knowledge as you explore the best career path for you.
Get support from the Careers and Employability team
We offer one-to-one appointments to help you at every level of starting a business or freelancing. You don’t even need an idea: if you’re interested in self-employment, we’ll help you to explore what might be right for you. That’s why we’re called Go From Zero: we support you right from the start.
Funding for your business
Our flagship Explore it! Launch it! Grow it! funding programmes offer up to £5,000 together with coaching and support to help you take your business forward.
Funding is available to all undergraduate and postgraduate students resident in the UK up to two years after graduation.
Starting a business can be lonely, so community is a key focus of all our programmes. You’ll be part of a supportive network of students and graduates through:
- Peer-to-peer networking,
- Group coaching,
- Social events,
- Full-day intensive workshops,
- An end-of-year showcase for funding awardees.
Current students and graduates can find out more about the Explore It! Launch It! Grow It! funding programme on MyCareer.
Previous Explore It Recipients
Edwina is a freelance scriptwriter, specialising in original scripts and story ideas for historical and period dramas across film, TV, theatre, and radio. She used funding to test and develop her freelance writing career.
Flo explored creating a business selling large-scale charcoal portraits, including pets, people, and family pictures.
Francesca used funding to explore a portfolio career as an author and screenwriters, as well as offering services such as sensitivity reading and marketing consultancy.
Sophie used Explore It funding to develop Éternelle Marketing Agency - a purpose-led marketing consultancy specialising in authentic, sustainable, and research-driven brand storytelling. Sophie invested in essential resources such as Canva Pro, Meta advertising credits, and business materials, enabling her to begin building a strong client portfolio.
Beyond financial support, the guidance and mentoring Sophie received helped build confidence and clarity, ultimately leading to a successful business launch.
Previous Launch It Recipients
Gemma is a writer, illustrator, and designer inspired by fungi, fantasy, and folklore. She used Launch It funding to develop the range of workshops that she offers.
Aylmers Circus combines circus acts with compelling storytelling and musical theatre to create high-quality, family friendly shows. They celebrate the magic of childhood and the power of imagination, creating joyful escapes from the everyday.
Launch it funding helped support marketing, merchandise, and health and safety.
Katie Baird is a mixed media print designer working primarily with oil pastel and paint, depicting intricate animal and organic inspired studies; she also works with clay to create ceramic ornaments and miniature cat sculptures.
Katie used Launch It funding to purchase a tabletop kiln and pursue additional training.
Lizzie runs Jewellery by Elizabeth, an artisan jewellery brand, specialising in hammered sculptural pieces.
Lizzie used Launch It funding to enhance marketing and sales.
Emily is a maker and creative facilitator working with clay and people. Launch It funding allowed her to develop her business creating small batch ceramics and bespoke urns from reclaimed materials.
Previous Grow It Recipients
Front Room is an award-winning fringe theatre in Weston-super-Mare. Grow It funding helped further develop its programme of adult and family theatre productions, alongside an emphasis on providing a platform for local artists and theatre companies to share their work in their hometown. It has become a launchpad for exciting new work and a creative hub, serving its community in a variety of ways.
The Outdoor Cooking Club is a Community Interest Company providing fun, hands on, vegetarian cooking lessons for children. It aims to create a lifelong appreciation for food, boost confidence and promote healthy eating habits. With a "pay what you can" model, every young person can take part, regardless of background.
Joshua used Grow it funding to help with the purchase of a dedicate branded vehicle, expanding the reach of The Outdoor Cooking Club.
PACP Therapy is a psychotherapy and counselling practice supporting clients across the UK, with a particular focus on the Polish community.
Grow It funding played an essential role in professionalising and expanding the service - allowing Rafal to enhance online delivery, develop a clearer structure for the practice, and invest in tools that improved access to mental health support for Polish-speaking individuals.
Stanners is a golf apparel business, focussed on sustainability and performance. Founded by three BSU graduates, Stanners' clothing is manufactured using innovative fabrics that lower energy use and emissions without compromising performance quality.
Stanners Golf secured all three rounds of funding, culminating in using Grow It to expand its product portfolio, register the company as a limited liability corporation, and grow its social media following significantly.
Juno House Freelancers
Interested in freelancing? Then you'll want to join Juno House - a creative consultancy that bridges the gap between university and the freelance world. Juno House will help you step into your next chapter with confidence, clients, and cash in your pocket.
At Juno House, students and recent graduates are paid to work on briefs sourced from local businesses, charities, and organisations. Briefs could include:
- Branding and design,
- Academic and research projects,
- Community and sustainability initiatives,
- Strategy and storytelling
...and that’s just the start! If BSU teaches it, Juno House can deliver it.
You wouldn’t be doing it alone: every brief is backed by an experienced industry mentor to guide the process and make sure that work hits professional standards.
Current students and recent graduates can find out more about Juno House on MyCareer.
