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Start-up and enterprise support
Want to run your own business or work for yourself?
Many of our Bath Spa students and graduates go on to either work as a freelancer or to run their own business.
We can help support and signpost you, either by getting your idea off the ground, or, if you’ve already started, by accelerating your idea to where you want it to be.
Developing a business idea, freelancing or enterprise opportunity isn't all about the idea; it can also be a great way to develop your skills, confidence and understanding of a particular industry, as you look at the best career pathways for you.
If this interests you, please do get in touch by asking a question on MyCareer to find out more.
Get support from the Careers and Employability team
We offer one-to-one appointments to support you, whether you want to talk through your idea, get start-up information, have questions about funding, or something else. Book a Freelance / Business Enterprise / Funding appointment through MyCareer. When you book, just add some details about what you wish to discuss to help our advisors prepare in advance.
Useful resources
There are lots of useful resources to help you kickstart your business or idea. Here are some great places to start:
Our funding is open to all current students and graduates from the past two years. You can find out more about our various options for start-ups and freelancers via the schemes below.
Applications are now live for our Explore It funding!
Explore It gives you the opportunity to apply for up to £500 to support the early exploration and creation of your idea.
You could be thinking of a side hustle, looking to sell your work, freelancing while you're completing your studies or looking to kickstart that idea into a business as you graduate. Whatever your idea or its stage of development, we're here to help you Explore It.
Are you already working on a start-up business or enterprise?
Thanks to our partnership with Santander Universities, our Launch It enterprise awards are designed to help you get started with your business. We can give your idea the kick-start it needs through the opportunity to apply for between £1,000 and £5,000 and access to a range of start-up support.
Last year we helped people to launch apps, retail platforms and prototype products, as well as helping artists and designers create a strong commercial focus in their work. Now it's your turn to Launch It!
Ready to apply? You can find the application form on MyCareer. Applications close on Monday 3 April at 10am.
Grow It!
If you're currently running an enterprise or start-up, please get in touch! We're always keen to hear enterprise stories from our community.
Thanks to Santander Universities we can offer up to £5,000 to businesses that need some additional help to develop and grow.
We will open Grow It funding applications in April 2023.
Tax and HMRC
If you're earning money from freelance or self-employment, it's important to ensure that you're paying your tax correctly and on time.
You may need to set yourself up as a sole trader or register your company with HMRC, as well as filling in an annual tax return. For more information on this, visit the HMRC website.
Accessing other professional support
Have more questions about starting your own business, or how to set up as a freelancer? There are regional organisations and groups that can help via workshops, one-to-one sessions and more. A few of these are provided below:
If you live in Bristol, Outset provides a practical support programme.
Wiltshire
If you live in Wiltshire, you can reach out to the Swindon & Wiltshire Growth Hub for their business support and workshops and events, or download a form to apply for 12 hours of support from Cool Ventures.
Please check with the University's Immigration Advice team at immigrationadvice@bathspa.ac.uk to talk about your individual circumstances before applying.
Even if you're ineligible to apply for funding, we'd still be happy to provide you advice and support at an appointment.
