Calling all Young Innovators!

We’re on the hunt for innovators who could benefit from a business boosting support package including £5,000 and advice designed to evolve your idea into a brilliant business.

Turn your idea into the next big thing!

Innovative ideas can come from anyone and everyone. We’re on the hunt for innovators who could benefit from a business boosting support package including £5,000 and advice designed to evolve your idea into a brilliant business.

The Young Innovators Awards 2022/23 are now closed. Up to 100 winning young entrepreneurs will be supported for 12 months, and it’s all part of Innovate UK’s commitment to changing the world by investing in young people with big environmental, societal, and economic ambitions. The award is open to everyone from 18 to 30, with any kind of idea from anywhere in the UK.

Find out more about the awards, eligibility criteria, application process and timelines.

Why should you register your interest?

The Young Innovators Awards offer you a great way to get your innovation or business ideas off the ground fast!

Play the video to find out more.

You could WIN an amazing support package, which includes…

£5000 Financial grant to boost your business

We help you cover eligible project costs, including travel to meet customers and partners, attending relevant training courses, equipment, hiring office space, or IT support with a £5,000 grant.

A contribution to living costs

You’ll receive a contribution to your living cost which is paid as part of the overall grant at an hourly rate matching the UK real living wage for 2 days (15 hours) per week throughout the duration of the award so you can afford to focus on your idea.

A big support package

You get tailored business support and mentorship including advice on business planning, strategy, financial planning, media and communications, branding, growing your networks, access to additional funding and finance, introductions to investors, pitch training and more.

About the Awards

Innovate UK is all about supporting the best ideas and innovative businesses with the overall goal to help grow the economy. We want to find young people from diverse background in the UK with great ideas for starting a business who have real potential to make their businesses a huge success and we want to support them to realise this potential. We want to build a more inclusive innovation system by helping young people from diverse backgrounds to start and grow sustainable businesses.

What are we looking for?

The aim of the Young Innovators Awards is to find young people with great business ideas who have the potential to become future leaders in innovation. We are looking for…

  • People with great ideas that can be commercialised
  • Ideas that address a problem and market need
  • Ideas that offer significantly better solutions to existing ones in that market
  • Ideas that are ready to be developed into a new business
  • People who can become relatable role models to inspire others
  • Evidence that you will benefit from the support package on offer

Who can get involved?

Young people from across the UK who are working on a wide range of business ideas, types, sectors, products, processes, and services. You must…

  • Be a UK resident who has the right to work in the UK, or will have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the award
  • Be aged from 18 to 30 on the date of competition closing (i.e. 27th July 2022)
  • Not have previously received a Young Innovators Award from Innovate UK
  • The competition is open to individuals/sole applicants only. If your business has multiple co-founders, only one should apply, you need to decide who is going to be the lead applicant and will take part in the programme if successful.

Previous winners

Since we started the Young Innovators Awards we have helped over 150 inspiring Young Innovators develop business ideas. It’s an awesome opportunity to give your innovation the best chance of success. But don’t just take our word for it…

So what are you waiting for? Register your interests today and turn your innovative idea into the next big thing.

Get involved today

Take the first step towards becoming a Young Innovator. All you have to do is submit your email address and our team keep you posted about the latest updates.

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The Young Innovators Awards are an annual competition from Innovate UK that finds, supports and celebrates young people with great business ideas.

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