ASEP Programmes
Accelerated Student Entrepreneurship Programmes (ASEP) are structured around two 4-5 day workshops, each for 24 students, typically run approximately three months apart.
The first workshop focuses on introductions, generation and selection of enterprise ideas and the formation of founder teams, where appropriate. Following this workshop students receive support to develop and test their business plan.
The second workshop is an entrepreneurship ‘boot camp’. Over the course of the week, founder teams finalise prototypes, concepts and designs, develop a compelling presentation and promotional literature, and on the last day have the opportunity to a panel of real investors and benefactors for real money with which to grow their new enterprise, in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ session.
These programmes are fast paced, real-life experiences, with the goal of enabling students to progress from first meeting to securing funding for a social or business enterprise in just four months.
Our home and international programmes
We run two ASEP programmes. The first is for Bradford-based home and international students. Whilst locally-based, the programme is highly international, with past founder teams formed with students from different countries.
The advantage of this programme is that founder teams can more easily work together to establish and grow their enterprise, whilst based at Bradford.
The second programme is run in conjunction with partner universities overseas, and China in particular. In the first workshop, 12 students from overseas travel to Bradford to meet with 12 Bradford-based home and international students.
The second workshop, including the ‘Dragon’s Den’ is held overseas. In the past such second workshops have taken place in Changzhou and Beijing, China.
What do the workshops offer?
Our workshops offer students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of running an enterprise. Many of the students who have attended our programme have gone on to run successful businesses. This is not a course, it is an immersion in reality. The programmes are great fun, but also hard work and completely extra-curricular. Our job is to help you to make progress.
Overall, the workshops offer the following:
- Meet like-minded students from all over the world, and build a life-long network of international, entrepreneurial friendships
- Support to turn your social or business enterprise idea into reality, or to come up with a great idea in the first place
- Training and mentoring in the key elements of running a successful enterprise
- The chance to travel
- A start-up funding prize for the most successful teams
- An opportunity to pitch in a real Dragon’s Den for investment
- A fast-track to our graduate entrepreneur programme, including support for a Start-up visa where needed.
Our workshops are free to attend.
What are we looking for?
Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes, and there is no one personal profile or personality that works best. You don’t need to have a business idea, but we are happy to support you if you do. The main attributes we are looking for are openness, an ability to learn and a willingness to have a go.
Typically, we select our student entrepreneurs for the workshops through a one-day assessment centre. The day includes an elevator pitch, a group exercise and an interview. Students that have been through the assessment centre have found it to be a fun and informative day, and overall our goal is to help you to succeed.
Whilst not a definitive list, in our experience our most successful entrepreneurs have many of the following qualities:
- Entrepreneurial spirit
- An open, international perspective
- An ability to form and sustain lasting relationships
- A ‘can-do’, ‘anything is possible’ approach…
- …and, evidence of having achieved challenging goals
- Determination and resilience
- A good team worker
- A sense of humour
The ASEP Application Form
Apply for the Accelerated Student Entrepreneurship Programme by filling in the attached form and sending to open-innovation@bradford.ac.uk
If you require this information in an alternative format, please contact our team. You can also read our Website Accessibility Statement.
Getting involved
Please email open-innovation@bradford.ac.uk with the completed application form above, or if you have any further questions. In addition, any student is welcome to attend our networking events. Remember, if you don’t try, you will never know…!