Frequently Asked Questions

If you have an interest in business, whether it’s a fully commercial venture or a social enterprise, then the Lab is where you need to be. Our ambition is to create an innovative community of entrepreneurs, working together to develop ideas, encourage radical innovation and produce exciting new start-ups.

The Lab has two levels of membership which are available to students and alumni - Venture and Academic membership.

Venture membership is for those who are interested in moving towards starting a business, or already have a business. Venture membership requires a brief business plan which you can submit by completing our online application form and clicking ‘Venture Membership’. 

For students who are not yet ready to start a business, we offer Academic membership which will allow you to network within our community, attend exciting events and share ideas, which might inform a future business or career. We would love for you to get involved, with or without a business.

All services are available free of charge to all members as long as they are, or were, students or staff of the University of Nottingham in the UK, Malaysia or China.

Because we want to support and develop business ideas and entrepreneurs at every stage, membership is not a competitive process. We simply require you to take the time to think through the various aspects of your business idea and complete our online application in full.

Once you submit your application online, you will be contacted by our team and invited to a new members meeting. During this meeting you will have the opportunity to meet fellow members and discuss your idea, while also meeting the Lab team and learning more about how we can help you develop your business.

Venture Membership includes: 

• Space to work
• Use of the Lab Workspace
• Use of the Lab Lounge
• Access to Lab meeting room as well as other facilities of UNIP (some charges may apply for UNIP services)
• Free phone and printing facilities (reasonable usage policy applies)
• Use of the Lab as a business address (conditions apply)
• Daily lockers to keep your belongings secure (according to availability)
• Business advice
• Mentoring from industry experts (as available)
• Business seminars and surgeries
• Business development opportunities
• Business start-up grants (as available)
• PR and marketing opportunities for your business
• Ingenuity Prize (annual competitions for undergraduates, postgraduates and alumni)
• Community events
• Peer-to-Peer socials
• Disruptive debates
• Industry challenges

Academic membership is designed for students enrolled in the Haydn Green Institute’s postgraduate courses. This membership provides access to Ingenuity Lab events and networking opportunities.

In order to manage the interest of the thousands of students at our university, we ask that you speak with teachers, tutors and mentors outside the Lab before submitting your business idea. Once your application is submitted, we will then contact you for a meeting and look forward to hearing more about your amazing idea then!