The Witty Entrepreneurial Scholarship has established an innovative programme of undergraduate scholarships for promising student entrepreneurs from lower-income backgrounds.
The scholarship is a generous gift from Sir Andrew Witty, former Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, and his family. Sir Andrew graduated from the University of Nottingham in 1985 with a joint Honours BA in Economics and was the CEO of GlaxoSmithKline from 2008.
The programme has been supporting aspiring entrepreneurs at the University of Nottingham since 2017.
What does the scholarship include?
The Witty Scholarship offers financial support and entrepreneurial skills development for undergraduate students. Discovering innovative ideas, finding new ways of working, setting up a business, creating a distinctive career path or supporting social enterprises, all are ways Witty Scholars can get ahead of the pack. This programme is based in the Ingenuity Lab on Jubilee Campus.
Witty Scholars can access*:
- a £750 cost of living allowance per academic year
- up to £1,500 towards an internship or business start-up costs
- an ‘Advantage’ Fund to support extra-curricular costs of up to £300 per year
- funds to support Social Enterprise initiatives established during the Ingenuity Event or Global Ingenuity challenges
- specific Witty Scholar membership to the Ingenuity Lab
- one-to-one mentoring support for business or career development
- resources and seminars to assist with growing your own business and developing your employability skills
*advancement is subject to regular engagement with the programme.
Are you eligible?
Eligibility criteria explained
For this scheme you must meet the following criteria:
- Be able to demonstrate an interest and commitment to an entrepreneurial career
- Commit to attending regular mentoring meetings; sign up to entrepreneurship modules; attend seminars and events to support entrepreneurial education and employability
- Have a 2022/23 Household Income of between £0-£35,000, as assessed by Student Finance
- Be enrolled with at least two full years left of an undergraduate degree at the University of Nottingham (UK Campus)
- Have Home funding status
More information, including definitions and explanations of the criteria, can be found in the application guidance.
How will the scholarship be paid?
Upon acceptance to the scheme, a Core Living Costs award will be paid directly to your bank account during term 2 and following your initial engagement with the programme. More details of payment arrangements will be confirmed to you at this time.
Further awards and/or payments will be subject to your individual circumstances and on satisfactory progression to the next year of the scheme.
How to apply
If you believe you are eligible for the Witty Entrepreneurial Scholarship based on the above criteria, we encourage you to fill out the online application.
If you are interested in applying for the scholarship, you can begin to prepare your application using the guidance below.
More funding options
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Entrepreneurship Fund
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Core Bursary
For students with a household income between £0-£35,000 as assessed by student finance
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The Stoneygate Award
For academically able students who face or have overcome barriers to attend university
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Nottingham Potential Bursary
For UK students with personal circumstances or backgrounds that may have impacted academic potential
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Potential scholarships
To encourage potential in students from lower-income backgrounds or who have faced significant difficulties
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Subject specific bursaries and scholarships
A range of competitive scholarships based on the subject you're studying to help you excel in your area of interest
