Applications for 2024 are now closed.
The Aston Enterprise Scholarship awards one full and two partial scholarships for students looking to start their own business when they graduate.
Aston University is here to help future entrepreneurs and is offering a full scholarship and two partial scholarships to students who demonstrate that they have the potential to be successful entrepreneurs in the future. These scholarships are for students who plan to study a one-year master's course beginning in September 2024.
Here for entrepreneurs
We are a university that trains business leaders, works with businesses, and researches the innovative and entrepreneurial behaviour of firms and individuals. At Aston, we want all our students to be creative and have ideas that can change the businesses or professions of their future career. The Aston Enterprise Scholarship enables us to train and support the business leaders of the future.
Find out more about why entrepreneurs study at Aston.
This award demonstrates our dedication to supporting our entrepreneurial students and new business start-ups and SMEs across the wider West Midlands region.
The winner will receive:
- Full scholarship (100% reduction in tuition fees) for a Master's course beginning in September 2024
- Support from Aston Enterprise, including mentorship, office space and a grant to start a business in Birmingham after they graduate
The two runners-up will both receive a partial scholarship (40% reduction in tuition fees) for a Master's course beginning in September 2024.
Watch or listen to our Enterprise Scholarship podcast!
Hear how the scholarship (one at 100% and two at 40%) is a gateway for students aspiring to pursue a Master's degree while nurturing their entrepreneurial dreams. In this episode, you'll meet Nauval Zulfikar, Maryam Khalili and Davies Okeowo, who share their inspiring journeys and innovative business ideas including a zero-waste farm store using AI technology and the generation of electricity through speed bumps.
You'll gain insights into how studying at Aston University and engaging with Aston Enterprise have shaped their entrepreneurial actions. From leveraging courses like business analytics to accessing support networks and resources
How to apply
Applications for 2024 are now closed
To apply for the scholarship, you will need to upload a short (1-minute) video of a pitch for your business idea.
Applicants should submit an idea for a future business that demonstrates:
- Innovation - new and sufficiently different to other businesses
- Viability - the business must be able to be started after you graduate
- Scalability - it must be a business that can start small and grow
- Made in Birmingham - the business must be founded in Birmingham or the West Midlands area
- Sustainability – you will need to demonstrate how your business will have a minimal negative impact on the environment
We will only consider you for our shortlist if you hold an offer to study at Aston. Therefore, you must first apply and receive an offer for a postgraduate course before applying for this scholarship, and you must include your Aston Student ID number on the application form. Once you have received an offer to study an Aston University course, you will be sent a link by email to the application form.
Explore our postgraduate courses and apply for your chosen course before you upload your video below. The Aston Enterprise Scholarship is open to UK, EU and International applicants on all full-time postgraduate courses.
To ensure a fair application process, if your video is longer than 1 minute, we will only consider the first 1 minute of the video.
Please upload your video to YouTube (or an alternative platform such as Bilibili if YouTube is not available in your country) and submit the link where specified in the below application.
We look forward to hearing about your business idea!
- Competition Terms and Conditions
Aston Enterprise Scholarship: Final round public social media vote
One winner and two runners-up of the Aston Enterprise Scholarship will be decided via a public social media vote in June 2024. 1-minute videos submitted by each finalist will be shared on Aston University’s website and official social media channels.
One winner will be awarded a full scholarship (100% reduction in tuition fees for a Master's course beginning in September 2024) and start-up support from Aston Enterprise, to help start their business in Birmingham after graduation. The two runners-up will both receive a partial scholarship (40% reduction in tuition fees for a Masters course beginning in September 2024).
Votes will be submitted via secure web-form on an Aston University webpage, whereby members of the public can vote for their preferred business idea. This process is secure and ensures that people can only vote once, by verifying the name and email address of the voter.
Only one vote will be accepted per person, which will be verified by the name and email address provided. Multiple votes from the same person will be disqualified.
No further votes will be permitted after the closing date. No responsibility can be accepted for votes not received for whatever reason.
The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
The prize is as stated and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. The prizes are not transferable.
Winners will be chosen as a result of a popular vote conducted via social media sites as measured, recorded and verified by Aston University.
The winner will be notified by email within 7 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material, as well as their entry. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Aston University and not to any other party. The information provided will be used in conjunction with the following Privacy Policy
Aston University has the right, at its sole discretion and at any time, to change or modify these terms and conditions, such change shall be effective immediately upon posting to this webpage.
Frequently asked questions
For more information on other scholarships available please visit the international scholarships webpage or general scholarships webpage
- When is the deadline?
Applications for The Aston Enterprise Scholarship 2024 are now closed. The deadline for submitting applications was:
- 11:59 PM UK time 25 March 2024
- What happens next?
If your application is successful, you will be awarded either a full or a partial scholarship to help with tuition fees.
We will contact you by email to let you know if your application was successful. Please note, we will communicate scholarship decisions 2 weeks after each deadline date. If you have any further questions, you are welcome to contact us at hello@aston.ac.uk.- Can I apply for more than one scholarship?
You can only receive one scholarship but you are able to apply for multiple scholarships. If you are successful in being awarded multiple scholarships, the highest value scholarship will be awarded to you. Scholarships will automatically be credited to your student account in the form of a tuition fee reduction.
- How do I apply?
To apply for the Enterprise Scholarship, complete the form on this webpage and upload a short (1-minute) video of your idea for a new business. You should demonstrate that your business can be successful in Birmingham. The closing date for applications is 11:59 PM time on Monday 25th March 2024. Please note that we will only consider you for our shortlist if you hold an offer to study at Aston in September 2024. Therefore, you must first apply and receive an offer for a postgraduate course before applying for this scholarship, and you must include your Aston Student ID number on the application form.
- Do I need to have an offer from Aston to apply?
Yes - you will only be considered for our shortlist if you hold an offer to study a postgraduate course starting in September 2024. Therefore, you must first apply and receive an offer for a postgraduate course before applying for this scholarship, and you must include your Aston Student ID number on the application form. Explore our postgraduate courses and apply for your chosen course before you upload your video below.
- Do I have to have applied for MSc Entrepreneurship in order to be eligible for this scholarship?
No, the Aston Enterprise Scholarship is open to applicants to all full-time postgraduate courses. You can browse our postgraduate courses here.
- Do I have to apply to study a business course in order to be eligible for this scholarship?
No, you can apply to study any of our postgraduate courses in any subject area. The key to securing this scholarship is your ability to present a business idea and demonstrate that your business can be successful in Birmingham.
- Is the MBA included in the list of eligible courses for this scholarship?
Yes, applicants to the MBA are eligible to apply for this scholarship.
- How do I make my business idea relevant to Birmingham?
The business support project is all about starting a new business in Birmingham. Therefore when researching your business and writing your business plan you must demonstrate why you want to start up in Birmingham and make your business relevant to the city. A good place to start would be with the Strategic Economic Plan written by the Local Economic Partnership or the West Midlands Combined Authority’s vision for the future. This will help you to see the priorities for the region which may also mean there will be funding available for businesses in priority sectors.
- What other scholarships are available?
We offer a range of scholarships for UK, EU and international students.