The Big Pitch is a business idea competition exclusively for undergraduate and postgraduate students at Anglia Ruskin University, from any faculty or campus.
Our aim is simple: we want to find passionate entrepreneurs with exciting, imaginative business ideas and give them the chance to pitch for the money and support that they need to make it happen. You don't need to be a business expert; all you need is a good idea. AREA provides the business mentoring and support necessary as the competition progresses.
The competition will run from 19 February–20 May 2020 and is divided into three rounds.
Register your interest at arul.ink/the-big-pitch.
19 February–20 March 2020
Submit a 60-second video pitch of your idea to thebigpitch.co.uk website. Applications open on 19 February 2020 and close on 20 March at 12pm.
You'll be notified by 10 April if you are through to round 2 – the Residential Boot Camp.
23–25 April 2020, as selected by the public vote and judging panel
Our students with the 20 best ideas will take part in a two-day residential boot camp at the Moller Centre, in Cambridge.
There'll be a variety of interactive seminars: business planning, financial planning, marketing, presentation and pitching skills. Following this, all attendees deliver a five-minute pitch to a panel of judges followed by ten minutes of Q&A. Six of the best will progress to the final.
20 May 2020
The best of the best take centre stage as they pitch their business idea in front of an invited panel of judges and live audience, supported by fellow contestants.
The prize money pot of £10,000 will be shared among the best entries on the night. In addition to a cash prize, there's the benefit of free business mentoring and professional advice.
This year, for the second year running, The Big Pitch is proud to announce an additional sponsored prize for engineering students: a cash prize of £3,000 from the Engineers in Business Fund for an engineering student or team.