Partner Universities
Is This For You?
Calling University Staff from the Midlands
VentureVersity is free and open to anyone working within a partner university who has an early-stage idea, method, or capability that could have value beyond its current context. Through a structured programme of market insight, learning, local engagement, collaboration and acceleration funding, we help you explore where your idea could create the most impact.
What you'll get
- Early market assessment & feedback
- Help to refine and communicate your project
- Insight into potential users, applications & customers
- Connections with potential collaborators and co-founders
- The chance to secure up to £60,000
Things that matter
- Interesting ideas
- An enquiring mind
- Energy to move it forward
Things you don't need
- Previous business experience
- A fully defined problem, customer, or business case
- To disclose any underlying intellectual property (we want to know what you think you can do, not how)
How It Works
Find. Shape. Connect. Accelerate.
VentureVersity runs in four connected stages. You enter at Find — everything else follows from there.
01
Find
Surfaces early-stage opportunities across the Midlands.
Working directly with University Commercialisation Teams, we reach out to University staff developing early-stage projects with commercial potential. We invite Project Leads to apply by submitting a short Project Outline — focused on project capability, not technology. We specifically ask you not to disclose underlying intellectual property (i.e. just tell us what it does, not how it works).
02
Shape
Fire Test analysis and a 12-week Clarity Sprint.
Phase 1: Every submission receives a Fire Test — technology-assisted market assessment covering potential customer groups, market values, alternatives and competitors, problem intensity, and traction signals. Reviewed by your local Commercialisation Team. Phase 2: Selected Project Leads join a 12-week sprint — short on-demand virtual modules covering business modelling, team roles, early customer discovery, value proposition and developing development plans. Combined with fortnightly Clarity Sprint calls to better define and articulate your project, identify gaps, and map next steps.
03
Connect
Share your project with the Midlands innovation ecosystem.
With support from VentureVersity and your local Commercialisation Team, we'll help you prepare a communications pack. We'll then publish and share your project via the VentureVersity platform, the network of the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) and through in-person regional Showcase Events. Our Connect phase is designed to help you gain wider market insights, and — where valuable — attract potential co-founders, partners, collaborators, clients or investors.
04
Accelerate
Up to £60,000 in funding for high-potential projects.
High-potential projects demonstrating good momentum can apply for two rounds of funding. Round 1: Up to £10,000 (up to £8,500 cash + £2,500 support) — for market and product validation and team assembly. Round 2: Up to £50,000 (up to £30,000 cash + £20,000 support) — for projects with evidence of market signals, team capability, and a strong action plan. Successful projects are connected to follow-on support through Forging Ahead and wider programmes.
Real research, real people
From the Midlands Innovation Community
A glimpse into the labs, studios and workspaces where University Staff are building ventures.
Find Events
Join Us in July 2026
Informal events across the Midlands. No pitch required — just curiosity. Open to University staff and researchers only — including PhD researchers, postdocs, research fellows, technicians and academics.
Check back here for our Autumn Showcase events, which will be open to everyone.
VentureVersity Find — Leicester
Register Free →VentureVersity Find — Nottingham
Register Free →VentureVersity Find — Cranfield (Virtual)
Register Free →VentureVersity Find — Birmingham
Register Free →VentureVersity Find — Derby
Register Free →
FAQ
Common Questions
No. VentureVersity is designed for researchers at the very beginning of thinking about commercialisation. You don't need prior business experience, a defined customer, or a fully formed idea — just a sense that your research might have potential.
No. We ask you to describe what your research can do, not how it works. This protects your IP from the very first step. Our capability-not-disclosure approach means you describe the outcome or benefit — for example "I've found a way to control gravity" — without revealing the method or mechanism. However, your submission will be shared with your University's Commercialisation Team, and if you have not already done so, you may be asked to complete the relevant IP disclosure process for your University.
A Fire Test is a technology-assisted market analysis developed by Commercialisation experts that every applicant receives — whether or not they're offered a place on VentureVersity. It covers potential customer groups, market opportunities, competitor products, and practical next steps — reviewed by your local Commercialisation Team.
Successful Project Leads join a 12-week Clarity Sprint comprising short virtual learning modules on essentials such as business modelling, value proposition, customer discovery, and team formation, plus fortnightly group sessions to define, improve and refine your project. The estimated commitment is 1–3 hours per week. We'll work with you to prepare for the next stage of VentureVersity — Connect — which is focused on introducing you to potential collaborators, clients, investors and contributors.
Yes — each of the 16 partner universities has a Commercialisation Team representative who screens submissions and helps determine next steps. VentureVersity works alongside your Technology Transfer Office, not instead of it.
Yes. Successful projects can access up to £10,000 in Round 1 and up to £50,000 in Round 2. The programme is fully funded — there is no cost to participate at any stage.
University staff, researchers, and technicians at any of the 16 Midlands partner universities with a research idea, method, or capability they're curious about exploring commercially. Early and uncertain is exactly where we start.
Loughborough University, University of Leicester, De Montfort University, Aston University, University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University, University of Derby, University of Lincoln, Coventry University, Harper Adams University, University of Wolverhampton, University of Warwick, Keele University, and Cranfield University — all operating under the Forging Ahead programme funded by Research England.
We believe in being open about how we handle your submission. Here is exactly what happens:
- We create a record of your project, held by Loughborough University solely for administering the VentureVersity programme.
- A copy of your submission is shared with your University Commercialisation Team for their awareness.
- Our team conducts a human review — removing personal identifiers and anything otherwise inappropriate for the next review stage — creating a sanitised version for analysis.
- The sanitised version is processed within a secure enterprise AI environment, where inputs are not used for model training.
- A Fire Test is conducted, developed by Commercialisation experts, providing high-level capability and market analysis relevant to your project.
- Our team reviews the Fire Test outputs and develops Next Step Recommendations, shared with your Commercialisation Team — then shared with you alongside your VentureVersity application outcome.
Our Story
How VentureVersity Began
Established in 2024 as a pilot, VentureVersity was a collaboration between Leicester, Loughborough and De Montfort universities — built to help turn more academic ideas into commercial reality through spinouts and business collaborations.
38
Expressions of Interest generated
26
Projects selected for pre-accelerator
11
Projects in the commercialisation accelerator
£225,000
Funding collectively secured
The programme culminated in a Showcase event in November 2024, where the 11 projects reunited to present their progress to an audience of over 100 attendees. A year later, the collaboration was recognised as a nominee in the national UK Knowledge Exchange Awards.
Ready to Find Out Where Your Research Could Go?
Applications are OPEN and close 31 July 2026. The programme is fully funded and free to participate.