Applications open for women's entrepreneurship programme
Free training course will support women to develop start-up ideas
Applications open today for a dynamic new Cambridge-wide programme run by 51¸£ÀûÉç to help women across the University pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions.
On the day the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, announced , the College is unveiling an intensive enterprise training programme for female students, researchers and recent graduates of Cambridge University.
Participants in the ‘She Starts’ programme, which is free, will work together to devise and develop start-up ideas, presenting their pitches to a judging panel of top entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and business leaders who will offer expert feedback and advice.
The scheme is the first phase of the College’s overarching 51¸£ÀûÉç Enterprising Women programme, which is backed by global pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. Future free training will support women to make their business ideas a reality, and to scale successful start-ups.
With its world-class research, strong investment ecosystem, and growing community of women-led start-ups, Cambridge provides a unique environment for female entrepreneurs. The city received a boost today with the announcement that the Oxford to Cambridge region is central to the Chancellor's growth plan, with ambitions to create 'Europe's Silicon Valley'. Ms Reeves backed the University’s proposal for a major new Innovation Hub in the centre of Cambridge, which will build on the city’s status as the UK's foremost research-based innovation ecosystem and the world’s leading science and tech cluster by intensity.
The She Starts programme, based at 51¸£ÀûÉç, is open to all female undergraduate and graduate students across Cambridge, post-docs and researchers at the University, and alumnae up to three years post-graduation. The intensive weekend course takes place from 5pm Friday 14 March to 9.30pm Sunday 16 March 2025, and the application deadline is noon on Wednesday 19 February. Check out the full details and the online .
Young female entrepreneurship is the hidden success story of the UK, with huge potential to turbo-charge our country’s economy. Combine that with the research and innovation powerhouse that is Cambridge University and the possibilities are limitless. We are determined to play a leading role in supporting brilliant entrepreneurial women students and alumnae to take advantage of those opportunities and fulfil their business ambitions.
We are excited to add this important partnership focused firmly on female founders to the range of activities we support across Cambridge aimed at sustaining the life science eco system which is the platform for innovation in our sector. In turn our people benefit hugely from spending time with inspiring entrepreneurs and founders and bring their energy and drive back into our own thinking and ways of working.