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Programme

Summer Startup Programme

16 September 2023

The UCE Summer Startup Programme is your opportunity to explore your ideas, transforming your passions into action, and launching your impact in the world. We help fast-track your ideas into action, helping you launch commercial ventures and social enterprises that create value in the world.

Over 10 action-packed weeks, we create a supportive environment that will help you to build and develop your entrepreneurial mindset, while providing with the capabilities and support to explore, validate, and launch your venture.

Providing you with the opportunity to build value and create impact in the world.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply for Summer Startup 2025/26

Applications for the Summer Startup 2025/26 cohort will be opening soon!

Unleash your Ideas:听Launch your Impact

About the Summer Startup Programme

The Programme provides you with a dedicated workspace and a community of founders at the UC Centre for Entrepreneurship.鈥疻e鈥檒l immerse you in an action-packed series of interactive workshops, inspiring speakers and industry experts, alongside connecting you with experienced mentors to accelerate and launch your venture.

Topics covered during the Programme include:鈥

  • Problem definition and market validation鈥

  • Customer value propositions and journey鈥痬apping

  • Business Fundamentals, revenue and cost models, Intellectual property, ...鈥

  • Minimum viable product development鈥

  • Pathways to market and commercialisation

  • Team building and time management鈥

  • Pitching鈥

At the culmination of the Summer Startup Programme, 10 ventures will be selected to pitch and showcase their venture ideas to a room-packed full of investors, startup advisors, mentors, and industry experts. Providing an opportunity for you to propel your idea into the world.

Key Dates for Summer Startup Programme 2025/26

The Summer Startup Programme kicks-off on Monday 10th November and runs through to until Wednesday 4th February 2026, with our acclaimed Summer Startup Showcase event.

Applications are open from Monday, 9th June, until midnight on Sunday, 14th听 September 2025. Don鈥檛 miss out on this opportunity to turn your dreams into reality鈥

Key Dates

Activity

Monday 9th June, 2025

Applications Open

Sunday 14th September,听2025

Applications close

Friday 19th September, 2025

Short-listed Applicants notified

Monday 22nd September 鈥 Friday 26th September, 2025

Applicant Interviews

Tuesday 30th September, 2025

Successful Applicants notified

Monday 10th November, 2025

Summer听Startup听Programme starts

Friday 14th November, 2025

Show Day (Public Holiday)

Saturday 13th December, 2025 鈥 Sunday 4th January, 2025

Christmas / New Year break

Monday 5th January, 2025

Summer听Startup听programme re-starts

Wednesday 4th February, 2025

Summer听Startup听Showcase event

What are we looking for in a Summer Startup Candidate?

  • A diversity of ideas鈥
  • Innovative concepts听
  • Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility of ideas, alongside their potential to generate value in the world.鈥
  • How much impact the Summer听Startup听Programme will have on you听and your future!鈥

  • 18-20 ventures selected鈥
  • Any UC student with an idea, enrolled until at least the 17th of October 2025 can apply!鈥
  • Individuals or teams are welcome to apply to participate.
  • Selected participants are expected to be able to commit full-time to the development of their venture during the duration of the Summer Startup Programme.
  • With the exception of the Christmas/New Year break, each weekday will feature an action-packed series of workshops, inspiring and industry expert speakers, and mentoring.听
  • Any scholarships awarded are for ventures (not individuals), and teams will need to split scholarships between members at their own discretion. At least one member from each team will be expected to participate full-time.
  • The Summer Startup Programme runs 9am 鈥 3pm each weekday (with the exception of public holidays) between Monday 10th November 鈥 Friday 12th December 2025 and Monday 5th January 鈥 Wednesday 4th February 2025.
  • Participants are expected to attend all speaker sessions and workshops where possible and to commit to working on the development of their venture outside of these times.

During the application process you will be asked questions relating to:

  • Your personal details including student id, area of study, and contact information.听
  • Idea/Venture Name听
  • Idea Summary听e.g.听overview of problem, solution, and unique value proposition and how it would be delivered/channels (500 words)听
  • Who your idea serves?听e.g.听who will it benefit and create value for?听(500 words)听
  • Current status听of your idea?听e.g.听what progress have you made to date? Is your idea in ideation stage, product development/commercialisation stage?听
  • Any IP considerations/ownership related to your venture? (it听is fine if you听don鈥檛听know yet)听
  • What听would you personally like to gain from听participating听in the Summer听Startup听Programme?听(500 words)听
  • Your career aspirations? (500 words)听

*Note:听If you have a team (ie. more than one person), you each need to apply separately but can reuse the answers to idea/venture specific questions.鈥

In conjunction with the programme, UCE has a limited number of Summer Startup Scholarships to offer students and to assist them with working on their ventures over the summer period.听

Exact scholarship amounts are to be confirmed but are generally $5,000 - $6,000 for individual ventures and $8,000 - $9,000 for team-based ventures (2 or more participants).

Scholarship recipients must agree to 2025/26 Summer Startup Scholarship criteria and be present for at least 90% of the programme.

All applications for the Summer Startup Programme are automatically considered for the Scholarship.鈥

In 2024/2025, we supported a diverse range of 26 student ventures participating in the Summer Startup Programme. You can follow their journey on UCE social media channels and鈥.听

If you want to find out more about the Summer Startup Programme, contact听uce@canterbury.ac.nz

or feel free to pop up and see us at UCE, Level 6, Rehua Building, 撸奶社区.

Our Alumni:

Over the听last 12 years the Summer听Startup听programme has been the听starting point听for a host impact making entrepreneurs and ventures. Past alumni include:

  • Hannah Duder 鈥 co-founder of Indigo & Iris / Little Yellow Bird听
  • Ben Scales and William Murrell 鈥撎齂iwiFibre听
  • Chris Bacon & Jack Wood 鈥 Komodo Wellbeing听
  • Luke Campbell & Lucy Turner听鈥撎齎XT听
  • Monique Lau 鈥 Endosoothe
  • Emma Arvidson & Renee Tauwhare 鈥 Teiny
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