University of Westminster boosts student businesses with new WeNetwork Zone29 offer

The Westminster Enterprise Network (WeNetwork) has launched a new support offering as part of the University of Westminster's new hub for careers and enterprise Zone29. To mark the launch, students and graduates were invited to pitch their business ideas at a Community Mixer held in the new building and funding was awarded to help kickstart their entrepreneurial journeys.

WeNetwork is the University's enterprise and entrepreneurship team, working to boost students' career readiness while enabling students and graduates to bring their business ideas to life.

As part of the new offering, students and graduates can apply for four types of funding opportunities. Successful applicants will gain access to WeNetwork's full enterprise support programme, including workshops, one-to-one appointments, on-demand courses, resources and access to the new co-working space, makerspace and digital studio at Zone29.

The offer is structured across four stages, each with increasing levels of support and funding. The first stage, Explore, provides an introduction to the programme and access to core support. This is followed by Ideate, which is designed for early-stage ideas in the research and planning phase, with successful applicants receiving a £500 grant and access to Zone29 facilities. The third stage, Validate, supports those developing prototypes or testing a minimum viable product (MVP) with initial users, offering a £2,500 grant and continued access to facilities. The final stage, Activate, is aimed at ventures that are already trading, generating revenue or preparing to scale, with participants eligible for up to £5,000 in funding.

Students and graduates who applied to the programme were invited to a Community Mixer on 20 April, where they pitched their ideas to industry professionals and peers for the chance to secure first stage funding.

At the event 29 students presented and a total of £14,000 of funding was offered. One Software Engineering BEng Honours student Nafiu Amosa presented his business RaleeyGo, an alternative, efficient and affordable bus-stop-to-bus-stop transportation solution designed to improve mobility for commuters in London. The iOS app aims to connect commuters to nearby drivers for short rides between Transport for London bus stops.

The key difference from existing platforms is that by anchoring everything to the TfL bus network, RaleeyGo stays in a niche that Uber and Bolt do not serve well - short trips of one to three miles where a conventional taxi is too expensive and waiting for a bus is too unpredictable, complementing public transport rather than competing with it.

Nafiu said: "It was exciting to pitch the idea at the WeNetwork event, especially as part of my final year project, and I'm grateful for the support and recognition it received. Pitching to the group was an energising experience. The atmosphere, feedback and encouragement really reinforced the value of the work I'm doing and motivated me to keep pushing it forward."

Another student, L.Shao, pitched her business called Art for EDI, which aims to showcase art for BAME groups, so they are represented in gallery spaces.

About her project she said: "My project aligns with one of the Museums Association's core ethics, Equitable and Inclusive, which aims to use art-based approaches to support museums as inclusive spaces where everyone is valued and treated equitably and with respect. The experience of pitching to the group is amazing - listening to our heartbeats and moving towards what we are passionate about."

Rumen Rachev, WeNetwork Senior Enterprise Manager, added: "It was such a fantastic experience to launch our new offer at our Zone29 building with this first Community Mixer event. It was an excellent opportunity for them to practice pitching and to network with their peers - we have a cohort of 30 students and graduates which are very diverse in terms of backgrounds and type of businesses.

"From mid-May we will move them into the coworking space along with our pilot programme of workshops and one-on-ones running until July. They will be among the first groups of students to benefit from the facilities in the Zone29 building, and at WeNetwork we are very excited to continue this work, supporting the next generation of aspiring and inspiring entrepreneurs with a new and more comprehensive offering."

This initiative directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Find out more about Westminster Enterprise Network at the University of Westminster.

Learn more about Zone29, the University's new home for careers and enterprise.

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