This programme aims to transform a founder's approach from perpetual design cycles to a ‘Revenue-First’ mindset, proving their Minimum Viable Product (MVP) can generate early income demonstrating true customer appetite.
The goal
- To help you move from development to real world sales.
- To push you towards clarity and a laser focus on doing all that is needed to begin generating revenue.
- To accelerate your business and reach the 'Gone to Market' stage.
This programme is open to recent graduates (must be within the last 5 years and can include those graduating in the summer of 2026) with a business idea that is at the tipping point of making their first sales but now needs that nudge to push them over the line.
The programme
A 2 day workshop delivered in-person in our Start-up Studio at the University of Sheffield on 15th and 16th July.
(In the week before, we will hold an online Cohort Introduction session on Thursday 9th July, so that everybody who has been selected to attend the programme can meet and greet each other. Our Emerge team will also provide final details ahead of the in-person training days.)
We ask that you commit to attending in-person for the full duration and then to work on your business in the subsequent 8 weeks towards generating your first sales by the middle of September 2026.
The in-person workshop will be delivered by industry leaders and experienced entrepreneurs, and there will be online touchpoints arranged in the following weeks with the Emerge team in the lead up to the programme close.
Cohort Eligibility & Target Market
- Who can participate? Recent University of Sheffield graduates (within 5 years). Solo founders or teams of up to 2 co-founders (provided both are UoS grads). Available to those graduating in summer 2026.
- 8 businesses will be accepted onto this cohort.
- Early-stage founders close to the sales stage, but with none-to-minimal revenue made yet. If registered, the business must not have been incorporated for more than 3 years.
- The business must also be registered in the UK or, for those businesses not registered at the time of applying, we will expect every business selected to attend the programme, to have formally registered in the UK within 2 weeks after the training days, by the end of July 2026, in preparation for generating revenue.
- Must have a working MVP, evidenced clearly in the application process via form questions, a pitch deck, and data showing genuine engagement or customer response to the product.
- The focus will be on commercially viable opportunities, with ready to go MVPs. We seek innovative, creative and problem-led solutions tackling real pain points. Open to any sector but targeting businesses with shorter sales cycles (e.g., B2B SaaS, mobile apps, direct-to-consumer digital services, or low-manufacturing-lead-time physical products).
- Must be available for a 2 day in-person event in Sheffield - 15/16 July
- Must be a UK based founder. However this programme is open nationally so you can be based outside of the South Yorkshire region (standard fair travel expenses are available on request). Applicants must demonstrate a firm commitment to participate in the full 8 week programme beyond the in-person session.
What's in it for you?
- £5000 for the business that demonstrates the greatest traction between attending the programme and the end of September. Traction will be measured in a variety of ways (generating the most revenue, number of sales, number of future orders secured).
- For those based outside of South Yorkshire, reimbursement of standard fair travel costs (accommodation must be booked and paid for by all attendees, whilst receipts for all economy travel must be shared with Emerge).
- Lunch and refreshments included on day 1 and day 2.
- Expert guidance from local business leaders and entrepreneurs.
- Opportunity to hear what Sheffield has to offer new start-up businesses.
The prize funding is made possible through our partnership with Santander Universities. The recipient of the £5,000 prize will need to register on the Santander X platform (further details will be provided by Emerge at the appropriate time).
