Tata and NACUE enter long term partnership

Tata has entered into a long-term partnership with NACUE and the Varsity Pitch Competition in its commitment to supporting the next generation of student and graduate entrepreneurs. Tata was one of our founding members and we're thrilled that they have offered their continued support.

The Varsity Pitch Competition is inviting innovative young business owners to submit their pitches for the chance to win £10,000 to help fund their business idea.

Now in its fifth year, the competition will select from hundreds of digital applications, the most promising of which will be pitched before an expert panel at the Grand Final. Selected contestants will compete to win their industry category before entering the final stage to claim the national title in front of 250 entrepreneurs, investors, public figures and members of the media.

With over 230 entrants in 2013, the Varsity Pitch Competition saw three stand-out finalists, all of which have now secured Series A-B funding and have a combined valuation of over £10,000,000. The winner, innovative cycling company Blaze, has since launched its Laserlight product in three different countries and has been featured by the New York Times and CNN.

Among this year’s industry categories is the Tata Disruptive Business category, which looks to identify those business concepts that are created with the intent to defy convention and to introduce such unique ideas that change the standard within any given sector.

As part of the growing relationship between Tata and NACUE, past and present Varsity Pitch contestants will showcase their ideas at Tata's first European corporate reception to be held in London this November. With a focus on building skills and young talent, the event will give these young entrepreneurs the opportunity to discuss their ideas with senior Tata executives and their guests from business and public life.

“We are delighted to continue our work with NACUE over the next three years, including on the unique Varsity Pitch. Tata’s participation in the event is just as rewarding to us as I’m sure it is to the talented finalists. I personally look forward to seeing what a new generation of entrepreneurs have to offer to the fast-changing business landscape” said Tata Ltd Executive Director David Landsman.

The final stage of the Competition will take place on November 21st, 2014 and is a flagship event during the UK’s Global Entrepreneurship Week.

For more information, please visit the Varsity Pitch website.

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We've achieved a great deal in a short number of years, though there's much more too do in supporting our mission of 'Powering the Enterprise Generation'.

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Powering the Enterprising Generation

Our mission is to support the development of education and student engagement throughout college and universities by championing student enterprise societies and peer-to-peer learning. NACUE started from an extraordinary movement in student entrepreneurship, providing young individuals with a platform to be experimental, creative and inspiring in their approach to enterprise and entrepreneurship, encouraging a bottom-up approach to inspiring the next generation.

Today, we see over 200 enterprise societies, powered by peer-to-peer groups, who are championing the success of young people throughout their interactive programmes by forging collaborative relationships with their institutions to provide greater experience and development opportunities for their peers. Establishing regional links with locals SME’s who are keen to open their doors to emerging talented, proactive and enthusiastic graduates perpetuates this.

Our work is dedicated to supporting the development and encouragement of entrepreneurship amongst young individuals and forms the sole purpose of NACUE. To learn more about NACUE and the services we produce, click here.

As a not-for-profit, we raise charitable donations that allow us to widen the opportunities available to young people in relation to enterprise and entrepreneurship, strengthening student engagement, the quality of education and connecting and representing student enterprise societies and student entrepreneurs worldwide.

NACUE is a charitable organisation that supports 32,000 students and young people every year. As funding becomes harder to obtain, we rely on the generous support of donors to ensure our programs can continue to change the lives and aspirations of the younger generation.

A donation of any size goes a long way to furthering our work and really is greatly appreciated. Every gift matters in aiding our mission of ‘Powering the Enterprising Generation' but we mainly rely upon the generosity of our members and alumni to do this. By making a single or regular donation you can make a big difference. To learn more about how you can donate, please follow the links below.

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Entrepreneurs are at the very core of NACUE, everything we do is to better the startup and self employment ecosystem. We believe that entrepreneurs will shape the future, and we bolster this through our events, our network and our advocacy.

Students

NACUE works with students in Colleges and Universities right across the UK, helping support them in their entrepreneurial goals and connect them with like minded peers.

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NACUE works collaboratively with educators and academics in supporting the development of entrepreneurial mindsets in young people.

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Our events offer the young people we work with the opportunity to connect with our wider network, the experts and seasoned entrepreneurs in our community and the chance to be inspired to take the leap of faith into entrepreneurship. These events are attended by students and graduates from universities and colleges up and down the UK, as well as students from across Europe. Student Societies take centre stage at our events, alongside innovators, game changers and trail blazers of the UK startup ecosystem.

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The difference we make

Alex Deung

Society President, Entrepreneurs Durham

It has been a great pleasure working closely with NACUE. NACUE has supported me both on big and small issues within my role. Without NACUE’s support, Entrepreneurs Durham wouldn’t be where it is today.

Wendy Funnell

Head, Centre for Entrepreneurship

The pleasure of seeing young people start something from nothing and watching them as they’re growing is wonderful. If we hadn’t had NACUE, we couldn’t do a lot of what we’re doing now. I can absolutely, categorically say that.

FE Student

FE Student, Enterprise Society

I am enjoying it (the enterprise society) a lot, and it’s great to be achieving something real. So often in college we plan to the point of doing the activity but then never actually do it.