Durham University

Durham University aims to harness the power of student and graduate entrepreneurship to positively impact on the world.

We inspire our students to discover and develop their enterprising talent and combine this with their skills and passions to create their own entrepreneurial futures. Consideration of how commercially viable and scalable ventures can create positive impact on the world is a core thread that runs throughout all of our activity, from ideation to advancing established startups. Examples of this include:

Game Changer

Included by the UN in its ‘SDG Best Practices’,  Game Changer is an innovation programme that challenges students to work in teams to create solutions to a real world problem linked to at least one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Teams are encouraged to use Design Thinking methodology to generate innovative solutions which they then pitch to win a share of a cash prize.

Blueprint Startup Challenge

Durham University’s premier startup competition, Blueprint offers over £20,000 in prize money to founders of new ventures with potential to scale. Intention to have positive impact on the world is one of the key criteria judges assess entrants against.

Durham Venture School

The first programme of its kind in the higher education sector, Durham Venture School brings together talented individuals to explore significant problems and launch high-potential startups. This six-month, full-time programme offers a comprehensive package of support, including; stipends, mentoring opportunities drawn from our global alumni community, the opportunity to pitch for £10,000 investment and visits to global hubs of innovation.

Through such programmes, our graduates have gone on to launch a number of startups with ambitious plans to be a force for good in the world. These include: Agrisea, Sphera and Tred.

Main Contact: Marek Tokarski, Senior Enterprise Manager, Careers & Enterprise