10:00 am - 3:30 pm 16/04/2026
103c Camley St, London, N1C 4PF
Innovator Founder/Global Talent Endorsing Body Spring Workshop
Date & Time: 16th April 2026 – 10am – 3.30pm
Venue: UCL BaseKX, 103c Camley St, London, N1C 4PF
This workshop, hosted by the Envestors team with additional support from Tech Nation, will focus on routes to the Innovator Founder Visa and the Global Talent Visa for entrepreneurial students. It will cover visa endorsement policies, business planning, and start-up support. The event aims to provide university enterprise teams with the latest updates on visa requirements, insights into business plan assessments, and additional resources for supporting student and graduate entrepreneurs.
The workshop will provide a valuable opportunity for university enterprise teams to gain in-depth knowledge on visa policies, business plan development, and support services for start-ups. Attendees will leave with actionable insights and resources to enhance their support for student and graduate entrepreneurs.
Session 1: Overview + Pitfalls, and Success Points
In this opening session, representatives from Envestors (Innovator Founder visa endorsing body) and Tech Nation (Global Talent visa endorsing body) will deliver a comprehensive, side‑by‑side overview of both routes. Attendees will gain clarity on the purpose of each visa, the types of applicants who are most suited, and the key criteria that endorsing bodies use when assessing applications.
Beyond basic eligibility, the session will highlight common pitfalls that often lead to delays or non‑endorsement. Participants will leave with a grounded understanding of how to support international students and graduates in choosing the right pathway and preparing competitive submissions.
Session 2: Fireside Chat with Global Talent and Innovator Founder Endorsing Bodies
This interactive conversation will bring Envestors and Tech Nation together to directly compare the two visa routes, helping university enterprise, careers, and international teams understand where the pathways converge and differ.
Experts will discuss real‑world applicant scenarios, the strategic rationale behind endorsement decisions, and how universities can more effectively guide students toward the route best aligned with their aspirations and skill sets. The session will also explore recent and emerging policy changes, shifts in Home Office priorities, and how these may shape the landscape for international talent over the coming years. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and deepen their understanding of the endorsement ecosystem.
Session 3: Founder/Visa Holder Chat
In this session, visa holders from both the Global Talent and Innovator Founder routes will share their personal journeys. This will range from deciding which visa to pursue, through to navigating the application and endorsement process, to building their careers and ventures in the UK.
Speakers will discuss what they wish they had known at the start, what surprised them most during the process, and how their chosen route has shaped their entrepreneurial or professional trajectory. Their stories will offer invaluable, practical insight for university teams supporting future applicants, shedding light on motivations, challenges, lived experience, and the realities of transitioning from graduate status to long‑term UK contributors under these visas.
Session 4: Workshop
Thriving in the UK: Research Insights on Global Talent, Innovation, and Migrant Entrepreneurship
Hear insights from the Tech Nation Research and Data Team covering an overview of the UK technology ecosystem for global talent. These findings will highlight the opportunities for global talent to thrive in the UK and why so many graduates are attracted to contribute to this ecosystem after graduating.
Hear also from the Envestors team about the journey for migrant founders building businesses in the UK. These findings will focus on the profile, successes, and economic impact of these exceptional entrepreneurs, and how they’re helping shape the future of the UK’s startup and tech ecosystem. Envestors will also provide specific details on the crucial role UK research institutions play in fostering talent and innovation applicable to the Innovator Founder route and growth in the UK.
Cost to attend
Free for EEUK Members
£125 for non-members