Startup events

Join our free talks and workshops to get some real-world inspiration from local entrepreneurs, Ογ½ΆΦ±²₯ student and graduate founders and expert trainers you can relate to.

Our programme of immersive training and live panel events will help you to develop your business skills, spark your entrepreneurial thinking and boost your employability. We are planning as much in-person delivery as we can, but we will still be delivering some workshops online. 

As a student or a graduate, you will be able to access 1-2-1 startup support, workshops, competitions, funding opportunities and morein person, and online. You can attend as many or as few sessions as you like.

Check out our upcoming events below and follow us and join the conversation on Instagram . All workshops are free exclusively to Ογ½ΆΦ±²₯ students, graduates and staff. Make sure you book early as spaces are limited.

Get in touch if you have any questions at beepurple@brighton.ac.uk.

Any questions?

Contact beepurple@brighton.ac.uk

Startups, freelancing and side hustles: how to make money while you study

Wednesday, 19 October 2022, 5.30pm-7.30pm, in person

We know that this year is going to be extremely challenging for students as living costs increase rapidly. Share a drink and a bag of popcorn with us, the beepurple start-up team, and we will show you how to skill up to start your own business or go freelance to raise some extra cash while you do your course.

Through live mini slots, you will hear the stories of fellow Ογ½ΆΦ±²₯ students and graduates who have successfully started selling things online, doing freelance work or started up their own businesses to raise cash fast while they study. They will share their tips and ideas with you and you can ask them questions and get inspired to go away, come up with an idea and start up something yourself on the side.

CITY CAMPUS Wednesday, 19 October 5.30pm-7.30pm 

The beepurple start-up hub

Wednesday, 26 October 2022, 12pm -1pm, in person

Meet with the beepurple team, Helen and Clare, and your fellow students in a relaxed, non-judgemental space to discuss and share your student startup ideas or plans. 

Perhaps you have an idea for an app, shop, product or service and would like some feedback or direction from us, or maybe you already have a plan or concept and want to test it out on us or your peers. Or perhaps you need some help to plan your personal website to build your freelance profile.

We are here to help you move your ideas forward and support you in any way we can! Don’t be shy, we would love to meet you.


CITY CAMPUS Wednesday, 26 October 2022, 12pm -1pm,  (we’ll email you with the precise location details nearer the time)

Doing good: how to make the world a better place with your startup 

Wednesday, 2 November 2022, 5.30pm-7.30pm, in person

The beepurple team discuss different ways to create an ethical and sustainable startup.  Recent graduates, local social entrepreneurs and freelancers share their stories and tips on how to be a business for good.

CITY CAMPUS Wedneday, 2 November 2022, 5.30pm-7.30pm (we’ll email you with the precise location details nearer the time)

The beepurple community meetup

Wednesday, 9 November 2022, 5.30pm-7.30pm, in person

On the eve of Global Entrepreneurship Week, meet likeminded, enterprising students and graduates in a chilled environment and build your network of fellow UoB founders and freelancers.

We have a wide range of creatives and makers, product designers and tech developers who have gone freelance in multiple sectors. You can share experiences, lean on each other for advice and problem solving, and maybe even collaborate?

Helen and Clare will be there to join in the conversations, help with introductions and point you in the right direction

CITY CAMPUS Wednesday, 9 November 2022, 5.30pm-7.30pm  (we’ll email you with the precise location details nearer the time)

Making a plan for your startup:  get your ideas out of your head and into action

Wednesday, 16 November 2022, 5.30pm-7.30pm, in person

Helen and Clare, the startup team,  show you how to get your ideas into a workable action plan to get your business off the ground. We’ll introduce you to the Business Model Canvas and show you how important it is to come up with a simple, lean, actionable plan to kickstart your startup.

We’ll also encourage you not to avoid the vital questions: Is this solving a problem? Who is it for? Do they want it? How will you reach them and let them know about what you are doing? And who are you competing against? We’ll introduce you to some guest beepurplers to show you how they did it.

Moulescoomb 16 November, 5.30pm - 7.30pm, sign up here:  (we’ll email you with the precise location details nearer the time)

Epic TikTok and Instagram for startups

Wednesday, 23 November 2022, 5.30pm – 7.30pm, via Zoom

Katherine George, a social media expert at , will be sharing essential digital marketing tips for building your community, brand, and sales on TikTok and Instagram.

She explains what good videos all have in common and, more importantly, how your business can become TikTok and Instagram famous. She’ll show you how to build a loyal and engaged audience and ways to convert views into sales.

(Zoom) Wed 23 Nov  5:30pm - 7:30pm

The beepurple start-up hub

Wednesday, 7 December 2022, 12.00pm-1.00pm, in person

Meet with the beepurple team, Helen and Clare, and your fellow students in a relaxed, non-judgemental space to discuss and share your student startup ideas or plans. 

Perhaps you have an idea for an app, shop, product or service and would like some feedback or direction from us, or maybe you already have a plan or concept and want to test it out on us or your peers.

Or perhaps you need some help to plan your personal website to build your freelance profile. We are here to help you move your ideas forward and support you in any way we can! Don’t be shy, we would love to meet you.

Moulescoomb Wednesday, 7 December 2022, 12.00pm-1.00pm (we’ll email you with the precise location details nearer the time)

The Santander X UoB Ideas Competition Final Live Pitch event

Wednesday, 7 December 2022, 6pm-8pm, in person

Our Ideas Competition finalists pitch their ideas to a panel of judges from the local startup community and a live audience to win cash prizes and kickstart their business idea.

Come along to support them and learn how to survive in a live pitching contest.

Wednesday, 7 December 2022, 6pm-8pm, Venue to be confirmed