NatWest partnership boosts chances for student entrepreneurs

Students with exciting business ideas are benefitting from a new partnership with banking giant NatWest. 

The LJMU Centre for Entrepreneurship is on a mission to help student and graduates start up their own enterprises.

More than 70 people signed up to the first event at Exchange Station on Wednesday, October 9 - a half-day training session with business experts.

Among them was MSc Cosmetic Science student Adoub Ezzeldin (pictured) who is looking to set up her own brand of skin care products. She said: 

"Today has been great in getting me to think about the planning and structure side. You can't just have an idea all messed up in your head, however good it might be, you need a plan and to organise if you are to be successful."

Centre for Enterpreneurship Eco-System Manager Dominique Aspey said: "We have a lot of students with enterprising ideas and it is vital that we support them at the earliest possible stage.

"NatWest is a big pull and we are delighted to be oversubscribed for our first event on campus."

The NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator offers training programmes tailored to empower and encourage people with business ideas.

It has service "hubs" in Manchester, Newcastle and Leeds but this is the first venture into Liverpool.

Gemma Fattahi, Entrepreneur Development Manager at NatWest, said: "We were delighted to bring our Pre-Accelerator to John Moores University and partner with the university to deliver the programme in Liverpool. We had great feedback from all involved and there was a brilliant atmosphere throughout the launch day. Merseyside has a thriving entrepreneurial community and we welcome the opportunity to support some of these new enterprises." 

Attendees at Exchange were invited to sign up to a self-directed online programme through NatWest. They will also be invited by the Centre to present their ideas to a pitching contest with the best pitches eligible for start-up funding via the University's Bathgate Fund.

Last year around 70 student start-ups were supported into businesses by the Centre for Entrepreneurship.