Mayor’s Entrepreneur 2023

Entry is only open to students living in London and registered at a London College or University in 2022 or 2023. Students that have graduated since December 2021 are eligible. Students will need to be able to provide proof of student status when making their application.

If you are using your work computer, you may need to obtain your employer’s permission prior to entering. 

Entries to the Competition should be made via the online application form. Entries must be submitted by 11.59pm, 12 Feb 2023. This has now been extended to 12pm, 14 Feb 2023 [as of 13 Feb 2023].

Members of the competition delivery team and their families are not eligible to enter the competition.

The GLA, Mayor’s Fund for London or their contractors shall not be responsible for late, lost or delayed entries or network, computer hardware or software failures of any kind that may delay or restrict entry into the competition.

Only the lead member and eligible team members can receive the prize money.

Eligible members will sign a basic contract with City Hall before receiving the prize money

There is no limit to the number of entries which may be made by any individual or group or any combination thereof.

International students are eligible to apply. There is, however, relevant criteria need to be met:

• To make the final you must be able to conduct “business activity” in the UK from Autumn 2023 (For example, if you are on a student visa this may require you to be in your final year and for you to move to a Start-up visa as a student visa does not allow business activity)
• You need contact your international team at your university for advice on your visa – the GLA, Mayor’s Fund for London or the Mayor’s Entrepreneur Team cannot provide guidance or advice.
• If you are planning to apply for a Start-Up visa, get in contact with the relevant team at your university as soon as possible for advice and guidance
• Unfortunately, if you win but are not able to register a business in the UK and set up a UK business bank account by Autumn 2023 then the Prize money can be withdrawn.

9. The Competition begins on 14 November 2022 (“the Opening Date”) and runs until 11.59pm 12 February 2022 ("the Closing Date"). The closing date has now been extended to 12pm, 14 Feb 2023 [as of 13 Feb 2023].

By entering an application and providing a contact email address, entrants opt in to receive future email alerts about this programme and any further iterations of it. Eligible applicants will also receive invitations to future Mayor’s Entrepreneur events. Email addresses will only be used for communications about this programme and will not be shared within the wider GLA, Mayor’s Fund for London or with any third-party organisations.

There is a total of £20,000 development funding to be awarded to the each of the winning ideas, courtesy of our sponsor, Citi Foundation. The development funding will be held by the Mayor’s Fund for London and must be used to further develop the idea and prepare it for market. In accepting the award, the winners agree to sign a standard terms and conditions contract. Winners have 1 year to spend their development fund. Initial winner’s idea development must be linked to London.

The winners will be judged by a panel of experts who will select a group of finalists before a high-profile judging panel against the criteria available on the homepage page of the competition website.

Winners will be announced at the Award Ceremony to be held at London City Hall in May 2023. The names and universities of winners and finalists will be posted on the Mayor’s Fund for London website.

Winners and finalists may be required to take part in promotional activities in the year following the Award Ceremony.

The Promoters of the competition are the GLA of City Hall and the Mayor’s Fund for London. The judges’ decision is final and binding in all matters and no correspondence will be entered into surrounding this decision.

The Promoters reserve the right to substitute any prizes with a prize of equivalent or higher value in the event of circumstances outside of its control. There is no cash alternative to prizes.