Westminster announces Big Idea Competition 2024 winners

Santander Universities UK has continuously supported the Big Idea Competition, helping young entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality. The annual competition encourages students and graduates to activate their entrepreneurial skills, test and validate commercial ideas and access funding to develop and scale their businesses. 

This year’s competition saw over 100 applicants take part, and after a few intense rounds of bootcamps and semi-finals, just ten finalists made it through to the grand final that took place on 2 October. Throughout the summer, the finalists worked closely with dedicated mentors, using their initial funding to refine their business plans and perfect their pitches for the big day.

One finalist, Lada Kopytova, said: "The funding I received during the Big Idea semi-final really helped me upgrade my skills. It allowed me to get a new laptop, which is my main working tool, enabling me to take on more work and reduce the turnaround time for projects. It also covered my travel expenses, which allowed me to attend three festivals where I showcased my latest film. That experience was incredible for meeting people—producers, sales agents—and for building confidence in myself." 

The finalists presented their ideas to a panel of industry-leading judges which was made up of Hena Hussein, Tony Treacy, Alison Lewy MBE, Zeeshan Idrees and Graham Shapiro. After much deliberation, the judges selected the winners across three categories: Freelance, Ideate and Accelerate.

The first Freelance category winner was Ellie Schuetze, who won with her photography business EJS Photography. Her aim for her business is to capture memorable experiences and dynamic events through high quality and creative imagery with a keen and personal focus to advocate for women in sports.  The second winner was Lada Kopytova with her business Lada Kopytova, a creative direction for screen and beyond. To take home the £3,500 prize, all applicants had to showcase their portfolio and present their work, showing how they have earnt money and grown their network.

The Ideate category winner was Nicole McGregor who won for her business NutriCare and was awarded £5,300. NutriCare is a nutrition programme that offers one-to-one online consultations, video bites and live webinars, along with personalised nutrition plans, interactive cooking workshops and engaging nutrition challenges. Through the process applicants learnt how to build a viable business model, test the concept effectively and enhance their presentation skills to attract supporters.

Finally, the Accelerate winner was Mahfuza Begum who was awarded £8,000 for her business plan By BDSHA, which aims to empower women on a global scale by promoting confidence and self-expression through modest fashion. To win this award students had to scale up their existing business by crafting compelling pitches for funding and developing a plan for long-term financial sustainability.

The Big Idea finalists brought a wide range of exciting ventures to the table, from photography and event planning to health technology and creative arts. The finalists who made it to the grand final included Roland N’dekploman (Cartooning for Change Ltd), Lada Kopytova, Ellie Schuetze (EJS Photography), Maryam Sadat Seyedsalehi (Eventopia), Nicole McGregor (NutriCare), Mariia Novoselok (TeenLab), Joseph Brimicombe (One of One), Mahfuza Begum (By BDSHA), Matthew Taylor (Deaf Rave) and Hongjie Zhong (ZHONG Studio).

The Big Idea Competition is all about giving young innovators the support and tools they need to bring their ideas to life, and this year’s winners truly embodied that entrepreneurial spirit. 

Finalist Maryam Sadat Seyedsalehi said: "Honestly, WeNetwork and the Big Idea Competition have been a real push for me. I had this idea—I wanted to do something beyond just studying, like developing my own business—and WeNetwork gave me exactly what I needed. From their SkillsLab programme to the bootcamps, the whole Big Idea Competition, and the funding, it was a huge help. They really inspired me to move forward and develop my idea. It’s been perfect and I’d definitely recommend it to every student." 

The Big Idea Competition directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society. 

For more information visit the WeNetwork webpage or email the WeNetwork Team.