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What’s Your Big Idea: Pathway to Success
Do you have a business idea or an early-stage start-up that needs a boost? Through practical workshops, mentoring sessions, and valuable networking opportunities, you'll gain the skills you need to bring your ideas to life. Plus, you'll have the chance to pitch and compete for a share of the cash prize pot.
About the competition
‘What’s Your Big Idea: Pathway To Success’ aims to promote and develop enterprise and entrepreneurship within Barnet and amongst the student population by offering local students, residents and employees the opportunity to showcase their ideas, attend business development workshops and win funding to help grow their business.
‘What’s Your Big Idea: Pathway To Success’ is delivered in collaboration by Middlesex University and Global Talent Solutions, with the generous support of Brent Cross Shopping Centre and Barnet Council.
Eligibility Criteria
To ensure a fair and transparent process, we’ve outlined all the key eligibility criteria and rules in a comprehensive Terms & Conditions document. All applicants must review this document to understand the programme’s requirements and ensure they meet the conditions before applying.
How does it work?
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STAGE I - Apply |
STAGE II - Plan |
STAGE III - Pitch |
|---|---|---|
|
No refined business plan? No problem! Submit a 90-second video and share your idea, passion or a problem you want to solve. |
Attend masterclasses led by entrepreneurs and industry experts, access digital resources, apply what you learn and practice your pitch. |
Five finalists will pitch their ideas to a panel of experts. Everyone will gain valuable experience, connections, and a clearer roadmap. |
How to enter
Submit a 90-second video pitch about your business or idea via the form below, speaking directly to the camera. The video doesn't need to be high quality — clarity of your business/idea is key for evaluation. Please structure your pitch to include:
- Introduction: briefly introduce yourself.
- Problem: clearly define the problem you’re addressing.
- Solution: explain how your business or idea solves the problem.
- Why You: share why you’re best suited to lead this venture.
NOTE: Please ensure that you have the video ready before you start completing your submission form. Your progress will be lost if you exit the page before you submit your answers.
Prizes
There will be five finalists, and the prizes will be awarded as follows: £1000 for 3rd place, £1,500 for 2nd place and £2,000 for 1st place. These are equity-free prize money.
Former Participant Stories
Rebeca Najmias
Winner 2023, Founder of Match Oishii
Since taking part in the programme, Matcha Oishii has continued to grow strongly, with sales increasing significantly across both wholesale and retail. The brand has expanded steadily into new European markets, including Sweden, Spain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, and has recently launched Amazon sales in the USA, supported by direct US-based distribution for faster delivery. New products are also being introduced regularly, such as a handcrafted cranberry matcha chocolate bar, alongside ongoing collaborations and wholesale growth. With international expansion well underway, the business is entering an exciting new phase with strong momentum.
Joshua Palmer and Vasiliki Papadima
Winners 2024, Founders of Unity App
The highlight of the competition for us was winning the London campus competition, which meant a lot for us showing that our idea actually had potential and could be developed further. This experience showed us that many other people also believe in our ideas. Unity is an app to help people of all abilities which features a map that highlights all public places such as shops, restaurants, libraries, gyms, museums, GPS and libraries. For each location, Unity will show what facilities they have to cater towards different needs, such as ramps, lifts, hearing aids or quite hours.
Isco Coban
Second Place Winner 2024, Founder of CMetrics
The MDXcelerator program marked my first formal pitch of our business idea. My primary objective was to validate the concept and gauge how the proposed solution resonated with potential stakeholders. The feedback was instrumental — participants recognised the problem we aimed to solve, which validated our business concept and also offered insight into potential identity issues, which led to the rebranding of the company as ‘CMetrics.’ Winning second prize provided significant validation for the business plan, and the accompanying bursary enabled us to engage with potential investors, ultimately leading to our initial round of investment from angel investors.
Marie Farmer
Winner 2018, Founder of Mini Mealtimes
I’m so pleased to have won, the prize money and ongoing mentoring will really help develop my business idea further. The support you receive throughout the process is wonderful. It gives you an extra boost of confidence and will validate your idea. Mini Mealtimes is an app that gives parents information on the nutritional value of their children’s meals and eating habits, including those that are homemade, store-bought, or a combination of the two. The app also provides reports based on the above, and recipe recommendations.
Andre Thompson
Winner 2017, Founder of Student Light
Student Light is an app and web platform designed to liberate students from barriers and adversity they face, particularly around mental health issues. The idea is to connect individuals, communities and leaders within and across higher education institutions. It feels absolutely incredible to win the prize. I’m glad people are really seeing that mental health in universities is an issue.
Registration form
Welcome to the What’s Your Big Idea: Pathway to Success application form! Please provide a brief overview of your business or idea, complete all questions, and upload your 90-second video pitch. This is your chance to showcase your vision, clearly explain the problem you’re addressing, and why you're uniquely suited to lead this venture. Be sure to review the full terms and conditions before submitting. If you experience any issues, reach out to us at bigidea@mdx.ac.uk. Good luck, and we look forward to seeing your big ideas! *Please note that your answer will not be saved if you exit the page before submitting. Ensure that you have the 90 sec video ready to upload before you begin completing the form.