Converge Challenge – Converge Challenge is Scotland’s largest entrepreneurial training programme and competition with prize fund of £160,000+. Open to staff and students at Scottish Universities and Research Institutes. For anyone with a startup idea or budding entrepreneur.

Company Creators & World Changers

Get your business idea off to a flying start with funding, training and support from Converge, the leading company creation programme for staff, students and recent graduates of Scottish Universities and Research Institutes.

We help the most innovative and creative thinkers from academia to realise their entrepreneurial ambitions by offering generous cash prizes, coaching and a programme of business training and support that turns fledgling businesses into investor-ready companies.

From spin-outs to start-ups, we welcome applications from any industry sector and for products or service-based ideas at any stage of development.

Our Challenges

We offer four, distinct competition categories including:

Converge Challenge:
For more established ideas with high commercial potential and scalability

Creative Challenge:
for innovative, new projects operating in the creative sector

Impact Challenge:
for mission-led businesses looking to deliver a positive social or environmental impact

KickStart Challenge:
for early stage, innovative ideas

Our Challenges

Why Apply?

generous cash prizes – £230k prize pot shared across four challenges
a money-can’t-buy package of business training and pitch coaching
free consultancy from our network of partners in areas including IP, branding, marketing, legal, finance and product development
national validation
access to a wealth of connections including investors, support agencies, commercial partners and funding bodies

Regardless of whether you win the top prize or not, we will guide you towards creating a commercially viable company.

Our Success Stories

Over the last 9 years, Converge has supported some of the best entrepreneurial talent to emerge from Scotland’s Universities and Research Institutes.

From start-ups to spin-outs, our alumni are represented across a wide range of industries including the life sciences, technology, engineering, renewables, the creative industries and med tech.

Some of their ground-breaking innovations include next generation ultrasound sensors, educational robots, wearable medical devices, trailblazing cancer treatments and robotic, grain monitoring probes.