TIER 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Endorsement Application 2013

HOW TO APPLY

Lancaster University international graduates may be eligible to apply for Tier 1 Graduate
Entrepreneur, a visa initially for one year which enables you to set up a business in the UK.
Find out more on the Home Office website,
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/t1-ge-guidance1.pdf

Lancaster University has been working with entrepreneurs for over 15 years. Successful applicants can
benefit from expertise in research, education and business support at the Institute of
Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development within the Lancaster University Management School.
Find out more here http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/departments/Entrep/

If you wish to apply, you must receive an endorsement from the University. There is a limit of 10
endorsements for all degrees and an additional 10 for MBAs only.

To be considered for an endorsement you need to supply us with the following information:
Complete your Personal and Contact Details on page 2
Complete the section Reasons for Applying on pages 2-3
Agree to the terms and conditions on page 3
Complete your business plan. You are free to choose your own structure and content, but a
template is included on pages 4-5 to help you.

Send this completed document, signed and scanned with your business plan by email to tier1grad-
ent@lancaster.ac.uk . If you dont have a scanner, bring this document in paper form to the Base.

There are a number of submission dates depending on when you complete your degree:
1 12 noon on Friday 31
st
May 2013. Please note that you need to be in this first submission if
you completed your degree in June 2012 because you need to apply for the visa within 12 months of
being awarded your degree.
2 12 noon on Friday 12
th
July 2013
3 12 noon on Friday 15
th
November 2013
4 12 noon on Friday 14
th
February 2014

You will be notified of our decision by email within 2 weeks. Please note that if there is an unexpected
demand, this may be delayed but we will contact you regarding this.

Successful applicants will be sent their endorsement letters by both email and post.
If you are successful, you must apply for the visa within 3 months of the date of the endorsement
letter. You will need to show maintenance funds of 900 (if you are already in the UK) or 1,800
(from outside the UK) in your account for 90 days. Please note that if you have been financially
sponsored by a Government or an international scholarship agency for your programme of study
then you must provide a letter confirming the sponsors unconditional consent for you to remain in
the UK. This letter must be submitted with your visa application.




Help with the visa application is available from ISAS.
Book an appointment through the Base or by email tier1grad-ent@lancaster.ac.uk

For more information on Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur), see the Home Office website
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/t1-ge-guidance1.pdf

Personal and Contact Details

Name
Date of birth
Lancaster University Student ID
Passport number
Current visa type
Visa expiry date
Course
Expected completion date
Personal email address
Mobile phone number
Postal address

Reasons for Applying

Why are you applying for Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur? What are your motivations and drivers for
starting this business?




What have you done towards developing your business idea?
(For example any relevant events you have attended or
market research you have undertaken.)






Terms and Conditions

I confirm that I agree to the conditions of the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa as laid out at the
Home Office website http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/pbs/t1-ge-
guidance1.pdf. If I am granted a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa, I shall spend the majority of my
working time on developing the business venture. When my leave to remain expires I shall leave the
UK unless I am awarded further leave to remain. While I have a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa, I
shall respond to emails I receive from Lancaster University every 3 months, and I shall inform them of
any changes to my contact details or circumstances.


Name _________________________________________________________________


Signature _________________________________________________________________


Date _________________________________________________________________








Suggested Business Plan Template


1 Executive Summary

A synopsis of the key points of the entire business plan. It should explain the
fundamentals of the business in a way that is both informing and exciting for the
reader; after all you want them to keep reading. It should not just be a description of
the business and its products, nor should it be an extended table of contents. You
could look to start the executive summary by stating the company mission statement.
2 Business Background

Details on the background of the business, is this a start-up or an existing business?
Will you be self-employed or will the company be a private limited company
registered with companies house? What is the company mission statement? Are there
any key customers or contracts for supply?
3 Key Personnel

Who will be managing the company and are there any other key staff? Who owns the
company, who are the decision makers? Do not go into too much detail but provide
evidence of relevant experience to help set credibility both in terms of the market and
field in which the company will operate any also other key skills that are required
when running a business. A CV may be included in an Appendix.
4 Organisational Aims and Objectives

Set out the aims and objectives for the company. This section should go into more
detail of the mission statement and high level aims, objectives and possibly SMART
targets (although this could be included in an Appendix).
5 Products and Services

Describe the products and services of the company and apply a simple costing analysis
(how much does it cost to produce/deliver and what can it be sold for). You may
provide more details of the pricing structures in the appendix. What are the Unique
Selling Points of the products and services that your company can deliver?









6 The Market

Who are the key customers or potential target customers for the company? Who is
also competing to deliver to these customers? Are there any barriers to entry?
7 Marketing and Competitive Advantage

Does your company have a competitive advantage? How can the potential customers
be targeted by the company, what are the routes to market for each product/service?
Do you have a marketing plan and what experience/contacts do you have in the
market to help promote your products/services. Have you performed any SWOT
analysis, if so please summarise and put the full details in the appendix. Again include
detail of your products/services Unique Selling Points.
8 Premises, Equipment, Staff

What premises do you require for the business right away and potentially in the
future? What equipment is required for the business now and in the future? Will you
need to recruit any staff or outsource any business activity?
9 Finance

How much are you looking to invest in the company or how else will capital funding be
raised? Do you need any kind of buffer loan to help with cash flow? What are the
expected sales over the next three financial years? What are the expected cost of
sales over the coming three financial years? What salaries and wages are you
expecting to pay? Any other overheads? The finances should be examined in more
detail in the appendix (usually at the front) and any assumptions should be listed
before detailed profit and loss accounts, cash flow forecasts and balance sheets are
shown.

APPENDICES
As detailed in the sections above.