A strong market understanding with experience working with local stakeholders
A sustainable business model
Will funding help to demonstrate social impact and commercial viability?
ImpactU Awards
What are ImpactU Awards?
ImpactU is a collective of universities working collaboratively to support and raise awareness of mission-driven businesses emerging from our ecosystems.
ImpactU provides alternative finance on commercial terms to scale research-led businesses affiliated to UK Universities with a social or environmental mission.
Our NEW ImpactU FdT Health Impact Loans are now open for applications, see below.
With our Pathfinder Awards we aim to invest over £1m into 26 social ventures by end of March 2026. The Pathfinder Awards are now CLOSED. As of January, we have completed 18 investments (and made eight more investment offers).
Why Apply for ImpactU Awards?
- Founders of social ventures often struggle to secure their first investment because of a misconception that these businesses will not be profitable or will not return capital to investors.
- There are over 100,000 social enterprises in the UK, generating £60bn for the UK economy and creating 2 million jobs to date. And this is only a subset of the social venture ecosystem!
- Social Enterprise UK’s latest report shows that 65% of social enterprises anticipate turnover growth this year and 70% made a profit or broke even in the last year.
- ImpactU provides investment of up to £60k to pre-investment ventures to enable proof-of-concept and help them secure further funding.
- ImpactU provides capital on commercial terms to demonstrate that these types of investments are commercially viable.
NEW! ImpactU FdT Health Impact Loans
Loans of up to £60,000 to help social ventures improving health in low-resource settings scale their impact.
Funded by Financière de Tubize (FdT), the reference shareholder of global biopharmaceutical company UCB.
ImpactU is a collective of universities working collaboratively to support and raise awareness of mission-driven businesses emerging from our ecosystems.
Is Your Venture Eligible?
- Must be an incorporated UK company, either CLS, CLG or CIC, or will incorporate if successful. This is not appropriate funding for a university project.
- At least one co-founder must be associated with an English member university (check the list here).
- Developing an evidence-based intervention, with at least two team members having at least MSc level education in a relevant field and/or relevant industry experience.
- Committed to creating a team with experience working on the ground and working with local stakeholders.
- Will use the loan to run a pilot of a scalable business.
- Have a sustainable and realistic business model through donations or out-of-pocket payments.
- Have an expected business model where the cost to the patient or donor is less than €100 per healthy life year added.
- Not be working in a conflict zone.
We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Apply here.
The template loan agreement can be found through the application link. Any enquiries please contact: [email protected]
Investment Criteria
An embedded social purpose
A strong founding team
An innovative solution
ImpactU Pathfinder Awards - NOW CLOSED
With our Pathfinder Awards our aim was to invest over £1m into 26 social ventures. As of January 2026, we have completed 18 investments (and made eight more investment offers).
Is Your Venture Eligible?
- At least one co-founder must be associated with an English member university (check the list here).
- The company’s Articles of Association must include a social or environmental mission statement, addressing any of the Sustainable Development Goals.
- The venture must be incorporated as a Company Limited by Shares or a Company Limited by Guarantee or plan to incorporate as such within two months.
- The company has not received any equity investment.
- The venture may be based on university IP (research or data) or from the enthusiasm and connections within our University communities.
- Founders can come from any academic background, department, and level of education.
- Your application must demonstrate how you will use £40k of investment to propel you to further investment or customers. You cannot use the funding for academic research or legal incorporation costs.
Governance Panel
Colin Poma-Young, Commercialisation Manager at The University of York
Charlotte Rowan, Senior Research Innovation Manager, LSE Innovation
Richard Hazenberg, Professor of Social Innovation at University of Northampton
Emma Salgård Cunha, Associate Commercialisation Director at Cambridge Enterprise
Philippa Christoforou, Social Ventures Lead, Oxford University Innovation
Further Information on ImpactU Pathfinder Awards:
1. Why are only English Universities eligible for Pathfinder Awards? ImpactU is funded by Research England so focuses on delivering support in England. As our training can be delivered online, we are able to offer this more broadly.
2. How can a university become a member of ImpactU? Universities can sign up via this Microsoft form. No formal contract is required, only a key contact point and a desire to support any applicants of the Pathfinder Awards.
3. Who is responsible for the governance of ImpactU? The University of Oxford is the lead on the Research England bid and responsible for overall administration of the programme. It has delegated authority for the day-to-day operations to Oxford University Innovation.
4. How are decisions made regarding Pathfinder Awards? The shortlist is decided by the governance team. Investment recommendations are made by the award panel, which consists of representatives from partner universities, angel investors, and impact investors. Oxford University Innovation (OUI) makes the final investment decision, based on award recommendations, on behalf of the University of Oxford.
5. Who will own the IP generated from ImpactU funding? ImpactU funding does not change the current or future IP position of the organisation.