IDEAFEST Student Business Idea Competition
The annual IDEAFEST Student Business Idea Competition is led by Henley Enterprise Lab (HELAB) and supported by Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship (HCfE). Open to all University of Reading and Henley Business School students, IDEAFEST seeks to find the student with the best idea for a business.
What is IDEAFEST?
Students that enter IDEAFEST can present their business ideas and gain support that could lead to the business idea being commercialised. No prior knowledge of entrepreneurship or business experience is required to enter IDEAFEST - all that's required is a business idea and a passion to bring it to market. Students can enter IDEAFEST either on their own or as part of a team.
The winner of IDEAFEST receives a cash prize of £1,000 to spend on developing their business idea, with mentoring from Henley Enterprise Lab and Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship. There are also cash prizes for second and third places. There is also an additional cash prize of £750 for the best sales value proposition. These are sponsored by Southern Communications Group. On top of this, there is a special bursary of £2,000 for the best idea capable of being commercialised in China. This bursary is sponsored by Savio Kwan, the former President and Chief Operating Officer of Alibaba.
“Winning IDEAFEST is a dream come true. The support and feedback from the judges and fellow competitors have been invaluable. I am thrilled to take Jarioke’s Jollof Sauce to the next level”Janet Otite, Winner of IDEAFEST 2025, BSc Food Business and Marketing student.
You can read more about the 2025 competition here.
There are supporting events to IDEAFEST to help with applications, listed below which run alongside the Business Idea and Start-Up Clinic, held on Wednesday afternoons, bookable via MyJobsOnline.
IDEAFEST is now open to receive entries!
Key dates for 2026
- 26 January - Entries open
- 25 February - Sales Masterclass
- 23 March - Entries close
- 22 April - Pitch Practice
- 29 April - Final
Introduction to IDEAFEST’ Workshop held on 11 February 2026 -
The IDEAFEST Workshop session kicked off with exceptional energy. Hosted by HELAB, students were introduced to “The Seven Principles for Winning IDEAFEST,” a practical and motivating framework presented by Professor Norbert Morawetz to help students refine their entrepreneurial ideas, validate assumptions, and build compelling value propositions. The workshop blended insight with interaction, leaving students inspired, focused, and eager to elevate their entries ahead of this year’s competition. The event also heard from Jonathan Hayes, Corporate Lawyer with Clarkslegal who described what you need to pay attention to from a legal perspective in starting and growing a business. The session was closed by Jurek Sikorski, Director of HELAB describing how IDEAFEST works and at the same time encouraging students who were harbouring a business idea to enter the Competition.
Want to discuss your business idea?
Students can also discuss their business idea with Jurek Sikorski or a member of the Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship faculty at the business idea and start-up clinic.
IDEAFEST is kindly sponsored by Southern Communications Group and Savio Kwan, the former President and COO of Alibaba.
