Henley Greenshoots Seed Finance Award Scheme

Greenshoots is targeted at businesses recently launched by students and graduates of the University of Reading, including the Henley Business School. Particular interest is sought from businesses that have occupied either the Henley Start-Up Business Incubator or the Entrepreneurship Hub and those who have previously participated in the IDEAFEST Student Business Idea Competition and the Henley Summer Start-Up Boot Camp that have gone on to start a business.

Greenshoots 2022 will open for applications on 29 March 2022 and close on 30 May 2022. Please visit this page again once applications have opened to download the application form.

The businesses chosen to receive the Greenshoots funding for 2021 were as follows:

- Cyrus Clothing, a high-quality clothing brand without the pricing that usually accompanies luxury brands

- Digital Story Universe, a business that has created a digital portal where consumers of crime fiction can experience immersive online stories

- eHuddle, an online platform built by coaches for coaches to help personal growth

- High5VR, a business creating high quality VR production to teach English language to foreign students

- PharmaCY, an online prescription-based delivery service in Cyprus with a focus on improving the public health system

- ProppedUp, a company that allows people to invest in buy-to-let student properties without becoming landlords

- Revive Foods, a brand offering a range of premium plant-based bars with an organic and healthy mission

- Three Manakins, an all-in-one charging and journey planner app for electric vehicles

The full story of the Greenshoots award presentation can be read here.

To be eligible for Greenshoots funding, businesses must be incorporated at/after 1 August 2018 and meet the eligibility criteria as more specifically described below:

- Entrants must be students or graduates of the University of Reading or Henley Business School - graduates must have graduated in 2020 or later

- Entrants can be individuals or teams

- Entrants must be permanent UK residents or, in the case of non-EEA students or graduates, hold an appropriate visa and have been living in the UK for the duration of their University of Reading or Henley Business School studies

- Start-up must be registered as a trading company in the UK

- All entrants must be at least 18 years old

- Entrants must own a majority share (>50%) in the start-up

- Students who set up businesses as a result of their course (e.g. BA Entrepreneurship) or module (e.g Applied Entrepreneurship) are eligible

- HCfE reserves the right to check the personal details provided by the entrants on entry to make sure that you meet the awards eligibility criteria

- Previous recipients of a Greenshoots award are ineligible

Greenshoots is sponsored and supported by Santander.