Seeds Hub, a project of Caritas Westminster, has announced the opening of applications for its next Start-up Programme, designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start a social impact business.
One of Seeds Hub’s two annual programmes, this free six-month course combines practical training, one-to-one mentoring, and a focus on network-building and peer-to-peer engagement. The programme is open to anyone with an idea for a social enterprise, charity, community interest company or other social impact business, and is especially targeted to people experiencing socioeconomic inequalities other and barriers to entering the start-up industry.
This year’s Start-Up Programme will run from 9 October to 2 April 2026, and will be delivered online. Each week, participants will take part in workshops covering business fundamentals like financial planning, pitching, customer testing and brand clarity. Training will also address challenges such as responsible use of AI, accessing alternative funding routes, and sustaining one’s mission through uncertainty.
Alongside weekly workshops, participants will receive personalised support including expert mentoring and regular peer-to-peer sessions focused on tackling shared challenges and receiving feedback. Entrepreneurs will be encouraged to reflect, refine, and take action every week, to ensure genuine progress towards their professional goals.
Participants from previous Start-Up cohorts consistently mention how transformative the structure and environment of the programme are. One founder said the support helped them to ‘package their services better, attract the right partners, and market their organisation,’ while another described being ‘challenged in incredible ways.’ Most also mentioned that the combination of training, mentoring and networking generated powerful momentum and progress.
Seeds Hub is looking for committed entrepreneurs who are ready to engage with a supportive team of mentors and peers: there are 25 places available on this year’s programme, which will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications close on 26th September.
Seeds Hub, a project of Caritas Westminster, supports entrepreneurs from low-income and under-represented backgrounds who want to start or grow a business for good. The initiative aims to tackle an acute lack of diversity in the start-up community, by providing courses, mentoring and a workspace to business founders from across and beyond the Diocese of Westminster.
Find out more about Seeds Hub’s programmes here.
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