Take your business idea to the next level through DMU and Santander

Got a side hustle, or have a business idea you want to develop? 

If you’re looking to take that next step, DMU Made, together with Santander, is hosting a Dragons' Den-style pitch competition. 

The DMU Made Santander X Pitch Day is open to all DMU students and recent graduates, with three competition winners each winning £5,000 worth of funding, which can be used in any way to boost your business. 

Who can enter? 

• Any current DMU student or recent graduate (having graduated within the last 18 months) can enter 

• You must have registered as a sole trader, or have registered your own limited company since July 2025 or be willing to do this. DMU Made can help you with registration (email dmumade@dmu.ac.uk), and Sole Trader registration is free!  

• You must have already started to develop your business (past a purely ‘idea’ stage), and your idea must be ‘innovative’ in some way 

How to enter? 

• To enter, you must submit an initial online application via this link by 11.59pm on Thursday 30th April. 

This will involve providing some basic details and outlining the vision/objectives of your business. 

• All initial entries will be reviewed in early May, and if you’ve made the shortlist, you will be contacted by the DMU Made team. 

When is Pitch Day? 

Pitch Day will take place on Thursday 21 May. Information about timings and a location will be included in an email to shortlisted finalists.  

Availability for this day is essential for all entrants 

What will happen at Pitch Day?  

• At the Pitch Day, each finalist will deliver a 15-minute pitch to a small judging panel, after which the panel will ask 15 minutes of questions relating to their pitch.  

• The three winners will then be selected by the panel, and each will receive a £5,000 prize in the form of a one-off grant payment.   

What should I include in a Pitch?  

Useful areas to consider for your pitch include:  

• Explaining the nature of your business, comprehensively but concisely, in terms a non-specialist would understand 

• Explaining the problem your business solves, or the need it meets. Do you have a ‘unique selling point’? 

• Explaining your target market and your knowledge of any competitors offering similar solutions to your business 

• Explaining how you would use a £5000 grant to transform your business, and what the intended result/impact would be   

Dragon’s Den (accessible via BBC iPlayer or YouTube) is great place to get an understanding of how the day will work. 

For any questions regarding the competition, please email dmumade@dmu.ac.uk  

DMU Made is part of the Careers Team, supporting students and recent graduates in relation to Freelancing, Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment. Please visit dmumade.com for more information.