3 categories
University, Startup and SME (see below for eligibility).
Open until 16/07/25
Santander X UK Awards 2025
About the Santander X UK Awards 2025
150 shortlisted businesses
50 in the University category, 50 in the Startup category and 50 in the SME category.
Online pitch workshops
The 150 shortlisted businesses will join a series of online workshops where experts will break down the key elements of a successful business pitch.
Online and in-person pitch heats
Shortlisted businesses will pitch across a series of online and in-person pitch heats to win a place in the National Final at Santander's HQ in Milton Keynes on 13 November.
9 Winners
9 finalists (3 per category) will compete for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place and a share of £135k funding and business support.
9 places in the Santander X Global Awards
All 9 winners will automatically receive a place in the Santander X Global Awards.
Santander X UK Awards: 15 Years of Championing Entrepreneurs
The Santander X UK Awards is Santander's flagship entrepreneurship pitching competition. Originally launched in 2011 for university entrepreneurs, the competition has evolved to additionally support early-stage incorporated businesses, with a new SME category added for 2025.
This year mark a major milestone as we celebrate 15 years of the competition. Over this time, we've awarded more than £1.1million in equity-free funding and supported thousands of ambitious UK founders to take their ventures to the next level.
Check out our winners from 2024 below:
University Category
Startup Category
- 1st place: Soil Benchmark
- 2nd place: Innerworks
- 3rd place: Luna
Feeling inspired? Get your entries in now!
Who can enter?
Your business must be based in the UK and meet the following criteria:
University category
The University category is for early-stage university businesses and entrepreneurs who are preparing their go-to-market strategy and are looking to launch.
If your business has a university connection but you have already launched and you are legally incorporated, please apply for the Startup category.
Your business should:
- Be linked to a UK university (at least one team member must be a current student or employee, a graduate of the last five years (since 2020), or an entrepreneur from a university incubator, accelerator or spin-out).
- Have a minimun viable product and be preparing to go to market.
- Have a team of two people or more (if you are a solo founder this can include advisors/board members and/or full/part-time staff).
Startup category
The Startup category is for early-stage legally incorporated UK businesses generating up to £250k annual revenue who are growing and looking to scale.
If your business is generating more than £250k annual revenue, or you have more than 25 employees, please apply for the SME category.
Your business should:
- Be legally incorporated and registered in the UK.
In addition your business must also meet one or more of the following criteria:
- An annual revenue of up to £250k.
- Raised funding of between £50,000 and £750,000.
- Between 2-25 full-time employees (this can include your founding team).
SME Category
The SME category is for legally incorporated UK businesses generating over £250k annual revenue.
If your business is generating less than £250k annual revenue please apply for the Startup category.
Your business should:
- Be legally incorporated and registered in the UK.
In addition your business must also meet one or more of the following criteria:
- An annual revenue of over £250k.
- Between 25 -250 full-time employees.
Prizes
Winners will receive the following equity-free cash prizes:
Key dates
From
21
May
2025
To
16
Jul
2025
Application – stage 1
We'll review applications on a rolling basis, so apply early to give yourself the best chance of progressing to stage 2.
From
01
Aug
2025
To
15
Aug
2025
Application – stage 2
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a second stage application.
From
15
Aug
2025
To
01
Sep
2025
Selection
Oxentia and Santander will select 150 businesses (50 in the University category, 50 in the Startup category, and 50 in the SME category).
From
08
Sep
2025
To
26
Sep
2025
Online pitch training and workshops
The 150 shortlisted businesses will join a series of online pitch workshops where experts will breakdown the key elements of a successful business pitch.
From
29
Sep
2025
To
31
Oct
2025
Pitch heats
All 150 shortlisted businesses will pitch across a series of virtual heats. The top 27 (9 per category) will pitch at an in-person semi-final to select 9 finalists (3 per category).
13
Nov
2025
National Final
The 9 finalists will pitch at Unity Place, Santander's head office in Milton Keynes, to a high-profile judging panel who will select 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each category.
Our commitment
Banco Santander
Banco Santander is firmly committed to progress with a pioneering and consolidated commitment to education, employability, and entrepreneurship, which it has been developing for more than 27 years and which distinguishes it from other financial institutions across the world.
Banco Santander has been recognised as one of the companies that are contributing the most to changing the world for the better, according to the ‘Change the World’ 2023 list from Fortune. To date, the bank has donated more than €2.2 billion and supported more than one million people and companies through agreements with over 1.300 universities globally.
Oxentia Ldt
Oxentia grew out of Oxford University's technology transfer company, Oxford University Innovation, with the aim of providing specialised innovation management services to public and private sector customers throughout the world.
Oxentia's approach builds on Oxford's strong tradition of globally supporting early-stage innovators and entrepreneurs to promote innovative projects that impact the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The Oxentia Foundation was created to support Oxentia's goal of addressing global inequalities through innovation and entrepreneurship activities.