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THE SIDE HUSTLE INITIATIVE 2022
Are you a young entrepreneur?
Join our nationwide competition that gives young people the platform to turn their big ideas into a reality
Brought to you by YourGamePlan, finnCap Group (main event partner) and ACCA (partner)
Are you killing it on Depop? On the path to making positive social change? Are you the next up and coming artist? Or have an idea for the next big thing?
Then the Side Hustle Initiative is for you…
We’re on a nationwide search for 14-18-year-olds who are already delivering a side hustle or who have an amazing business idea that they are passionate about launching.
Through the Side Hustle Initiative, the top 30 finalists will gain access to one to one professional mentoring with industry specialists that match our finalist’s Side Hustle to support them in evolving their ideas. As well as being invited to attend a ‘Dragons Den’ style pitch in front of our panel of judges in London. The winners and runners-up will then receive a share of the £10,000 investment fund to go straight into growing their business.
2022 CATEGORIES
Profit-Making Business
A business you have started which is making a profit
Not-For-Profit Business
Inspiring social change through non-profit or charity. This can be an idea or a business you are already running.
Business
Idea
A big idea for a business that you have not started yet!
WHY YOU SHOULD ENTER
Don’t take our word for it, here’s what some of last year’s finalists had to say…
“It was amazing!
Loved being in such a stimulating environment with the ideas and advice of the judges and fellow entrepreneurs!”
Loved being in such a stimulating environment with the ideas and advice of the judges and fellow entrepreneurs!”
Yii-Ling Deng
Bamb.oo
“Very beneficial and useful to both me and my business.
It has certainly inspired me to grow bigger and expand my brand!”
It has certainly inspired me to grow bigger and expand my brand!”
George Dipper
Photoshopmyride
“The workshops were so interesting and I learnt a lot about the ‘business world.’ It also gave us all a chance to express ideas and learn from each other.”
Rachel Brolly
Make the Change
“Events like this are priceless. Young people are really amazing - they just need a platform.”
Donna Hubbard-Young
Headteacher of Chesterton Community College in Cambridge
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
NOVEMBER 2021
Register your interest
Sign-up to keep up to date with what’s going on and be first to know when entries open
28TH MARCH 2022
Entries open
The submission form will be open where our young applicants will pitch their entrepreneurial business ideas and demonstrate a financial model (our partners FinnCap and ACCA will be providing support and guidance).
*NEW DATE* 4TH JULY 2022
Entries close
Applicants must submit their entries before 12 pm.
5TH -11TH JULY 2022
Entries reviewed
The Side Hustle team will be reviewing all entries to ensure they meet the criteria.
12TH - 22ND JULY 2022
Voting open
All qualified entries will be live on the Side Hustle website for the entrants to start sharing and campaigning for votes.
22ND AUGUST 2022
Finalists LIVE event
30 finalists (10 from each category) will be invited to attend a ‘Dragons Den’ style pitch in front of our panel of judges in London. The winners and runners-up will then receive a share of the £10,000 investment fund to go straight into growing their business.
NEED HELP WITH YOU ENTRY?
DIGITAL Q&A
Stuck with the entry? Got a question you need answering? Or simply need a bit of help and advice? We know these competition forms can feel a little daunting which is why we’ve launched a digital Q&A!
Simply click the button below, submit your question and the Side Hustle team will be in touch with some guidance to help you with your entry.
BE INSPIRED
Discover their stories – meet last years 5 winners and our bursary award winner…
1ST PLACE
BEN3D
A simple and successful online store selling specific 3d printed items who wanted to expand and widen their services to create large scale advanced manufacturing specialising in providing custom 3d printed parts ranging from prototypes to medical equipment in the future.2ND PLACE
youngtutor
An online GCSE tutoring service offering affordable education for all students – tutored by GCSE alumni who have attained the top grades. They are aiming to revolutionise the academic space for the national youth cohort.3RD PLACE
The Backyard Barber RWB ltd
Started as a lockdown venture offering a wide variety of garden maintenance jobs including lawn mowing, weeding, fence painting and hedges. They help people have a garden to be proud of while employing and supporting local students whilst giving them workplace life skills.3RD PLACE
Jawbone Scotch Egg Co.
Homemade gourmet scotch egg business offering 11 unique, experimental flavours using locally sourced produce run from a shipping container.3RD PLACE
.wlroo
A freelance motion designer creating animated videos and graphics for companies all over the world. They also offer physical branded merchandise, digital ‘graphics packs’ for educational and personal use, as well as run a support program teaching ‘underdog’ creatives the business of design.RUNNER UP & BURSARY AWARD
New Beginnings
Two sisters originally from Iraq, moved to Jordan before arriving in Cambridge. Inspired by their own experience these sisters want to set up a business that offers support services for teenagers who are new to the UK and who would like advice and help to settle in.A FEW WORDS FROM OUR EVENT PARTNERS
“YourGamePlan was launched to ensure that young people across the UK have the skills and confidence to pursue any career they want, we wanted to go a step further around entrepreneurship, the best way to ensure a fairer distribution of societal wealth is to engage more people from different backgrounds into launching their own companies, but to do that they need a platform, this is what we hope the Side Hustle Initiative will give them.”
Danny Heath, founder of YourGamePlan
“We live in the era of the side hustle, and many established and successful entrepreneurs are those who have managed to take their side hustle full time and turn it into a small business. The side hustle is often the first step in converting a passion into a viable business – and every young person deserves an equal opportunity. I’m incredibly excited about enabling young people to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit and embrace their side hustle. This initiative empowers the next generation of entrepreneurs, giving them vital access to expert advice, networks and funding along the way.”
Sam Smith, CEO, finnCap Group
“ACCA is thrilled to be supporting Side Hustle again this year. It’s all about encouraging young entrepreneurs whatever their background to achieve their dreams. We’ve seen how a side hustle can become the main hustle for someone with the right drive and determination to flourish when backed by the expert advice to get them there.”
Claire Bennison, Head of ACCA UK