Early Career Enterprise Fellowships

Are you an early career researcher with an idea that could have a real-world impact? 

The Early Career Enterprise Fellowship (ECEF) is here to help you explore how your research might be applied in a commercial or entrepreneurial context, including social enterprises. Whether you're developing a product, service, or innovation, this scheme offers time, training and support to help you take the first steps. 

We especially want to hear from Global Majority PGRs, your ideas and perspectives are vital to shaping inclusive innovation at Bristol. 

ECEFs are designed to support the commercialisation of University researrch and intellectual property. Some of our most successful spin-outs like Ziylo, Ferryx, Fluoretiq and Ultraleap were founded by early career researchers. This scheme helps you build the skills and confidence to follow a similar path. 

What does an ECEF offer? 

Each Fellowship includes: 

  • Funds which permit you to dedicate time to this exercise* 
  • A dedicated training programme delivered by SETsquared Bristol, including in-person cohort sessions and online learning 
  • Personal support from a Commercialisation Manager with sector-specific expertise 

* the ECEF provides a sum of £2000 which is paid to the ECR at the outset of the fellowship. This is intended to be used to protect 1 calendar month to dedicate to the fellowship. This does not include the training component which it is expected the ECEF will fit in alongside their usual workload as they would research training associated with their PhD. The sum is reached by calculating the approximate cost of 20 days of a standard UKRI stipend and adding an uplift as an additional incentive.    

Who can apply? 

The ECEF is currently open to registered postgraduate research students (PGRs). We’re exploring ways to extend eligibility to research associates in future. 

Want to hear from past Fellows? 

Visit the Enterprise and Innovation Blog to read about the journeys of previous ECEFs. From AI for radar imagery to grief festivals and sensory travel boxes, their stories show how diverse and impactful enterprise can be. 

What will I be committing to? 

Attendance and participation in the training sessions as shown in the table below 

Part 1: Introduction to Entrepreneurship and communication skills 

 

11 March 2026  

10:00-16:00 

Part 2: Founder Series 

18th March, 25th March 

22nd April, 29th April  

6th May, 13th May  

14:00-16:00 

Part 3: Pitch refinement and showcase 

17th June, 24th June 13:00-17:00 

1st July 15:00-18:00 
  • Participation in PechaKucha training: 8th May 10:00-12:00 (online), 1st June 10:00-15:00 (in person). 
  • Attendance and participation in the Festival of Enterprise June 2026 10th June 9:00-17:00. 
  • Working with your commercialisation manager and, in conversation with your supervisor, using their guidance to help progress the project.
  • Committing 20 days’ dedicated work to progressing the commercialisation of the innovation.  

How does the time buyout work?  

You need to apply to suspend your studentship stipend for a period of one month to allow you to focus fully on the Fellowship for this period. You will also need to request to extend your submission deadline by one month meaning that it does not detrimentally affect the time available to you for completing your PhD. The PGR administrator in your School/Faculty/DTE will assist with making these arrangements for you.   

What about Intellectual Property (IP)?  

The ECEF scheme is intended to support the commercialisation of University IP.   

If your research involves working on IP developed by a member of staff such as your supervisor, for example gathering data on the subject of the IP’s properties or applications, then the University will continue to own the IP. If the ownership position is unclear, to be eligible for an ECEF you are required to assign any IP rights you have to the University.   

If you have developed your own IP, to be eligible for an ECEF you will be required assign your IP to the University, and if you do this you will then benefit from the University’s revenue sharing model. Please see the University’s IP Policy for Students for further information: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/secretary/documents/student-rules-and-regs/Intellectual-Property-Policy-for-Students.pdf   

If you have your own IP but do not wish to assign it to the University, the ECEF scheme is not suitable, but there are lots of other ways to get support for your innovation. This includes:   

  • Speak to an enterprise advisor in the Careers Service   
  • Look at opportunities in the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship  
  • Consider the many networking and training opportunities for entrepreneurs in the wider Bristol community  

If you are not sure of the status of the IP you wish to explore please speak to a commercialisation manager before submitting your application. More information here: For researchers | Business and partnerships | University of Bristol  

How do I apply?  

Discuss your idea with your supervisor, and if you are unsure about the intellectual property ownership and the implications of this, discuss this with a commercialisation manager.   

Then, if you wish to go ahead, you and your supervisor must complete the form in full and submit it by the deadline 11 December 2025. The form is available ECEF Application Form 2026 (Office document, 41kB).

How are ECEFs awarded?  

All applications must be completed in full – including the supervisor section – and submitted by the deadline. All applications received will be reviewed by the ECEF funding panel and scored according to the assessment criteria below.  

Generally speaking, the panel will award ECEFs to the highest scoring applications. However, if there are several applications with the same or very similar score, the panel will also consider the balance of different disciplines and may decide to fund/not fund applications in order to provide a balance of projects across different disciplines/schools.  

We recognise the value that diversity of people, perspective and experience bring to our ability to create innovative enterprise activities and want to ensure that our fellowship selection processes are equitable and inclusive.  We encourage applications from the whole PGR community, particularly global majority students.  

Question in application form 

Assessment criteria 

What is the innovation you plan to develop during your fellowship? Please summarise the background research that led to it, including an explanation of the Intellectual Property status of your innovation. If you, or your supervisor or other colleague, have already discussed this innovation with a member of the commercialisation or impact teams in DREI please specify. (200 words)   

Innovation is a commercialisation prospect, not more research or another activity such as knowledge exchange or policy innovation without a convincing commercial dimension.   

Score: Y/N/Unclear   

  

Innovation arises from University research and IP, not a personal project/interest.  

Score: Y/N/Unclear   

  

What product or service will your innovation lead to? Who will buy or pay for the product or service? What gives you confidence they will buy it? Who are your competitors? How is your product or service differentiated? (200 words)   

Does the product or service sound viable? Do you consider their product/service case compelling, credible, robust and objective? (0/1/2)  

Have they given thought and some (desk based) research into the market for their product/service? Is the market credible? Do they provide evidence of their convictions? (0/1/2)  

Have they considered competitor products/services and the differentiation of their own? Is their argument credible? (0/1/2)  

Score 0-6  

What will you do during the fellowship? What will be different at the end of the fellowship? How will this move your innovation closer to commercialisation? What will need to happen after the fellowship? (200 words)   

Sensible and achievable plan for the duration of the fellowship including consideration of what and how they can do in the time available (0/1/2)   

Credible plan or ideas for next steps after the fellowship (0/1/2).   

Plans will make a material difference to the commercialisation prospect of the innovation (which could include it being a successful project, but also includes the option for “fail fast, fail cheap” (0/1/2)  

Score 0-6  

Of the supervisor: Please explain how the aims of this fellowship proposal align with strategic priorities – your own, your research group, your department/school, the University. Are you supportive of this proposal?Are you comfortable that the applicant can balance this fellowship with their PhD without detriment to their progression? Have you agreed with them how this will work in practice?  (200 words)   

Fellowship project is of strategic importance to the supervisor/group/school/University. (0/1/2/3/4)  

Supervisor is fully supportive both in principle and in practice. (0/1/2)  

Score 0-6