FUEL

FUEL is supported by Santander Universities. It is a 9-week business growth programme for those seeking to expand their current business.

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About FUEL

FUEL is our nine-week course for business growth, aimed at those who are looking take their current business to the next level. It is available to Oxford Brookes students, staff and graduates of 4 years only.

Supported by Santander Universities, through a combination of videos, webinars, group mentoring and expert input each week you explore and develop the key aspects of your business necessary to make a step change in its operation.

At the end of the course you will have gained an invaluable understanding of what your business is all about and who it is for, a first class pitch deck to equip you for the future and the chance to use it to present your idea and win a package of up to £3000 business growth funding and mentored support.

WE ARE COMMUNITY and attendance is important. Participants are required to attend 80% of the sessions in order to be eligible to pitch for funding at the end.

Case Study

Find out how Lillian Gathoni launched her events company to tackle environmental issues.

Course Content

The following course is delivered once a year between January and March.

Week ZERO - info session

Meet other like-minded people at our FUEL info session and find out if the programme is right for you.

A person sat at a table with coffee, journals and pens

Week one - value propositions

In this first session we will be looking into your value proposition to understand what makes your business attractive to your customers.

Week two - key customers / relationships

Your customers are at the heart of your business, but who are they? In this session we will identify your key customers and understand how to maintain a good relationship with them.

Week three - channels

Now we know who your customers are, how will you reach them? This session is about identifying your marketing channels to build traction with your customers.

Week four - revenue structure

Nailing down pricing can be a challenge. This session will help you get an understanding of how your business earns money and how much your customers are willing to pay.

Week five - partners and resources

This session will allow you to identify your key partners and understand what resources are needed to offer value to your customers.

Week six - cost structure

This session will focus on your costs and overall finances. After the session you will know how to maximise investment on your expenditure.

Week seven - marketing

Now that you have gained a better understanding of your business, it's time to get the word out about it. In this session we will look at marketing analytics and discuss how to make sense of the numbers.

Week eight - pitches

It's time to deliver your pitch for the chance to win up to £3000 business funding. The pitches will take place online with a live audience.