3 categories
University, Startup and SME (see below for eligibility).
Santander X UK Awards 2026
About the Santander X UK Awards 2026
90 shortlisted businesses
30 from each category.
30 semi-finalists
30 businesses will take part in expert-led online pitch workshops - experts will break down the key elements of a successful business pitch.
National Final
9 businesses (3 from each category) will compete for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, and a share of £150k funding.
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: Championing Entrepreneurs since 2011
The Santander X UK Awards is Santander’s flagship entrepreneurship pitching competition. Originally launched in 2011 for university entrepreneurs, the competition has evolved to support high-potential startups and SMEs.
Since launch, we’ve awarded more than £1.2 million in equity-free funding and supported thousands of UK founders to accelerate their growth.
2025 Winners
Check out our winners from 2025 below.
University category
Startup category
SME category
We've found the whole experience, from online pitch heats to in-person finals, has played a big part in building confidence in how we present ourselves on a national and international stage. Presenting at the Global Finals in Barcelona helped us introduce ourselves to a European audience for the first time. It's been such an amazing journey, and I feel so proud to be part of a wonderful community of founders. I can already see that we will benefit from the close connections we've made with other founders, but also from the ongoing support and mentoring from Santander. If you are considering applying, you absolutely should - you never know where the application might lead!
Sam Jackman, Founder of Boost, Santander X UK winner and Santander X Global Award 2025 FinalistBeing part of the Santander X Awards pushed us to sharpen how we communicate what we’re building and why it matters. It’s a well-run programme that connects you with people who genuinely want to see early-stage ventures succeed. It’s been a meaningful step in our journey, and I’d definitely recommend it to founders looking to grow.
Wangyang Hu, Co-founder of Aeropod, Santander X UK winner and Santander X Global Award 2025 FinalistWho 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 are UK-registered, 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 2021), or an entrepreneur from a university incubator, accelerator or spin-out)
- Have a minimum viable product and be preparing to go to market
- Have a team of 2 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 UK registered businesses that are within their first 18 months of trading, generating up to £250k annual revenue, and are growing and looking to scale.
If your business has been trading for over 18 months, please apply for the SME category.
Your business should:
- Be registered in the UK
- Be within first 18 months of trading
- Have a team of 2 people or more (if you are a solo founder this can include advisors/board members and/or full/part-time staff).
In addition, your business must also meet at least 1 of the below criteria:
- An annual revenue of up to £250,000
- Raised funding of between £50,000 and £750,000.
SME category
The SME category is for established, UK registered businesses that have been trading for over 18 months and are generating over £100k annual revenue.
If your business has been trading for less than 18 months, please apply for the Startup category.
Your business should be:
- Registered in the UK
- Trading for over 18 months.
In addition, your business must also meet at least 1 of the below criteria:
- An annual revenue of over £100,000
- Between 2 - 250 full-time employees.
Prizes
Winners will receive the following equity-free cash prizes:
Key dates
From
23
Mar
2026
To
06
May
2025
Application – stage 1
We'll review applications on a rolling basis. Apply early to give yourself the best chance of progressing to stage 2.
From
21
May
2025
To
10
Jun
2025
Application – stage 2
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a 2nd stage application.
From
25
Jun
2025
To
10
Jul
2025
Virtual pitch video - stage 3
90 shortlisted businesses will submit a virtual pitch video.
From
11
Jul
2025
To
17
Jul
2025
Selection
Oxentia and Santander will review and select 30 businesses as semi-finalists (10 from each category).
From
20
Jul
2025
To
31
Aug
2025
Online pitch workshops
30 semi-finalist businesses will join a series of online workshops where experts will break down the key elements of a successful business pitch.
08
Sep
2025
Virtual semi-final
30 semi-finalist businesses will do a virtual pitch. 9 finalists will be selected (3 from each category).
18
Sep
2026
National final
9 finalists will pitch to a high-profile judging panel in London who will select 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each category.
Our commitment
Banco Santander
At Banco Santander we have been supporting education, employability and entrepreneurship for nearly 30 years. This unique and global initiative sets us apart from other financial institutions around the world.
To date, Santander has invested more than 2.4 billion euros and supported more than 3.7 million people and businesses through collaboration agreements with universities and institutions around the world.
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.