Paid Micro-Internships
Are you interested in developing your enterpreneurial skills through a paid intership with a nationally and internationally recognised organisation?
Apply here
Do you want to learn more about marketing, finance and operations, funding and impact? Well this is the opportunity for you. These are 70 hour placements, taking place over two weeks during the Summer Break and are available to all SOAS students. You will recieve an equivelent salary of the London Living Wage.
Internship Placements:
SOAS entrepreneurs' micro-internships is your opportunity to develop your entrepreneurial skills by working in start-ups with a social enterprise approach. Each internship will fall into one of the following categories:
These are 70 hour placements, most of which are to be undertaken over 4 week across July and August. The exact dates of the placements depend on the placement. Interns will be paid at London Living Wage. You must be located in London throughout the duration of the internship as some in person working will be required.
Internships
This Fan Girl
Internship Category: Impacts and grants
Start and End Date: 15th July - 9th August
Full-Time or Part-Time: Part-Time
Business Description:
This Fan Girl is an online platform and creative studio. We exist to connect women with the beautiful game, and do this through culture, creativity and community.
Role Description:
You'll be supporting us in developing a video about women's football and the environment, supporting with administrative duties as well as research and talent management. You'll also be involved in supporting with social content for the month of July and August over the Olympics.
On Road
Internship Category: Marketing and branding
Start and End Date: 5th August - 29th August
Full-Time or Part-Time: Part-Time
Business Description:
ON ROAD is a research agency that focuses on purpose, representation, immersion and reciprocity within youth culture. We want those unheard voices heard across mainstream brands so that there is equality and integrity that represents us in those spaces. We work with brands such as Nike, YouTube, Spotify, Depop and BBC.
Role Description:
You'll be conducting market research and brand strategy within our cultural research and community building areas of the business. You'll also be building socials and conducting outreach amongst much more!
Football for Future
Internship Category: Finance and Operations/Brand and Marketing
Start and End Date: 2nd July –29th July
Full-Time or Part-Time: Part-Time
Business Description:
Football For Future (FFF) is a non-profit of climate experts, sustainability leaders and football fans. We support stakeholders across football - from non-league clubs, to some of the biggest brands in the world - with the tools that they need to respond to the changing natural, cultural and business environments around them.
Role Description:
You'll be responsible for helping Football For Future organise our first in person event. You will be working with our Project Manager to deliver this event, prior events experience is preferred.
Football for Future
Internship Category: Brand and Marketing
Start and End Date: 5th August – 30th August
Full-Time or Part-Time: Part-Time
Business Description:
Football For Future (FFF) is a non-profit of climate experts, sustainability leaders and football fans. We support stakeholders across football - from non-league clubs, to some of the biggest brands in the world - with the tools that they need to respond to the changing natural, cultural and business environments around them.
Role Description:
You'll be responsible for helping Football For Future across our comms output, including our social media, website and newsletter. You will be working with our Comms Manager, you'll be working with FFF staff, and prior comms experience is preferred.
Bloomsbury Football Foundation
Internship Category: Finance and operations
Start and End Date: 5th August – 30th August
Full-Time or Part-Time: Part-Time
Business Description:
Bloomsbury Football Foundation is a registered charity using the power of football to positively impact the lives of thousands of young people in Central London. We know that personal background - whether socioeconomic, ethnic or national - is often a major background in football. Our aim is to break down these barriers across our number of programmes and make football a more accessible and inclusive game that helps support active lifestyles, promote positive impacts and pursue full potentials
Role Description:
You'll be a generalist, supporting our operations team and also supporting on the behind the scenes running of our football provision. This could look like assisting our Club Football team, Refugee and Pan disability team, our Futsal team or our open football provision team depending on where your interests lie.
Kinde
Internship Category: Marketing and Branding
Start and End Date:
Placement One – 15th July –26th July
Placement Two – 5th August – 30th August
Full-Time or Part-Time:
Placement One – Full-Time
Placement Two – Part-Time
Business Description:
KINDE is a purpose driven entertainment & marketing agency based in South London. Our mission is to serve with purpose, create influence and deliver victory! We are dedicated to championing underrepresented cultures. We’re proud to work alongside some of the biggest & best brands in the world such as Disney, Sky, Amazon Prime Video & Nike; helping to push their boundaries of creativity whilst challenging the status quo with a focus on diversity.
We serve our partners, our culture & our communities through the following core services; brand partnerships, events & experiential, content development, creative services and digital. We are looking for an intern to join our team to support across all our divisions from partnerships to events/experiential and on multiple accounts including but not limited to Sky, Disney and Paramount Pictures.
Role Description:
You'll walk into a diverse role where you will work across multiple projects simultaneously whether that would be helping to push a bad-boy partnership over the line or helping the events team to deliver an unforgettable experience. You will help shape the culture through your sharp creative instincts, great organisation skills and good relationship building. Most importantly, you will reflect the ethos that we’ve been building the past few years!
Football Beyond Borders
Internship Category: Impacts and Grants
Start and End Date: 12th August – 23rd August
Full-Time or Part-Time: Full-Time
Business Description:
FBB is one of the leading educational charities and youth brands in the UK. Established in 2014, we have undergone impressive growth in the past couple of years and are now at an exciting stage of our journey. We currently work with 2000 students across 130 Secondary School programmes in Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Lancashire, Yorkshire, London, Kent and Essex. Alongside this, we have built strong partnerships with a host of brands such as Nike. In the next stage of our journey FBB aims to become the leading specialist charity for disengaged young people and the best place to work with young people in the UK.
Role Description:
You'll sit within our impact team which is the hub of our learning at Football Beyond Borders. You will get a range of experiences that could include: being involved in evaluating the impact of the programme looking at both qualitative and quantitative data, gathering insights, identifying trends/learnings and suggesting changes that could be made to improve the impact of organisation. This could also include some involvement in programme design and implementation.
The Outrunners
Internship Category: Finance and Operations
Start and End Date: 16th July – 9th August
Full-Time or Part-Time: Part-Time
Business Description:
The Outrunners exist to support young people (8-30) living in East London to build the futures they want. Through running, movement and career support, we work with young people whose lives are shaped by inequality, harnessing their talents, creativity and energy to improve wellbeing, community connections and future life prospects.
Role Description:
The Funding, Partnerships and Impact Intern will play an important role in supporting The Outrunners' strategic initiatives to secure funding, build partnerships, and measure our impact. This internship offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the non-profit sector, working closely with our dedicated team to advance our mission.
Apply Here
Previous opportunities
Enterprise Masterclass
Join us on the 31st of May 2024 for our Entreprenuers Masterclass.
During the day you'll attend workshops on developing your idea, creating your USP, telling effective stories and how to pitch. We'll also be celebrating SOAS entreprenuers past and future, so it is great opportunity to develop your network, speak to business coaches and get 1-2-1 feedback on your plans.
Tickets are limited and refreshments and lunch is provided.
Get your ticket here!
Accelorator
in Partnership with Greenwich University
Our Accelerator programme in partnership with Greenwich University helps students and graduates with established businesses get the specific support they need. It is designed to help you solve the business problems that are holding you back from growing your businesses to the next level.
During the week you’ll learn about a range of practical topics including:
Finance and accounting
Developing your brand identity
Marketing and sales techniques
Finding new customers
It’s a great opportunity to learn new skills and techniques, as well as joining a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. During the programme you will network, attend tailored workshops and receive 1-to-1 business advice from industry experts.
Our next Accelerator is taking place on the 10th – 11th June at Cooper Powerhouse, University of Greenwich, London, SE10 9JH.
Apply here: Accelerator 2024 (soasunion.org)
Incubator
in Partnership with Youth Beyond Borders
Students can apply to the incubator programme. Students involved in the programme will benefit from 10 weeks of workshops in which you will develop your business accument and incubate your ideas. You will benefit from 1-2-1 mentoring from industry professionals and at the end of the process you will be able to pitch your idea to a panel of experts and be in with a chance of recieivng a bursary of up to £2000.
Applications are now closed for the 2023-24 academic year.
Additional Opportunities
- Paid Microinternships
- Funding and Competitions
- Events, activities and master classes throughout the year
The Hussain Foundation
Exciting news for SOAS students! Nest, a mentoring network run by the Hussain Foundation, is set to take flight in the Hussain Chaudhry room within the new Students' Union space. Designed to empower and nurture young talents, Nest offers CV reviews and mentorship meetings. As part of the SOAS Students Union, you now have a valuable resource to help you soar into the world with confidence, knowing that your Nest community will always be there to support your journey. Get ready to spread your wings and embrace the opportunities that Nest has to offer!
Sign up to mentoring here.
Entrepenuers Society
The society serves to encourage, educate and inspire this community as well as showing a potential new path of entrepreneurship to those that have yet to consider it.
Get involved here.
Any other questions?
You can contact us by emailing StudentEnterprise@soas.ac.uk
Information hub
Differnt routes to self-employment
- Business owner -As a self-employed business owner you set up and run your own company, either as a sole trader (alone) or in partnership with others. You and any colleagues must generate sufficient income on which to live, while building up demand for your services.
- Franchising - As a franchisee, you buy into an established business such as a restaurant chain. The company provides raw materials, training, support and a recognised brand name, all of which you pay for. Beyond this you are largely autonomous and responsible for generating your own profits at a local level.
- Freelancing (or contracting) -As a freelancer, you work for another company on a temporary contract basis covering a particular project or commission. Once that has finished you have to look for another assignment. Typically, freelancers need a specific skill (such as IT or writing) which they can offer to companies.
Online and face-to-face advice and information
- Working for yourself - handout from The Careers Group
- Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed - includes the very good 'Being freelance' podcast. Offers reduced-price student membership and many resources (some free to non-members).
- Association for Project Management - students can register for free and network with experienced professionals to get a head start on your career
- Business Support Helpline run by Gov.org. The number is: 0800 998 1098
- Chambers of Commerce – sources of information, networking and help. See "contact your local Chamber" at bottom of page for local information
- City Business Library - major collection of business information including market research, UK and international directories (print and electronic) and databases with company information
- Enactus - brings together students, academics and business leaders who are committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need
- Enterprise Educators UK – have been networking, supporting and developing enterprise education for over ten years
- Entrepreneur Handbook - an information website for UK entrepreneurs providing expert advice and guides on every aspect of starting and growing a business
- Graduate Prospects – includes a guide to setting up your own business and further sources of information
- Mentorsme.co.uk - a UK-wide searchable database of mentors for businesses and entrepreneurs
- NACUE – supports and represents student-led enterprise societies and young entrepreneurs to drive the growth of entrepreneurship in Universities and Colleges across the UK
- National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE) – raising the profile of entrepreneurship and the option of starting your own business as a career choice amongst students and graduates
- National Enterprise Network - membership body for Local Enterprise Agencies, and other like-minded organisations, in England
- Portobello Business Centre – free, industry-informed advice and courses for start-ups and business development
- The Prince's Trust – support (mentoring and financial) for unemployed/ underemployed 18 to 30 year olds wanting to start a business
- School for Social Entrepreneurs – supporting social entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to transform their talent into real social outcomes, in the form of sustainable solutions to poverty and disadvantage in communities
- Shell Live Wire – help for 16 - 30 year olds to start and develop their own business, includes a free 'Start a Business Toolkit'
- Small Business - news articles, guides, tips and Q&A forum
- Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) - Social enterprise news and upcoming events
- Springwise - Daily updates of enterprising ideas around the world
- Trevor Baylis Brands - set up by the inventor of the clockwork radio to help inventors develop their ideas. Download a free 'Discovery Pack'
- UnLtd – helps guide and develop social entrepreneurs – people with vision, drive, commitment and passion who want to change the world for the better
- Setting up your own business - 20min video from Student Career Compass
Legal/regulatory
- Companies House - Major source of information on existing companies, setting up new ones and regulatory issues
- Find a Solicitor (Law Society) – solicitors offering free half hour consultations on employment law, contracts, leases, business structure or finance and step-by-step guides
- Working for Yourself - Gov.uk information
- Find a chartered accountant through the ICAEW or ACCA
Start-ups
- Businesses and self-employed – Information about starting up and running a business in the UK, including help if you're self employed or a sole trader
- Learn with Start Up Loans? - the Westminster government-backed “Start Up Loans” scheme is offering free business learning courses in partnership with the Open University. The courses will be delivered via the OU’s OpenLearn platform, and aim to support entrepreneurs in understanding the fundamentals of running a business
- Nwes - not-for-profit enterprise agency, which aims to provide business support to boost self-employment and encourage enterprise
- Startups - includes a range of start-up guides
- The Financial Times' Entrepreneurship section - often has a column which has case studies and news of interest to small businesses and start ups
Patents
Franchising?
Freelancing
Funding
- Funding Circle – an online marketplace to help businesses find low cost loans quickly and investors get better returns
- NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) - has as a number of schemes to help social enterprises, SMEs and business start-ups
- Skoll Foundation – benefits communities around the world by investing in, connecting and celebrating social entrepreneurs
- UK Business Angels Association - the UK's largest source of investment for start ups and early-stage businesses seeking to grow
- UnLtd - funding advice given
?Creative industries
- Cockpit Arts – supports craft practitioners at the start of their careers
- The Design Council – their work places design at the heart of creating value by stimulating innovation in business and public services, improving our built environment and tackling complex social issues
- The Dots - like LinkedIn for creative professionals. Hiive allows you to build and showcase your creative online CV in one place
- ScreenSkills - works with UK screen-based creative industries to develop skills and talent. Good resources for starting up as a freelancer (covering topics such as taxation, building a brand and pricing your work etc) available as videos in the 'Freelance Toolkit' section of the Creative Skillset YouTube channel
Advice for students/graduates with disabilities
- RNIB - Self employment support for blind and partially sighted entrepreneurs
- Scope - Information about starting a business, including information about grants available to disabled entrepenuers