Ideas Unlocked 💡Cohort 1
You don’t need a business idea to start.
Curious about entrepreneurship but not sure where to begin?
Maybe you enjoy solving problems, creating things or exploring new ideas, but you’ve never thought of yourself as an entrepreneur.
Ideas Unlocked is a hands-on, one-day programme from the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) where you’ll work with others to explore a real-world problem, generate ideas and turn one into something you can pitch, all in one day.
You’ll also have the chance to pitch what your team creates and win a £250 prize. 🏆
📅 Registration closes: Tuesday 17th November 2026
No previous business experience is needed. Just bring your curiosity, creativity and willingness to get involved.
What will you do?
Throughout the day, you’ll work in a team and move through the early stages of developing an entrepreneurial idea.
You’ll:
🔍 Explore a real-world problem and understand who it affects
💡 Generate and compare possible solutions
🎯 Decide which idea your team wants to develop
🛠️ Use practical tools such as the Lean Canvas to build out your idea
🎨 Create an early prototype to bring your solution to life
🎤 Finish the day by pitching your idea
How the day works
📅 Tuesday 24th November 2026
⏰ 9am - 5pm
📍 University of Manchester campus – room details will be shared with registered participants before the event.
You’ll work through a series of fast-paced, practical challenges with your team:
Problem → Ideas → Solution → Prototype → Pitch
What’s included?
💡 A full day of practical entrepreneurship activities
🤝 The chance to work with students from different disciplines and backgrounds
🛠️ Practical tools to help you turn problems into ideas
🎨 The opportunity to develop an early prototype
🎤 The chance to pitch what your team creates
🍽️ Lunch voucher provided
🏆 Opportunity to win £250
You don’t need to arrive with an idea
Ideas Unlocked is designed for people at the very beginning of the entrepreneurial journey.
You don’t need an existing startup, a finished idea or previous entrepreneurship experience.
The programme is about giving you the opportunity to explore, experiment and discover what you can create with other people.
Where could it take you next?
If Ideas Unlocked sparks an idea you want to explore further, MEC can help you take the next step.
One option is Launchpad, where you can spend more time testing your own idea with potential customers and gathering evidence about whether it is worth pursuing.
🔗 Find out more about Launchpad:
Launchpad | Masood Entrepreneurship Centre | The University of Manchester
From there, founders who continue developing their ventures may progress to further MEC support, including Venture Builder.
Ideas Unlocked → Launchpad → Venture Builder
Who can take part?
Ideas Unlocked is for people who are:
💭 Curious about entrepreneurship
💡 Interested in ideas, innovation or solving problems
🤝 Open to working with people from different backgrounds
🚀 Interested in exploring whether entrepreneurship could be for them
Ready to unlock your ideas?
Register for Ideas Unlocked by Tuesday 17th November 2026 and spend a day turning problems into possibilities. 💡