The Tech For Good Programme

We are looking for teams that are working full-time on their ventures and can commit to attending the full programme.

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Our programme is intensive with numerous sessions a week. However we try to schedule these over two days per week so you can use the rest of the time to work directly on your venture.

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We understand that not everyone is able to participate in our programme full-time due to caring responsibilities or other restrictions. We're always keen to explore how we can best tailor the programme to people's needs - get in touch if you'd like to discuss more.

The stage of successful applicants can range from being very early such as prototype or ‘pre-product’ stage, to having a more established product or service with paying customers or pilots. As a guide, 71% of applicants to our programme have at least a prototype or MVP.

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Whatever stage you’re at, we expect to see: a deep understanding of the problem you’re trying to solve; a clear hypothesis of the impact your business could have, how it could make money, and how it could scale; evidenced user research and testing; a committed and ambitious team.

Yes you can apply as an individual, but it's more likely that we'll invest in you with a team. We definitely wouldn't invest in a founder who thought they could do it all on their own. The wellbeing of founders is important to us and building, launching and scaling a venture is hard on your own.

We only invest in for-profit companies limited by shares. We require that you're incorporated in the UK for us to be able to invest. You don’t need to be incorporated as a company before you apply to our programme. If you’re offered a place on the programme we can help you set-up in order to receive our investment. Please note that we cannot invest into CICs.

Because of the stage of companies we work with, we’re often our portfolio companies’ first investor. For example, 79% of applicants haven’t received funding prior to BGV. But we’re still happy to invest if you’ve already received capital from elsewhere. We'll want to know about that investment and see what you've been able to achieve with it.

BGV is no longer an endorsing body for the UK Government's Startup and Innovator visa schemes. Unfortunately we are not able to provide advice or respond to individuals on how to get endorsements - for all visa related questions please visit the Home Office website.

No. One of the most important and beneficial things about joining BGV is being part of a cohort, and entering the portfolio following the programme. We want the teams on the programme to start on equal terms.

Application to our programme is highly competitive and the average acceptance rate is usually about 3-4%. Sometimes teams apply multiple times before being accepted.