Our programmes provide the tools, knowledge, and capability to participants to enhance their entrepreneurial journey and start and grow sustainable, scalable businesses and social enterprises. FastStart is open to University of St Andrews students, staff, alumni and members of the local community. FastStart runs during each semester, with applications opening at the end of the previous semester. Venture Creation programmes will run based on need. Read more about each of our programmes below.

Have an idea for an app or startup? Over the course of 8 weeks, you'll learn about the lean approach to solving problems. We'll show you no-code platforms you can use to plan, develop and launch a proof of concept/prototype version of your app idea to test out your hypothesis and get some early traction. The course will combine introductions to platforms, sign-posting to resources, time to build and ask questions, and added elements to help you ensure you're addressing problems that are real, and get to know your customer. FastStart Digital Launchpad is for people who have an idea and the time and bandwidth to work outside of class on building a prototype. You do not need to know any software development or engineering in order to take part.

Are you ready to embark on a transformative journey that will revolutionise the way you approach problem-solving? Join us for an extraordinary 8-week Design Thinking course and immerse yourself in a fun and engaging learning experience. In this dynamic program, you will discover the power of empathy-driven innovation and unleash your creative potential to tackle real-world challenges.  Led by a seasoned design practitioner, this course will equip you with the essential skills and mindset needed to navigate the complexities of today's rapidly evolving world.  Furthermore, we will delve into the practical application of circular design principles, empowering you to create sustainable and novel solutions. Collaborate with a diverse cohort of like-minded individuals, engage in hands-on exercises, and gain valuable insights from successful case studies. Embrace design thinking as a catalyst for groundbreaking solutions and learn tools that you can apply in any future role.  Shape the future with design thinking!

With over 6,000 social enterprises in Scotland, the demand for organisations that create impact has grown vastly over the past few years. As consumers motivations and values have shifted, there’s now more than ever, demands for Social Entrepreneurs to pave the way through business. The FastStart Changemakers programme is the ultimate introduction to social entrepreneurship, guiding you through an online programme which will identify social and environmental problems. The programme will provide the tools and skills needed to create positive impact on these issues through business by providing weekly topics from market research through to preparing for launch.

Venture Creation is an intensive programme aimed at: academics, staff and students; PhDs, postdocs and researchers; early stage entrepreneurs, with potentially commercialisable research and those who have been working on an idea, ideally with at least one or two others. In either case, individuals should be committed to starting and growing a company. During the programme, participants will explore the reality of start-ups and what it means to be an entrepreneur. In the morning, tools and frameworks for identifying business opportunities and considering their desirability to customers and viability in the marketplace will be explored. In the afternoons, participants are expected to put the tools and frameworks into practice. The programme requires fulltime commitment during the whole of the two weeks. Venture Creation programmes will be arranged based on need, at times to suit participants and the facilitation team. This programme is a requirement for the St Andrews Innovation Fellowship, which is open to University of St Andrews staff. Please contact us if you are interested in Venture Creation.

Modelled on successful accelerators, FastStart Accelerate provides cohort-based accountability and commercial interrogation.  The programme is run by a serial founder and investor who has built and raised multiple tech startups. Each week the group will meet, take part in hotseat discussions, set goals, and review the previous week’s 'missed and made' actions. You’ll be introduced to the concept of masterminds, and there will be ad-hoc deep dives into subjects like investment, product-market-fit, pivots, KPIs, cofounders, and traction metrics. FastStart Accelerate is exclusively for founders who are actively building startups that are scalable.  Start ups they are working on and want to develop into into full-time opportunities. The style is highly commercial, and unlike other academic-style courses or seminars. Sessions are intensive and interactive.  The programme is designed for people who want to be actively challenged on their assumptions in order to build better businesses. FastStart Accelerate is highly selective.

Over 8-weeks FastStart Innovators takes participants through the full entrepreneurial journey from idea creation to prototyping to the final pitch day at the end of the programme. Hosted alongside a pool of industry-expert mentors, participants will have access to a network of key individuals who will be able to equip them with the skills and experience needed to get their idea off the ground. Each week will host a different topic, which will provide the skills and knowledge to develop and streamline ideas through a step-by-step process. Participants will develop personally and professionally gaining skills in Creativity, Communication, Leadership, Negotiation and Public Speaking.