Version: 6 May 2016
Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Visa – King’s Application Form Guidance
This document is aimed at giving you more insight into what is being assessed in each section. Questions are similar to those found in a
basic business plan; however, additional questions are added that will help us to understand your ideas better and how you will
approach the challenges of being self-employed. Have this guide to hand when completing your application form, to ensure you
understand each question and how to answer correctly.
If you have any questions about the application process, you can email us on careers@kcl.ac.uk, or call 0207 848 7134. Our email and
phone enquiry lines are open between 9am and 5pm. You can also seek advice on your application form via our Careers Consultant
Sabrina Duggan; each appointment lasts for 20 minutes
1. Applicant’s Details
This section is needed so that we can create a profile on our confidential online system and contact you further.
King’s ID Number
i.e. K1208160
Title
i.e. Mr, Miss, Mrs, Dr.
First Name
i.e. Mary
Last Name
i.e. Smith
Date of Birth
i.e. DD/MM/YY
Home Address in the UK
i.e. Flat Number, Street Name, City, Postcode
Telephone Number
i.e. +44(0)7960 123 456
Email
i.e. Give an email address that will work post graduation
Qualification Studying
i.e. The qualification level that will be on your degree certificate
Course Subject
i.e. The title that will be on your degree certificate
Awarding Body
i.e. The institution that will award your degree
Expected Date of Qualification
i.e. DD/MM/YY
Current Visa/Immigration Permission
i.e. The title of the visa you currently have to be in the UK
Date Current Visa/Immigration Permission Expires
i.e. DD/MM/YY
2. Experience & Goals
This section asks you to give background to your work experience and skills gained, relevant to self-employment, as well as check
your motivation for running your own business.
2.1 Have you ever been self-employed or started up a business before? If so, when?
I.e. This gives a sense of your previous experience at managing your own business.
2.2 What business experience have you had, that will help you start-up your own business? (100 words max). Please attach a 1-2
page CV to highlight any relevant experience that will be useful to this particular business idea.
N.B. Careers Tagged guide to writing a CV.
2.3 What are your career goals within the next 5 years? (100 words max)
N.B. Mindtools guide to SMART goals might help you present your goals well.
3. Business Summary
This section gives you the opportunity to tell us your big idea! This is the information you need to be able to recite from the heart,
when anyone asks what your idea is and who it is for.
3.1 What is your business idea? (200 words max). Please attach a business plan, if you have one.
I.e. We ask you to attach a business plan if you have one because it will show us your business in depth. If you haven’t already
started writing a business plan, you may wish to do so, because it may be a requirement for future investors or funders but also
useful in planning your action. We will accept all business plan templates, if you choose to submit one.
3.2 In one sentence only, describe what your business idea is, what it will do, and who it is for.
I.e. How you’d reply to ‘what do you do?’ in an elevator pitch for example. N.B. Mindtools guide to ‘elevator pitch’.
4. Products & Services
This section enables you to be specific with what you intend to do professionally, that will make you an income.
4.1 What specific products and / or services will you sell within Year 1 of business? List each in order of the priority that you believe
they are to your business, and give a brief description of each product or service below.
Type of Product or Service
Selling Online or Offline
N.B. Marketing Donut guide to selling.
5. Your ‘Team’
This section is important for you to demonstrate who you will be building relationships with to manage all of your business activities.
Consider every single person who will be connected or involved in your business in some way (i.e. partners, funders, suppliers,
manufacturers, mentors etc). N.B. We ask you to provide a CV of any key business partners, to demonstrate what experience they also
have in completing the business tasks that you will ask of them.
5.1 Who will work with you or support your business in Year 1? Please list their full name, their role (“job title”), and all
responsibilities they will have in your business. Please attach a CV for any key business partners you have.
6. Marketing
This section is all about the communication tools you will use to tell people you have a business; demonstrate your
research/analytic skills; as well as your self-awareness of being able to interpret where you fit alongside competitors.
Market Research
6.1 What market research have you done online and offline that proves there is a need or demand for your business? Please list any
useful market data you have obtained as an attachment. (300 words max)
N.B. Marketing Donut guide to market research; British Library IP Centre has free market database systems.
Target Market
6.2 Who specifically will you be promoting and selling each of your products/services to in Year 1 of business? Give as much detail
of each ‘customer profile’ as you can. (300 words max)
N.B. Marketing Donut guide to target markets.
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Competition
6.3 Who have you identified are your key competitors in relation to your business idea and target market? List any competitors in
order of their importance or potential impact to your business.
Name of Competitor
Type of Business
What Makes Them Your Competitor?
I.e. Business name
I.e. Tech Start-up
I.e. Products? Customers? Price?
6.4 What will make you stand out to your target market and against your competition? (100 words max)
I.e. Consider your ‘unique selling point’ or what strengths you have in comparison to your competitors for example. N.B. Marketing
Donut guide to competitors.
Communication & Promotional Tools
6.5 What marketing tools will you use to communicate with your target market and promote your products and/or services? Please
give the name of the tool to be used, a description of what you will use it for, and how often you will use it.
Name of Tool
Description of Usage
Frequency of Use
N.B. Marketing Donut guide to
marketing tools.
I.e. What the tools is to be used for (to promote /
communicate / build community etc)
I.e. 1x Daily; 3xWeek?
7. Finances
This section asks you to demonstrate the tangible figures involved in setting up your business. If you don’t have the skills to do this,
you will need to learn how, or seek advice from a person skilled in working with finance forecasting (i.e. accountant ). You will need to
consider types of finance appropriate to your business idea and experience in business.
Costing & Pricing
7.1 What is your estimated cost to set up your business and manage it within Year 1?
I.e. Use the expenditure figures from your estimated cash-flow forecast to help you here.
7.2 What potential price will you sell each of your products and/or services? List any additional pricing features you wish to use, i.e.
discounts, pricing bundles, buy-1-get-1-free etc.
List of Product or Services
Potential Price(s) in £
Other Pricing Features
N.B. Marketing Donut guide to
pricing.
N.B. Startups.co.uk guide to pricing.
Income Generation
7.3. What is your estimated income from your business in Year 1 of business? Please attach a 12-month cash-flow forecast
demonstrating your potential income in relation to expenditure.
I.e. Startups.co.uk guide to cash-flow forecast; Government guide to cashflow. If you’ve attached a business plan to your
application, and that includes a cash-flow forecast, don’t include a separate one.
7.4 What other sources of income will you have, other than from sales? (100 words max)
I.e. A requirement of Tier 1 is that you must be able to support yourself for the entire duration of your stay in the UK.
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8. Operations
This section asks you to tell us the practical information that will be the foundation of your business; for example, the space,
equipment and systems you will employ to be effective in business.
8.1 How many days/hours a week do you plan to work on your business?
I.e. UKBA asks us to confirm that you will spend the majority of your working time on developing business ventures.
8.2 Where will you work from, and what other physical space do you need to use in your business? (100 words max)
I.e. All spaces you will need to work from, or need to visit externally to manage and deliver your business.
8.3 What physical equipment and IT software do you need to buy/hire to start-up your business? (100 words max)
N.B. Government guide to IT systems.
8.4 What manufacturing and/or distribution process will you use to get your products and/or services to your customers? If you plan
to sell online, please list the e-Commerce system(s) you will use. (100 words max)
N.B. Marketing Donut guide to distribution; Government guide to e-Commerce.
9. Legal Protection
This section is essential for you to show you will protect your business legally and will seek professional legal advice.
9.1 What legal status will you register your business in the UK?
N.B. Government guide to choosing a company’s legal status.
9.2 What intellectual property will you protect in your business and in what way? (50 words max)
N.B. UKIPO guide to intellectual property.
9.3 What insurance or licences will you need to protect your business? (50 words max)
N.B. Smarta guide to insurance; Government guide to licences and using a licence finder.
9.4 What legal documentation will you need to use in your business? (50 words max)
N.B. Law Society guide to finding a solicitor.
10. Evaluation
This section will prove you’re caring about your business future, and the impact it has on the public. You’ll need to monitor what is
said about yourself, the brand, and products and services to know what is working well or not so well.
10.1 What testimonials or feedback have you had about your business or ideas so far? (100 words max).
I.e. Include any verbal/written comments received about you/your business. N.B. Marketing Donut guide to customer feedback.
10.2 What will you do if your business doesn’t succeed in meeting it’s aims or generating sufficient income in Year 1?
(100 words max)
I.e. Mindtools guide to writing a Contingency Plan.
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11.Checklist of Appendices
This section is to remind you that you’ve been asked to provide several documents throughout this application.
11.1 Have you attached these documents to your application?
Document Type
Attached?
1. CV (2-pages max)
N.B. If you’re also attaching the CV of a key business partner, tell us how many CV’s you’re including
2. Business Plan (12 pages max) – optional
3. 12-Month Cash-flow Forecast (1 page max)
N.B. If you’ve attached a business plan that has a CF within it, you don’t need to attach a separate one
12.Applicant’s Declaration
This section is a requirement to prove that you are giving accurate information at the time of applying.
Signature
You must put the signature that is recognisable on your passport.
Date (DD/MM/YY)
You must date your application form with the date you send in your application form.
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