NEF+
About this Programme
NEF+ is an established programme steeped in peer-to-peer empowered learning and founder growth. With a 10-year track record, we adapt the learnings, insights and real-world experiences from successful serial founders – for today’s ambitious early-stage founders.
Paid-for training
Programme type
Applications Open
Applications Close
London
Location
Facilitated By
Centre for Entrepreneurs
The Centre for Entrepreneurs is the UK’s leading entrepreneurship foundation. NEF+ is the latest version of the NEF programme, which has been running for 10 years, supporting the development of the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders.
About the Programme
The journey of any founder is an exciting one full of opportunities and challenges. Yet, it’s no secret that it can be a lonely journey when starting on your own or even with a small team.
NEF+ is an immersive entrepreneurial leadership programme that builds your skills, connections and capabilities. The 6-month programme is centred around a bespoke learning programme, designed and delivered by leading entrepreneurs.The cohort-based experience means that you share ideas, learnings and support.
In addition, NEF+ provides 1:1 executive coaching and business mentoring support, access to curated events and an alumni network of founders and startup expertise. We also partner with Founders Forum to offer participants an incredible range of access to networks, events and competitions.
Programme Structure
Your experience during the 6 months of NEF+ will be intensive, but incredibly rewarding. The programme comprises 6x1-month duration cycles, each delivered by entrepreneurs with expertise in their respective domains. We offer up all the know-how to overcome real-life business obstacles while providing rapid development in a short timeframe.
The programme features:
- 6 Learning Cycles – Each cycle comprises digital topic content, a face-to-face masterclass, a group challenge to test your new skills on real business problems and showcase with expert judges & peer-review to assess outcomes and reflect on opportunities.
- Private Inspiration Evenings – Each cycle, we invite seasoned entrepreneurs to share their specific experience of that topic, through ‘inspiration sessions’ where they talk about their experience and share highs and lows in a private event.
- 1:1 Coaching – You're matched with an executive coach, who will provide support and guidance for your leadership development journey.
- Diverse Mentorship – You have access to our pool of business mentors, who offer a combination of sector-specific expertise, the experience of growing businesses at different life cycle stages and deep technical expertise in key business areas.
Who you are
We're looking for ambitious founders who have launched (or are about to) launch an MVP, aiming to drive the next stage of their business’ growth. You’re looking to simultaneously drive strategy and execution, and develop your leadership skills to maximise your personal impact.
Our founders come from all different sectors and backgrounds. You might be:
- About to launch an MVP, or have launched one already
- Moving on to the following stages or want guidance getting there
- Working part-time on your business and planning to go full-time (though, you may already be working full-time within it)
If that sounds like you, NEF+ could be the programme that takes your business to the next level, and we’d love to hear from you!
Cost
The cost of the programme is £3000. We want to make NEF+ accessible, so we offer payment plans to spread the cost of the programme out making it more affordable and manageable for you. We also offer a limited number of fee-assisted places for candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.
The programme fee is a significant investment, but the value lasts long after the 6-month programme duration. This fee is a fraction of the total delivery cost of the NEF+ programme. As a registered charity, we leverage support from our donors to help cover programme costs. The fee covers:
- Participation in the learning programme, including ongoing access to learning material and content,
- Executive coaching and business mentoring support,
- Invitations to exclusive events and networking opportunities,
- Connections to potential investors and supporters including Founder Forum
- Membership to our thriving 370+ alumni network
The Application Process
You will first complete an application form surrounding yourself and your startup. If we determine that you could be a good match for the programme, you will be invited for a chat with Alicia, our founder talent lead. This gives you the opportunity to showcase yourself and your startup in more detail and to ask any questions you may have about the NEF+ experience. The final stage will be an interview with a C-level member(s) of our team and a key leader within our network. If successful at this stage, you have earned yourself a place on the programme!
Applications are open now for our next cohort which begins in April and applications close 31st March. As we make offers on a rolling basis we strongly encourage you to apply now so that you don’t miss out on a place. Find out more and apply here.
Alumni and impact
Our alumni network includes over 380 members, spanning across our ten NEF cohorts since launching in 2011. They have gone on to create and scale businesses that are changing lives, driving growth and transforming markets, including Home Tree, Sliide, Thriva & UnMind. Our most recent impact data for NEF+ alumni-founded businesses speaks for itself: - Over 170 live businesses - 2600+ new jobs created - More than £140m raised in early-stage funding - Collectively valued in excess of £500m (those businesses that have committed at least one external fundraising round).
Yang Liu - Co-Founder & CEO of JustWears
Yang Liu overcame big challenges – including being an immigrant entrepreneur – to build JustWears into a sustainable comfort wear brand that’s been featured on Kickstarter and Dragons’ Den.
Read Yang’s full story here
Kike Oniwinde - Founder of BYP Network
Kike (Class of 2018) is the CEO and Founder of BYP Network, a social platform for black young professionals to network, socialise and date. It connects future leaders aged 18 – 35, enables them to search for new jobs or entrepreneurial opportunities and build relationships with like-minded individuals in the black community.
Read Kike’s full story here
Maud Miller - Co-Founder & CEO of Adapt
Maud Millar pivoted from teaching English to helping teachers and students through Adapt, whilst taking on the CEO role in the middle of 2020.
Read Maud’s full story here
Finn Sims - Founder of Previously
Finn Sims is the founder and CEO of Previously and NEF+ Class of 2019 alumnus. On a mission to eliminate e-waste, Previously designs what Finn calls “mindful tech” – sustainable products that will never have to end up in landfill as e-waste, but instead be recycled or repaired. Its lead product, at prototype stage, are the Previously Speakers 01 – repurposed from over 14 recycled plastic bottles, used speakers and compostable corks.
Read Finn's full story here
Nikita Thakrar - Co-founder of Included VC
Nikita Thakrar is the Managing Director and Co-founder of Included VC along with Stephen & Chris at Notion. Nikita is also part of the NEF+ Class of 2013 alumna. To perfectly describe her journey, Nikita recalls exploring entrepreneurship “before it became sexy.” At university, she did things differently by starting entrepreneurship societies and enterprises.
She joined NEF+ in 2013, before going on to work in a start-up, a global accelerator, university academia – and finally landing in venture capital – the full circle.
Read Nikita's full story here
Programme FAQs
All your questions should be answered here.
Once a NEFer always a NEFer! Whilst the learning content is delivered over the course of 6 months you will have lifelong online access to all the resources and content from our learning platform. You will also get lifelong membership to our active alumni community of 370+ NEFers, including invitations to our exclusive alumni events and networking opportunities. We can guarantee you will make lifelong friends and connections within your cohort and across the team too as well as introductions to potential investors. The value of NEF is lifelong.
You should apply anyway, we will be able to judge whether or not your business is at the right stage for you to get enough value out of the programme to make it worthwhile. Typically this would mean that you are close to an MVP, have just launched an MVP or are generating revenue.
We’re looking for super ambitious founders who have big visions for their business and at least some idea of how to get there. You are resilient and not afraid of your failures. You’re super self aware and know where you shine but also where you’re better off asking for help. The opposite of risk averse, entrepreneurship is part of your genetic makeup, but most of all your passion for your business is unrivalled.
We have a diverse network of business mentors with domain expertise across most sectors, business functions and venture life cycle stages. Before assigning you with a mentor we will ask you what you are wanting to get out of mentoring and assign you with a mentor relevant to your business’s model, sector and key challenges.