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A new programme supporting final year students and alumni to take the next steps with their business idea has been launched at Â鶹ƵµÀ Leicester (DMU).

Launchpad is a four-week bootcamp during which participants will get tutoring, skills development and peer support, with a £1,000 prize up for grabs at the end-of-course awards ceremony.

So far more than 120 people have signed up and have been inducted onto Launchpad, run by DMU Works Enterprise team, which offers programmes and support for students who want to develop entrepreneurial skills or launch their own businesses.

Over the course of the next few weeks, the students and graduates will learn how to develop a business idea, read the current market and position their start-up for maximum impact.

A mixture of seminars and lectures will be delivered online, covering things like financial planning, legal and ethical considerations and a focus on making sure the business is sustainable.

Participants will be encouraged to consider the current economic situation and draw from their own experience of good and bad customer service.

DMU has the eighth highest number of start-ups of any UK university thanks to its support for entrepreneurially-minded students and alumni.

DMU also runs The Crucible, a two-year in-depth programme that gives access to DMU expertise and facilities, personalised mentoring, links with the city’s thriving SME networks and signposting to funding opportunities.

In August, DMU’s Start-up Schools will be back running across three days giving people the chance to learn business basics over three days, with separate courses for product-based businesses and service-based businesses. Places will be announced shortly.

Later this month, DMU is , an online conference with business founders and entrepreneurs sharing their stories and offering advice