Innovator founder visa endorsement
We are a Home Office Approved Legacy Endorsing Body
Innovator founder visa endorsement
We are a Home Office Approved Endorsing Body
Innovator Founder business plan endorsement Support
Fashion Angel is a fashion business accelerator with 10 years experience in offering mentoring & business consultancy to both start-up and established fashion industry entrepreneurs.
The Innovator Founder Visa is for non-UK nationals wishing set up a business in the UK based on an innovative, viable and scalable business idea they have generated, or to which they have significantly contributed.
As of April 2023 the Home Office revised the visa system and replaced the Start Up and Innovator visas with the Innovator Founder Visa. To qualify for a visa, applicants must obtain an endorsement from an approved endorsing body.
We are the only official legacy endorsing body supporting the fashion and fashion/tech sectors. We have written & endorsed numerous Start Up & Innovator Business plans to support visa applications, with an unrivalled 100% success rate, and can help you develop your innovative idea and/or your business plan to ensure its suitable for endorsement to support your Innovator Founder visa application.
We only consider working with individuals that can demonstrate the following:-
- Innovation: Are you presenting an original business idea that meets new or existing market needs and/or creates a competitive advantage?
- Viability: Do you have the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to successfully run the business?
- Scalability: Can you demonstrate the business model has potential for planned growth?
You can find out more information about the visa conditions here
The Innovator Founder visa is for three years.
The minimum funds requirement of £50,000 has been removed, however you will have to provide evidence that you have access to the finance needed to start and run the business for at least the first 12 months.
Innovator Founder visa holders will be allowed to take up secondary employment alongside the running of their own business provided that the secondary employment meets a minimum skill level of RQF Level 3 (broadly A-Level and the same skills threshold as for the Skilled Worker category), providing more flexibility.
- To qualify for a visa, applicants must obtain an endorsement from one of the three approved endorsing bodies- you can see the list here
- You will need to provide them with a business plan that demonstrates the Innovation, Scalability & viability of your idea, along with 3 years of financials forecasts including Cashflow, P & L and Balance Sheet.
- You will need to provide evidence that you have access to the finance needed to start and run the business for at least the first 12 month, but preferably 3 years.
- You will also need to provide them with a CV, identity documents & proof of address.
Fashion Angel is the only official legacy endorsing body supporting the fashion and fashion/tech sectors & working closely with the new endorsing bodies. We can help you prepare and present a business plan suitable for endorsement
Please note: If accepted on our programmes it means you may meet initial eligibility criteria and the programme will help ensure you meet the endorsement criteria, but does not guarantee endorsement.
Our endorsement services
If you’re thinking about applying for the Innovator Founder visa we’re here to help you get endorsed. We are working closely with the endorsing bodies and with our historic 100% endorsement success rate, we know what it takes to get endorsement!
Our Innovator Founder Business Planning programmes will help you develop & write your business plan & meet the key criteria on which the assessment for endorsement is based on – innovation, viability and scalability.
Innovator Founder Business Planning Services
Pre Application Planning &
review programme
Endorsing bodies have to adhere to a strict criteria set by the Home Office in order to issue an endorsement. The process involves a non-refundable application fee to the endorsing body & you will be invited to an interview and to submit your business plan for assessment.
There is very specific information you must provide that is relevant to the endorsement process, which differs from a regular business plan. We can help you prepare for the application and review your business plan to identify any gaps or changes that could be made to improve your chances of success.
Business Plan Creation
programme
If you need help creating your business plan and financial forecasts, this programme will build on the Ideation Programme to write up a full Business Plan including marketing & sales strategy and operational planning, along with Financial Forecasts in line with the Home Office criteria and endorsing body requirements.
The business plan /financials content can then be used for your endorsemet application. Please note – we will need to know how much start up finance you have access to in order to build a realistic plan The endorsing body will require evidence of the finance available.
Ongoing business support
& further endorsement
We also offer ongoing mentoring and workshops to support your business development.
Future endorsements – if you have already obtained a Start Up visa business plan endorsement from us, we can issue a further endorsement to switch up to the Innovator category. For existing Innovator visa recipients we can issue further endorsements to either extend your visa or to support your settlement application if required.
Interested?
The first step is to complete our Innovator Founder Enquiry Form to confirm eligibility and give us a synopsis of your business idea. You can also use our FREE BUSINESS PLANNING TOOL if you don’t have an existing business plan which will give feedback and suggest how it can be improved.
Please note
We will only be responding to initial enquiries upon completion and submission of the relevant Enquiry Form. We also cannot respond to any enquires regarding the visa application process itself – please refer to the Home Office or your legal representative. Find out more in our FAQ section.
Testimonials
As a Home Office endorsing body Fashion Angel has supported numerous fashion and fashion/tech entrepreneurs with obtaining their Start Up & Innovator visas.
Thanks for once again supporting us! As a young start-up, we truly value what Fashion Angel do to support new companies in fashion industry.
Quang Huan Pham 
I’m truly grateful for the time and effort that went in to supporting my Innovator visa endorsement. Working with you and Afzaal has been a truly valuable experience and I do not take it for granted.
Osato Aghatese
It was an absolute pleasure working with you and I’m so grateful for your time, effort and guidance. I will definitely make Satatland work in UK and expand it internationally.
Karishma Gupta
Thank you for endorsing my business plan for the Start Up visa and for making this possible in such short time! We have really enjoyed collaborating with all of you and look forward to making this business a reality now!
Eva Sahin
Testimonials
As a Home Office endorsing body Fashion Angel has supported numerous fashion and fashion/tech entrepreneurs with obtaining their Start Up & Innovator visas.
Thanks for once again supporting us! As a young start-up, we truly value what Fashion Angel do to support new companies in fashion industry.
Quang Huan Pham
I’m truly grateful for the time and effort that went in to supporting my Innovator visa endorsement. Working with you and Afzaal has been a truly valuable experience and I do not take it for granted.
Osato Aghatese
It was an absolute pleasure working with you and I’m so grateful for your time, effort and guidance. I will definitely make Satatland work in UK and expand it internationally.
Karishma Gupta
Thank you for endorsing my business plan for the Start Up visa and for making this possible in such short time! We have really enjoyed collaborating with all of you and look forward to making this business a reality now!
Eva Sahin
FAQs
Fashion Angel is fashion business accelerator established in 2012 and one of the UK’s best known fashion sector support agencies. We have helped 1000s of fashion entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses. We offer mentoring, business support, events and access to funding as a UK government Start Up Loan delivery partner.
Anyone that wants to start a new fashion business in the UK is eligible to join providing they have an innovative business idea, however you should ensure you meet the relevant endorsing body & Home Office eligibility criteria. You must be able to provide evidence of the finance necessary to to start and run the business for at least 12 months.
No – if you already have a business plan in place that meets the required criteria you can just apply directly to your selected endorsing body
There is no specific timeframe as we are working with you individually. It will be dependent on what is already in place, how responsive you are, and whether you are just taking part in the ideation programme which we estimate is around 4 weeks, or require the full business planning service which we estimate between 8-10 weeks.
Most meetings currently take place via Zoom.
No you don’t need to be in the UK. If you are in the UK, then you need to check your current visa allows you to apply for the Start Up visa.
The Business Ideation programme is £xxx+ VAT and the full Business Planning Service is & £xx. If you are taking both then costs for both will be £xx – please contact our visa team for more information..
Once you decide to join the programme you will be invoiced for 80% of the full amount before the relevant programme commences. The programme will not commence until payment is received in full. The final 20% is performance related and will be payable once you receive your endorsement. You will be invoiced in GBP and payment can be made by transfer or credit/debit card. Any additional services required will be invoiced separately.
We have been working with fashion businesses and assessing business plans for nearly 10 years. Confidentially is paramount and we would of course be happy to sign an NDA.
The purpose of the programme is to ensure you have the best possible chance and we only take on applicants that we feel have good potential, however this is a collaboration and the final submission needs commitment and agreement from the applicant and to meet the endorsing body requirements & Home Office criteria. You are responsible to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria.
You will automatically become a Silver member of the Fashion Angel Business Club and can attend any of our online or in-person events. Further 1:2:1 mentoring is also available for a separate fee arranged separately.
We do offer addition mentoring, as this is our core service, and this can be arranged for a separate fee.
No we are not allowed to do this although we can help you prepare for your interview and submission. You will need to submit yourself following the format provided by your selected endorsing body as they all have their own prescribed format.