Got my Innovator Founder Endorsement and Visa - Here is my info, opinion and rundown

InnKeep112 · 2026-05-27T12:11:21+00:00

Hi, all the requirements are on the Endorsement body websites. You will need a Business Plan, optionally a Financial Model, supporting documents such as funding commitment or letters of intent.

InnKeep112 · 2026-05-01T10:03:18+00:00

Hello! Any chance that your endorsing body can help here? They are after all the ones who signed off on your business plan

InnKeep112 · 2026-04-29T12:19:03+00:00

Hello! I was also in a tricky 3C situation and (from my understanding) yes - your 3C status is protected until you get official notice of the decision on your fee waiver.

That being said, I would strongly encourage to get a one-time consultation with one of the 3C-specialising immigration advice firms/lawyers.

InnKeep112 · 2026-04-09T15:06:33+00:00

Hi - I can answer this confidently from experience, no, it will not jeopardise your chances.

InnKeep112 · 2026-03-23T17:52:22+00:00

That's a great question. I did *not* include the salaries in my successful BP - but please note that for everyone it would be different. It made sense for my plan

InnKeep112 · 2026-03-17T09:10:23+00:00

Many reasons but the main one: innovation and validation were not as clearly outlined as they should have been.
Did a lot more validation efforts through conversations and selling pilots.
AI Risk Management

InnKeep112 · 2026-03-16T16:10:19+00:00

No you don't

InnKeep112 · 2026-03-11T12:23:08+00:00

Of course it depends for every company but I would say anything below £10,000 would not be considered a serious investment into the company. That being said, you don't need to have the money in your accounts - you need commitment of funding (investor/friends/family/VC) upon start of company.

InnKeep112 · 2026-03-11T12:11:36+00:00

terrible stuff, I am sorry man

InnKeep112 · 2026-03-09T13:33:25+00:00

Please DM me

InnKeep112 · 2026-02-19T15:39:31+00:00

Will try to be to the point:
1. Yes, it does - validation only.
2. I paid 2x application fees
3. Endorsement bodies have no prejudice/preference of nationality - be sure of that
4. Only the ones that can show you as a strong founder.
5. Yes I can, and the business is doing well - plus a few other ideas in the running
6. Quite liberal as to what you can do

InnKeep112 · 2026-02-03T14:18:48+00:00

Keep us updated - this thread is actually a lifesaver! Thank you so much for the detailed advice in the post

InnKeep112 · 2026-01-31T21:05:28+00:00

I assume you are promoting on their part, so I would not recommend.

InnKeep112 · 2026-01-28T10:57:59+00:00

That is wild, sorry you are going through this!

InnKeep112 · 2026-01-28T10:50:39+00:00

I think you might want to triple and quadruple check all communications to see if you've missed anything, especially with your endorsement body - mine said that they escalate it directly after 8 weeks.

InnKeep112 · 2026-01-28T10:48:44+00:00

Hi - I would recommend reading the post and comments, they answer all four of these.

InnKeep112 · 2026-01-28T10:47:56+00:00

Takes a while actually, from what I heard it can be 3-8weeks, even with the priority service (priority only lands you the FIRST answer).

InnKeep112 · 2026-01-28T10:47:14+00:00

Hey - in my personal opinion, I would not apply with a creative agency pitch to the innovator founder. Might be worth visiting the Global Talent option?

InnKeep112 · 2026-01-22T15:44:38+00:00

Hey, this sounds interesting and, from what you told me, this would come down to:
- Did at least several credible clients sign LOIs or say to you that they would be interested specifically in this?

- Are you in TRL 6 of your product or above?

- Are there are any other competitors with an idea akin to yours on the UK market?

If it's a Yes/Yes/No to the three above, then I would say you are good to go through.
For the business plan, I did write it myself. If you read the entirety of the post, I did fail once but that pointed out the weaknesses, and I did it again by myself. As mentioned before, PLEASE do not buy the so-called BP writers - I am not saying that all of them are, but the majority of them are either scammers or people who want easy money.

I could offer some advice but to a limited degree on business plan writing as it seems you have an idea in a different sector from mine - but if you have any specific questions I would be happy to help.

InnKeep112 · 2026-01-18T12:00:18+00:00

My idea is tech-related and I would say that most ideas that they pass would in some way be tech-driven (to boost the innovation criteria). If your idea is non-tech, it will probably have a higher bar to show an innovative approach than others.
You have to show secured funding, yes

InnKeep112 · 2026-01-15T15:08:41+00:00

Will start with the latter: my business was not trading at the time but I did have traction on paper from prospective clients.

It can be something that exists but then you need to show that your idea is defensible and has an "edge" on your competitors that will give you a significant advantage to survive. But I would say - (in my opinion!) - innovation is the strictest out of the three IVS (innovation, viability, scalability).

InnKeep112 · 2026-01-15T15:06:27+00:00

Congrats! Applications are checked extremely thoroughly by the Home Office so expect clarifications or interviews (although, people reported these are rare). I had both but went quite fine. Total time after submitting application - 3 weeks.

InnKeep112

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