Becoming an entrepeneur

Are you considering starting your own business? Now is a good time to prepare. Utrecht University can offer you a number of opportunities to explore entrepreneurship.

  • The (English language) Entrepreneurship minor will provide you with a solid foundation in entrepreneurial skills.
  • The Utrecht Center for Entrepreneurship (CE) organises Spring schools, Summer schools, Winter schools, Honours classes and short seminars on entrepreneurship. All courses are offered in English except when the entire group is Dutch.

STUDENTSINC

Would you like to run a business while still at university? Do you want to graduate on running your own business? StudentsInc (Dutch language website) is home to a number of student businesses and offers programmes to develop your entrepreneurial skills.

UTRECHTINC

Have you (nearly) graduated and do you want to start a business? UtrechtInc is the place to find financing, office space, expertise and coaching. UtrechtInc is there for

  • starting entrepreneurs and alumni, doctoral candidates, and researchers (preferably from UU, Hogeschool Utrecht, UMC Utrecht)
  • who are still in the ideas phase OR further along (less than five years)
  • and have a (IT) start-up focusing on health, environmental sustainability, or education.

Would you like to know more? Visit the UtrechtInc site (Dutch language), register your idea, and drop by for a cup of coffee.

ENACTUS

Would you like to know whether entrepreneurship is right for you? Are you driven, socially conscious, and ambitious? Are you willing to spend a year working on a business for at least 8 hours a week? Enactus Utrecht (Dutch language website) offers you the opportunity to run a business and provides workshops and professional coaching.

MASTER'S DEGREES IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Utrecht University offers various Master's degree programmes that will familiarise you with entrepreneurship. Note that if you lack the required background for a given Master's degree programme, you can usually follow a pre-Master that will still allow you to take part.

  • A new one-year Master's degree programme in Business Development and Entrepreneurship will start at the Utrecht School of Economics in September 2016.
  • If your background is in Science or Medicine, the two-year Science and Business Management Master's degree programme may be right for you.
  • The two-year Sustainable Business and Innovation Master's degree programme is available to a broad group of students, but it does require some prior knowledge. Please review the Admission and application page for details.

USEFUL LINKS

  • Register at the Chambers of Commerce.
  • You can read about all the other things you need to take care of on the Revenue Service (Belastingdienst) website.
  • Join relevant groups on LinkedIn to share knowledge online and expand your network.
  • Will you run an especially sustainable, innovative, and/or internationally oriented business? The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can support you with subsidies, knowledge, regulation, and more.