You must apply for endorsement of your business idea by a Home Office UKVI approved endorsing body before you apply for Innovator Founder visa UK. Our specialist team of work visa solicitors can provide immigration advice and legal representations for your application for an endorsement letter for Innovator Founder visa UK from one of the UKVI approved endorsing bodies.
Endorsing Bodies For Endorsements For Innovator Founder Visa UK
The following are the Home Office UKVI approved endorsing bodies for issuing endorsement letter to apply for innovator founder visa UK:
- Envestors Limited
- UK Endorsing Services
- Innovator International
- The Global Entrepreneurs Programme (GEP)
The Global Entrepreneurs Programme (GEP) is a government programme run by the Department for Business and Trade for internationally mobile, tech-based entrepreneurs and helps them scale and internationalise their innovation rich companies from a UK global HQ. GEP only provide visa endorsements for founders that have already been invited to participate on their programme. For further information about the eligibility criteria for GEP, please contact
Our specialist team of work visa solicitors can provide legal services for your application for endorsement for Innovator Founder visa UK.
What Is A Valid Endorsement Letter?
The application must be supported by an endorsement letter from an endorsing body which must contain the following information:
- the name of the endorsing body;
- their endorsement reference number;
- the date of issue of the endorsement letter, which must be no earlier than 3 months before the date of application;
- the applicant’s name, date of birth, nationality and passport number;
- the name and contact details (telephone number, email and workplace address) of an individual at the endorsing body who
will verify the contents of the letter to the Home Office, if requested.
An endorsement cannot be accepted if:
- it has been used in an application made after more than 3 months after date of issue
- it has been withdrawn by the endorsing body
- the endorsing body has lost its status as an endorsing body at the date of decision
In addition to the above the endorsement letter must also include the endorsing body’s confirmation that in their assessment the applicant meets the individual
requirements of either the ‘new business’ or ‘same business’ criteria.
An endorsement letter from an endorsing body issued to any one issued their first endorsement after the 13 April 2023 must confirm that:
- the applicant is considered a fit and proper person to receive endorsement under the rules and guidance of the Innovator Founder route
- the endorsing body has no concerns over the legitimacy of sources of funds or modes of transfer of funds invested by the applicant into their endorsed business
- the endorsing body has identified no reason to believe that the applicant or their endorsed business may be the beneficiary of illicit or otherwise unsatisfactorily explained wealth
Business Plan Requirement For Endorsement Letter
The applicant must:
- have a business plan and have either generated or made a significant contribution to the ideas in that business plan
- demonstrate that they will have a day-to-day role in carrying out the business plan
- confirm that they will have at least two contact point meetings with the endorsing body at regular intervals during their period of permission
- be either the sole founder or an instrumental member of the founding team
Business is Innovative, Viable and Scalable
The applicant must have an innovative, viable and scalable business venture and they must meet all the following requirements:
- the applicant must have a genuine, original business plan that meets new or existing market needs and / or creates a competitive advantage
- the applicant’s business plan must be realistic and achievable based on the applicant’s available resources
- the applicant must have, or be actively developing, the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to successfully run the business
- there must be evidence of structured planning and of potential for job creation and growth into national and international markets
The endorsing body supporting the application must state in the endorsement letter that they are satisfied the requirements have been met and provide a short description of how the applicant has done so.
After initial assessment of your business idea and having found that your business idea is likely to be accepted as an innovative, viable and scalable, we will refer you to a third party who will write the business plan for your innovative business idea so that you are able to apply for an endorsement letter for your Innovator Founder visa UK. Please note that the third-party providing services for writing business plan is independent and they will directly charge you for their services for business plan writing.
Assessment of Business Plan By Our Team
Our specialist team of wok visa solicitors will assess the business plan once it has been written by the third party and its contents approved by you. As a result of our assessment, we may require further changes in the business plan to enhance chances of success in the application for endorsement letter for an Innovator Founder visa UK.
Application For Endorsement Letter
Once the business plan has been fully prepared and approved by the applicant, our team of specialist immigration solicitors can prepare and file an application for endorsement letter with one of the Home Office UKVI approved endorsing bodies. Our fixed fee for the endorsement letter will cover all our work on the application until decision is made by the relevant endorsing body.
Our Fixed Fees For An Application For Endorsement Letter
- Our work visa solicitors will charge a fixed fee ranging from £2,000 + VAT to £3,000 + VAT (if VAT is applicable) for your application for an endorsement letter for Innovator Founder visa UK. The agreed fixed will depend on the complexity of the application and the volume of work involved in the application for endorsement letter for Innovator founder visa UK.
- Our fixed fee for your application for endorsement letter for innovator founder visa UK does not cover any disbursements e.g. UKVI fee for the application and the applicant has to separately pay the Home office UKVI fees for the application.
FAQs: Endorsement Letter For Innovator Founder Visa UK
The following are the Home Office UKVI approved endorsing bodies for issuing an endorsement letter to apply for innovator founder visa UK:
The application must be supported by an endorsement letter from an endorsing body which must contain the following information:
- the name of the endorsing body;
- their endorsement reference number;
- the date of issue of the endorsement letter, which must be no earlier than 3 months before the date of application;
- the applicant’s name, date of birth, nationality and passport number;
- the name and contact details (telephone number, email and workplace address) of an individual at the endorsing body who
will verify the contents of the letter to the Home Office, if requested.
An endorsement cannot be accepted if:
- it has been used in an application made more than 3 months after the date of issue
- it has been withdrawn by the endorsing body
- the endorsing body has lost its status as an endorsing body at the date of decision
In addition to the above the endorsement letter must also include the endorsing body’s confirmation that in their assessment the applicant meets the individual
requirements of either the ‘new business’ or ‘same business’ criteria.
An endorsement letter from an endorsing body issued to anyone issued their first endorsement after 13 April 2023 must confirm that:
- the applicant is considered a fit and proper person to receive endorsement under the rules and guidance of the Innovator Founder route
- the endorsing body has no concerns over the legitimacy of sources of funds or modes of transfer of funds invested by the applicant into their endorsed business
- the endorsing body has identified no reason to believe that the applicant or their endorsed business may be the beneficiary of illicit or otherwise unsatisfactorily explained wealth
Applicants do not need to be the sole founder of the business and may be a member of an entrepreneurial team and share the same business idea and plan as another Innovator Founder team member. However, each member of the Innovator Founder team must be issued their own individual endorsement and meet all the requirements of the route in their own right.
The endorsement letter will be valid for three months to apply for an innovator founder visa UK.
Your application for an endorsement letter for an innovator founder visa must be supported by a business plan showing your innovative, viable and scalable business idea.
The immigration rules and the UKVI guidance require that the applicant either generate or contribute significantly to the ideas in the business plan. It is permissible for an individual to have joined a business after registering with Companies House, provided the business had not already commenced trading. In such a case, the UKVI must be satisfied that the applicant contributed significantly to the business plan and has not been added to an existing business plan primarily to facilitate investment.
