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From idea to pitch.
Over 600 learners from 37 countries joined our fourth free, online bootcamp, building a business proposal from a first idea to a live pitch in front of Ford Credit Europe executives.
A classroom spanning 37 countries
learners joined the Bootcamp
countries
pitches submitted
of survey respondents would recommend it
Where learners say they stand now
Confidence describing the problem their business solves
Familiarity with how a business earns money and covers its costs
Confidence giving a short, clear pitch
Share of survey respondents rating themselves 4 or 5 out of 5, before and after the Bootcamp.
A practical start in business
Across six live sessions over two weeks, learners built a small business from the ground up: understanding their customer, shaping a product, and putting together a plan that could actually make money. It was designed for real, everyday businesses they could start where they live, using tools that are free or very low cost.
The focus was the fundamentals of running a small or medium business (an SME), not chasing a high-tech, investor-funded startup. Many learners put forward social enterprises and ideas built around sustainability, and a guest talk on impact investing gave them extra support.
Learners built one thing: their pitch deck
Every session added to a single pitch deck. By the end, learners had submitted over 100 pitches.
The themes
Design thinking
Learners found a real problem worth solving, then got to know the exact customer who has it, building a customer persona specific enough to guide every decision that followed.
“Design thinking education really helped for me to think more outside of the box because now I have more ways to expand on my idea to make it more sound, innovative and investment-attractive.”
Business model & finance
Learners turned their ideas into ventures that could actually work, and pay. They designed a business model around customer, value, competition, and distribution, then planned their cash month by month.
“…I learned to ask “Who are my customers and why would they buy?” and to plan my cash month-by-month, not just yearly…”
Branding & pitching
Learners gave their ventures a name, a story, and a pitch that lands, then rehearsed the five-part investor pitch structure, ready for the Dragons’ Den.
“…The pitch training was especially valuable because it helped me turn my ideas into a clear story supported by evidence…”
Our educators
Each theme was taught live by a volunteer professional who does this work for a living. They taught the sessions, answered questions in the moment, and saw learners’ ideas develop across the fortnight.
Bre McQuade
Christopher Varin
Eilis Tobin
How the fortnight ran
Six taught 60-minute live sessions ran each weekday from Monday 14 to Friday 18 September, with the last on Monday 21 September, supported by videos, readings, and assignments on Google Classroom. Daily sessions ran 17:00 to 18:00 UK time.
What an impact investor looks for in a social business
Gabriel invests in businesses that set out to do social good and still stand up commercially. In this optional session he explained what impact investors look for in a social enterprise, and how a founder can show that both sides hold together. It was open to the whole cohort.
Ideas on the big stage
Learners uploaded their pitch decks to Google Classroom, where a panel of teachers scored each one and sent written feedback. 18 pitched live in the practice round, and ten reached the Dragons’ Den final on 25 September with ideas in agriculture, sustainability, software, and more.
of those who rated it found the feedback on their pitch useful
The final was judged by
- Matt Armbruster
- Kerry Henderson
- Carmen Nieto
- Simon Weedon
Ford Credit Europe
“…I also became more confident in presenting, answering questions and defending my assumptions…”
Thank you to everyone who made it happen
Ford Credit Europe has supported the Bootcamp since its first edition, as part of Ford’s Global Caring Month. Thank you to our educators, our judges, and every learner who took part.