Criteria for new business:

• Awarded 30 points for the business plan.

• The new venture must be innovative, viable, and scalable to receive 20 points.

To submit a business plan for innovator founders, the applicant must:

• Have their own business plan, in which they have contributed ideas.

• Demonstrate their day-to-day involvement in the business plan.

• They must confirm that they will meet with the endorsing body twice during their leave (where a contact point meeting is essentially a checkpoint to assess their progress).

• Either be the sole founder or a key member of the founding team.

An innovative, viable, and scalable business venture must meet all the following criteria:

• Create a competitive advantage in the UK by meeting either new or existing market needs.

• Based on the applicant's resources, the plan must be realistic and achievable.

• Successful applicants must possess the skills, knowledge, experience, and market awareness necessary to successfully run their businesses.

• Structured planning must be evident, as well as growth and job creation potential.

The same business criteria apply.

• An applicant with previous permission in the innovator founder, innovator, start-up or Tier 1 (graduate entrepreneur) routes pursuing a business that has been evaluated by an endorsing body either for the previous endorsement or at a contact point receives 10 points.

• The business must be active, trading, and sustainable, and demonstrate significant progress towards its business plan to earn 20 points.

• The applicant receives 20 points if they are actively involved in the day-to-day management and development of their business.

Applicants applying under the same business criteria must have or have had permission on one of the relevant routes, and their letter of endorsement must confirm that they meet the following criteria:

• A previous relevant route applicant must have been assessed by an endorsing body. An organization that previously endorsed an innovator or start-up cannot endorse a new business.

• For innovator founder permission, applicants must attend at least two regular contact point meetings, or similar regular assessments, with their legacy endorsing body. Regular meetings with the endorsing body are required during subsequent leaves.

To demonstrate that the business is active, trading, and sustainable, the applicant must demonstrate substantial progress against their business plan. The business must also be registered with Companies House. Applicants must be listed as directors or members of the company.

In addition, the applicant must be involved in the daily management and development of their business.

New and existing businesses must meet the mandatory criteria:

• An applicant must demonstrate English language proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening to at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages to receive 10 points.

• If the applicant is applying for permission to stay and has lawfully been in the UK for 12 months at the date of application, they are awarded 10 points.