You can apply here or read on for information about the process.

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Who can pitch?

Anyone. You just need a project or idea that benefits people in your community. It can be a free service, social enterprise, workshop or a way of improving your local landscape. Educational, artistic, inspirational, purely functional or just desperately needed.  

Is it worth doing?

Presenting at BrightonSoup is a great way to raise money for your project, build community support and make connections that can help you carry out your project. 

With the event funds raised through tickets and donations, and thanks to generous contributors, the winning projects are getting about £1,000. The runners up also get a small contribution of around £100/150 – dependent on ticket sales.

But It’s not just about the money. As well as raising local awareness of what you are doing, all the projects that present can get offers of support, equipment, skills and volunteers wanting to help.

“I found the whole process enjoyable and useful and a great learning experience. Even though I was a bit nervous about the whole thing, I can’t believe how much I enjoyed it. The people on the evening made the event feel very supportive. I would have definitely found it hard to choose one to win if I was not pitching myself.” 

Vanessa Crawford, Pitcher, October 2021

It’s easy to apply and we support you throughout

The application form is short and simple to complete, with just a few questions about your project, who it helps and how the money will help. Your proposal doesn’t need to be a novel. Keep it short, quick and to the point!

To be eligible to apply, your project must benefit the people of Brighton and Hove, and be charitable in some way.

The application process:

After you submit your application one of our trustees/volunteers will be in touch. We like to meet up with every project who applies, to say hello, and chat through your proposal. There might be parts of your application we think you could emphasise more, or things you forgot to mention. It’s a chance for us to help you get it ready for the next bit, the Selection Committee.

Sounds scary and formal, but it’s just a group of community minded people who look through all the submitted projects to decide which get to pitch at the next event. The committee is made up of BrightonSoup volunteers and invited community guests, and three weeks before the event they get together to make their decision.

You will be informed shortly after if you have been successful or not. If not, we give you helpful feedback on your application and you get chance to revise you application and re-submit for the following event (or any subsequent event). There is no limit to how many times you apply. We have had projects that didn’t get through the Selection Committee the first time, re-submitted successfully and then won the event on the night. It’s always worth trying again.

If you are successful, you will be given details on the next part of the process.

Pitch Training

We offer a Pitch Training session to all projects who apply – even if you don’t get selected for this event. This is a really helpful advice on how best to present your idea in a few short minutes, and be as persuasive as it can be. It’s perfect for pitching at our event, but great from helping you talk about your project to anyone that you need to. Whether that’s a someone in a lift and you’ve only got a minute, a room full of people. Previous pitchers and winners and have found the training invaluable.

About the event

As for the event itself, it’s a great opportunity to meet and persuade a group of friendly people to support your community project – and it’s fun too! If you’re not sure about applying, then you should come along to one and see for yourself what it’s all about. Until then, you can:

• see what it’s like to pitch at Brighton Soup here,
• read about our previous events here. 
• listen to Radio Reverb chat about BrightonSoup events here.
  

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If you’d like to talk to someone about applying you can get in touch at projects@brightonsoup.org.uk or 0845 586 8182.